Unless you are a shallow blogger/journalist about to write a “Forget abc, xyz is the newest celebrity-endorsed cellulite treatment that took the world by storm in 2024” type of article, it doesn’t really matter what is the newest cellulite treatment. Every year a bunch of new, hyped-up beauty/aesthetic treatments appear and in a few years, when people realise that said treatments are not that miraculous after all, they gradually disappear…
Hypodermal fat accumulation and cellulite: the elephant in the room that most treatments ignore
When it comes to cellulite many so-called “cellulite experts” focus on everything else than the elephant in the room, the most important thing: hypodermal fat accumulation - i.e. fat accumulation in the deepest layer of the skin, the hypodermis. It is increased hypodermal fat accumulation that causes circulation constriction and consequent water retention…
Radiofrequency / cavitation: gel, cream, serum or oil? When to use each conductive medium.
“Radiofrequency” is an all encompassing term for treatment with different types of high frequency electrical currents. Different machines utilise different frequencies, from an extra low of 300kHz to an extra high of 5GHz. The types of physical phenomena at play on those different machines are quite different…
Cellulite: surgery or non-surgical treatments? What is best?
It is true that most non-surgical cellulite treatments do not really work. Most such treatments range from generally safe but ineffective (think palper-rouler massage, acoustic wave therapy (AWT), microneedling, bipolar/tripolar RF etc) to dangerous and generally ineffective (high intensity HIFU, high intensity RF microneedling etc). As a result many people think that cellulite surgery is a better, so-called “one-off” option...
Loose skin after BBL reversal: how to tighten up and lift your skin again
Apparently the BBL era is now over and the most dangerous cosmetic procedure is now on the wane. Big butts are gradually going out of fashion and a slimmer, or at least more balanced look, is now the new trend. The Kardashians are reported to have apparently reversed their BBLs - although they never admitted them in the first place and although millions of women around the world copied the non-admitted BBLs…
Can radiofrequency dissolve fillers or Botox?
Radiofrequency increases the metabolism of tissues where it is applied. Increased metabolism will result to increased breakdown of products such as fillers and botox. Furthermore, certain types of radiofrequency, such as high frequency RF, should not be used on fillers, as temperature may increase disproportionately inside the filler, potentially causing damage…
Does fat come back after radiofrequency or cavitation?
Let’s make it crystal clear: fat can “come back” after any treatment of any kind, even liposuction (and of course, as you know, fat can come back after dieting). This is because, if you overeat, drink too much alcohol, do not exercise or take specific medication (such as corticosteroids, estrogens or progestogens), your body can create new fat cells out of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which are found in all body tissues; existing fat cells can increase more than 3,000 their original size…
If I press my RF/ultrasound handpiece hard on the skin, will it make treatment deeper?
Many therapists have the habit of pressing hard with the handpiece on the client’s skin in order to offer a deeper treatment. But does that make sense? Does treatment get deeper? The answer is maybe, depending on the equipment used, but this is not a valid or even safe way to provide deep treatment. First off, the constant pressure is not good for the therapist. It makes treatment straining and...
RF treatment is like massage: each therapist does it differently
Deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency is the best and safest non-surgical skin tightening treatment and the joint best/safest cellulite reduction treatment (together with deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation) and far more effective and safe than the undeservedly hyped-up HIFU or RF microneedling. Because radiofrequency treatment is provided with a machine, most people think that all treatments with a specific machine are provided identically and as a result they embark on “researching” what is the best RF machine on the web - as well as on instagram and tiktok 😂...
Red light therapy vs infrared light therapy: what are the differences?
Red light therapy (wavelengths of 620 to 750 nm) and near infrared light therapy (wavelengths of 800 to 2,500 nm) has become very popular the last few years for both aesthetic (anti-ageing, acne, hyperpigmentation, skin rejuvenation etc) and wellness (pain relief, sports injuries, back pain, seasonal affective disorder, burns, wound healing etc) applications. Many people wonder what is the main difference between red light and near infrared (NIR) light therapy and the answer is quite simple, as we will see below...
Can I have infrared / red light therapy treatment with makeup on?
Red and infrared light therapy (phototherapy) is very popular as an anti-ageing facial treatment, as it is generally very safe and instantly effective. The general rule is that makeup must be removed before phototherapy treatment. This is because makeup quite often contains ingredients which aim to reflect light back from the face, in order to create an effect of “radiance” and light on the skin. However, if they have a treatment during lunchtime, many women find it a hassle to remove...
Low-level light therapy (phototherapy) works with light - never with heat
"Ah yes, LED light therapy, good reminder to use again my RF wand I have at home…" This is how some people react when they hear about red light therapy / photobiomodulation, erroneously believing that light therapy works by heating up the skin. However, this could not be further from the truth. Low level light therapy (LLLT), with either...
Light therapy vs cavitation / RF for cellulite reduction and skin tightening
Light therapy, also known as phototherapy and photobiomodulation, is a great aesthetic and wellness therapeutic modality, helping with anything from wound healing, to acne, to mood enhancement to skin anti-ageing. High-power light therapy can also help with cellulite and skin laxity prevention and perhaps a little bit with reduction, but its effect comes nowhere near to that of deep-acting, high-power cavitation and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound radiofrequency, the strongest SAFE...
When ultrasound / radiofrequency doesn’t work: too much, too little, too deep, too superficial
However, not all cavitation and RF treatments are the same. In fact, as every clinic individual therapist practises those technologies differently, even with the exact same equipment - and as there is a huge variety of RF and ultrasound equipment on the market, ranging from very low spec to very high spec - we can say that there are as many RF/cavitation treatments on the market as there are clinics in the world - probably tens of thousands of them...
When to use ultrasound and when radiofrequency for cellulite reduction
When practised with top equipment and by a well-trained practitioner, deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation are the best SAFE technologies for cellulite reduction and skin tightening. Cavitation and RF are sometimes used together (in varying proportions when it comes to treatment time and treatment intensity) and sometimes individually, depending on the client’s needs. In some people, RF and ultrasound can have opposing effects, so their combined use is not such a great idea...
Where does fat go after cavitation or radio frequency treatment?
This is a common question at the clinic: “If fat is removed from a stubborn fat area / cellulite tissue with radiofrequency and/or ultrasound cavitation, where does the fat go?” Due to massive internet misinformation, many people think that a treatment, ANY treatment, can eliminate fat there and then. However, as we know from physics matter cannot be eliminated like that - except with a nuclear reaction, which is not a good idea…
Can I reduce lipedema with RF, cavitation or RF microneedling?
This is a very valid question asked by so many people in the lipedema community. However, the fact of the matter is that there is no good non-surgical treatment - be it radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, acoustic wave therapy, RF microneedling, HIFU, massage, red/infrared light therapy or pressotherapy. None of those non-surgical techniques or any other reduces lipedema and currently the only good solution for lipedema is surgery. Sure, exercise and healthy nutrition…
Cost is not an issue, so can I get rid of my cellulite / tighten my skin in one session?
It may not be a common question but it is a common thought: “I can throw (tens of) thousands of pounds in an one-off (even very painful) cellulite / skin tightening treatment. Can I get results in one session and then get on with my billionaire / centi-millionaire / deca-millionaire life?” Well, the honest answer to this very question is: Nah, life doesn’t work like that. Your body needs regular and repeated stimulation (treatments) as well as time to change. Throwing tens of thousands at the problem cannot violate the laws of physics and biology to provide instant results…
What is radio frequency bum lift and how long does it last?
There are two types of butt lifting procedures: surgical (BBL/brazilian butt lift) and non-surgical. From the myriad non-surgical bum lifting procedures the only one that really works, and is SAFE, is deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency. Deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency works my stimulating collagen and elastin synthesis as well as collagen contraction on both the dermis and hypodermis, where all the important collagen structures are found (the ones that give shape to your skin). The end result is skin tightening that lifts the skin and helps it defy gravity, i.e. bum lifting…
Monopolar vs bipolar: the pros and cons of each type of radiofrequency
A very common question we are asked at the clinic is what is the difference between unipolar, monopolar, bipolar and multipolar (i.e. tripolar, tetrapolar, octipolar) radio frequency? Which one is best for skin tightening and cellulite? On this article we examine the merits of bipolar vs monopolar RF and…