For cellulite reduction and skin tightening 12 sessions are ideally needed for best results

Three monthly HIFU / Rf microneedling RF sessions for skin tightening and cellulite reduction? It doesn’t work like that…

• Why 12 weekly - intensive but SAFE - sessions are ideal for cellulite reduction and skin tightening

• Stimulating fat release and skin tightening

• Strong (but never excessive), regular stimulation is needed for effective skin tightening / cellulite removal

• Why specifically 12 sessions?

• What is the difference in effectiveness between 6 and 12 sessions?

• What about the destructive method?

• How do you know if a treatment is destructive?

• For anyone serious about good results with skin tightening and cellulite removal, a course of 12 weekly sessions is the way to go

• Book a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts

Why 12 (intensive but SAFE) sessions are ideal for cellulite reduction and skin tightening

In aesthetics there are currently two methods to effect skin tightening and cellulite reduction:

• The stimulative method. This is safe, pain-free and effective, as long as it’s strong (but never excessive), and as long as treatments are regularly repeated. As multiple treatments are needed, prices should be moderate. Typical examples: deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency; high-power ultrasound cavitation; strong cellulite-specific massage etc.

• The destructive method. This is inherently unsafe as excessive intensities are used with the aid of numbing cream to mask the extreme pain. Despite all the pain and the suffering, it is no more effective than the stimulative method. As “instant” and “permanent” results with 1-3 sessions are promised, treatments are usually extortionately expensive for the area treated and the results achieved. Typical examples: microneedling radiofrequency; extreme intensity HIFU; extreme intensity RF etc.

Stimulating fat release and skin tightening

As mentioned above, currently, the two best stimulative methods* for cellulite reduction and skin tightening are:

• Deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency

• High-power, deep acting ultrasound cavitation

These stimulative technologies work by stimulating:

• collagen/elastin synthesis

• existing collagen contraction

• fat release

• circulation

These gradually lead to improved skin tightness and elasticity and less hypodermal fat, i.e. less cellulite.

Stimulative methods work in the same way as exercise does: by challenging the body and stimulating it to improve (over weeks and months, not hours and days). But the results are also long-lasting.

(* There are all sorts of other stimulating technologies, such as superficial RF (i.e. bipolar/tripolar RF), various types of massage, acoustic wave therapy (AWT), low intensity RF/ultrasound, red/infrared LED therapy, low intensity HIFU, mechanical roller massage etc. However, all these are quite ineffective/inefficient and require 2x, 3x, 4x the number sessions in relation to strong, deep-acting ultrasound/RF.)

Strong (but never excessive), regular stimulation is needed for effective skin tightening / cellulite removal

Mild stimulation, monthly sessions or 1-4 sessions only will not lead to any significant / long-term change.

So both STRONG, REGULAR and REPEATED but SAFE stimulation is needed, hence our stipulation of ideally 12 weekly strong, deep acting treatments, for most cases.

• At the gym, low intensity weight lifting will not increase muscle mass at all. Going to the gym once in a a month will not change anything either (but it may help maintain muscle mass).

• Likewise, low intensity RF/ultrasound will not be sufficient to tighten skin or reduce cellulite at all. Furthermore, having an RF/ultrasound treatment once a month will just maintain, but will not improve the skin.

On the other hand, stimulation is too strong, for “amazing results” with 1-3 extreme intensity monthly sessions, tissue damage may occur:

• Again, according to our gym example, if you attempt to lift twice your normal weight, you will not build more muscle, you will most probably sustain an injury

• Likewise, if you try to have faster results with RF, ultrasound cavitation or any other technique, by cranking up the intensity, you will just cause injury (burn), not improvement

• (Of course, low intensity HIFU or RF microneedling do not (usually) cause any injury but they don’t work either. Destructive techniques need to be on the border of injury to work.)

And this is the problem with destructive methods: they aim to improve the skin by damaging (burning) it first.

These techniques are really stupid and inherently unsafe, but people fall for them, because pain, downtime and extortionate prices impress the naive and the gullible.

Why specifically 12 sessions?

It does not specifically need to be 12, but something like 10-15 sessions or thereabouts, is just about right.

This is the number of sessions that practice has shown to provide best results in most cases, on a reasonable budget and with good equipment.

• Some people stop at 6, but that’s exactly when the skin gets into its “training” routine and improves at a much faster rate than during the first 6 sessions

• After 12 sessions, the body keeps improving but the course of treatments becomes too long and cost may become too expensive for most people

• If time and money is not a constraint, up to 24 sessions will offer even better results

• Practice has shown that after 24 sessions, results slow down, meaning reduced value for money

Of course, these guidelines are for strong (but always safe), deep-acting radiofrequency and ultrasound cavitation.

As mentioned above, lower intensity / superficially acting RF or ultrasound may need 2x, 3x or even 4x times the sessions for the same results. The same applies to other techniques, such as AWT, different types of massages etc.

What is the difference in effectiveness between 6 and 12 sessions?

As with exercise, the first few sessions help the body to get into a changing mode.

From 6x to 12x sessions results accelerate and the difference between the 6th and the 12th sessions is definitely far more pronounced than those between the 1st and the 6th session.

If you stop at 6x sessions results may be great for some but most people will miss on the opportunity for much better results.

Results keep improving for up to 24 sessions in total, after which the effectiveness curve tapers off.

These are the practical observations from thousands of clients during the last 20+ years.

What about the destructive method?

Destructive techniques, such as extreme intensity RF, extreme intensity HIFU and extreme intensity RF microneedling, aim to literally burn the inside of the skin.

Literally - at 60-90º C to be precise.

Those who provide such treatments euphemistically call the tissue burning, “coagulation”, but it is literally ‘tissue burning’. They also talk about “collagen denaturation and contraction”, but in reality we are talking about ‘collagen destruction’. That’s the correct word.

This leads to inflammation and scar tissue formation. They euphemistically call it “neocollagenesis” or “skin tightening”, but it is literally ‘scar tissue formation’ / ‘skin hardening’. In addition, the hope is that enough hypodermal/cellulite fat cells have been damaged to call the whole thing cellulite reduction.

However, there are five “tiny” problems with the whole concept:

1. Some people’s skin DOES NOT RESPOND with scar tissue collagen and they are left with paper-thin skin

2. Some people’s skin OVERREACTS and produces too much scar tissue collagen, and they are left with hard bumps (fibrous nodules) that last for years. Not to mention visible superficial burn scars, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and a host of other reactions. Feast your eyes with these examples from ~30% of reviewers (some more examples here).

3. Even when everything goes to plan and the right amount of scar tissue collagen is produced, it doesn’t last that long. Then you need to repeat the procedure (with all the pain, downtime and the dangers of #1 and #2 above) to top it up. NOT VERY SUSTAINABLE, LONG TERM. A client I saw recently, splashed out £10,000 in three excruciatingly painful radiofrequency microneedling sessions, that actually required anaesthetic injections to mask the pain, and literally nothing happened. At least her skin didn’t get injured - that’s something... Instead, this £10k would be equivalent to more than 20x stimulative treatments on the same areas. Much better value for money, results and safety too.

4. Even when everything goes to plan, the RESULTS ARE NOT BETTER (quite often they are zero) than sustainable and safe stimulative methods, such as deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency and deep acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation.

5. With destructive treatments, indeed fat cells (and lots of good tissue around them) may be damaged, but what people are not told is that THE BODY CAN CREATE NEW FAT CELLS FROM STEM CELLS literally anywhere in the body (especially so on the subcutaneous and hypodermal adipose tissues of the thighs and buttocks, in women). Furthermore, the remaining undamaged fat cells can expand up to 15x their initial diameter (from 20 μm radius up to 300 μm), which means they can fill up with up to 3,000x their initial size (V = 4πr³/3). Has anyone told you this?

With stimulative methods the aim is to keep adverse reactions to less than 0.5% (the rate at our clinic) and they should generally by mild and temporary.

With destructive methods the aim to to actually burn the skin 100% of the time, but in a “controlled” way. What could possibly go wrong, right?

How “controlled” the damage is, is visible in the examples mentioned on point #2.

Thanks but no thanks…

How do you know if a treatment is destructive?

It’s simple, if anaesthetic cream or anaesthetic injections are needed to stop people from screaming with pain, then this is a destructive method.

With the pain signal masked you never know if intensity is just a bit high for your specific tissues (which will cause minimal adverse reactions) or extremely high (which will cause severe adverse reactions).

For anyone serious about good results with skin tightening and cellulite removal, a course of 12 weekly sessions is the way to go

All in all, a course of strong (but not extremely intensive) and deep (but not too deep either) RF/cavitation sessions, will safely provide maximum results and value for money, for both cellulite and skin looseness, in about 12 sessions.

Anyone who promises “amazing transformations” (😂) in 1-4 sessions with a stimulative method, are simply lying. Simply put, 1-4 sessions are not enough for cellulite reduction / skin tightening, in the same way that a handful of sessions in the gym are not enough to build muscle.

And anyone who promises amazing / permanent cellulite reduction or skin tightening with 1-4 destructive methods (😢) are also lying, as results are not that “wow” for all the pain, risk, downtime and suffering.

With destructive methods, quite often nothing happens in terms of results and a lot happens in terms of injury. Some people may indeed have great results with a destructive method, but you do not want to be in the 30% of the reviewers in the examples above.

Going back to the stimulative methods, sometimes 6 sessions are great, but not optimal. And sometimes even 3 are good for a quick top-up.

But for anyone serious about some good, long-term results, a course of 12 weekly sessions is the way to go.

That’s the truth without embellishments and hype.

Book a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts

At LipoTherapeia we have specialised 100% in skin tightening and cellulite reduction for more than two decades and 20,000+ sessions.

This is all we study and practise every day and have researched and tried hands-on all the important skin tightening equipment and their manufacturers.

As strong, deep acting radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation are the technologies of choice for skin tightening and cellulite reduction, we have invested in the best RF/ultrasound technologies in the world.

Furthermore, over the last two decades we have developed advanced RF and cavitation treatment protocols in order to make the most of our technologies, for maximum results, naturally and safely.

Our radiofrequency/ultrasound treatments are comfortable, pain-free, downtime-free, injection-free, microneedling-free, 99.5%+ safe and always non-invasive.

And our focus is on honest, realistic, science-based treatment, combined with caring, professional service, with a smile.

We will be pleased to see you, assess your cellulite, skin laxity or fibrosis, listen to your story, discuss your case and offer you the best possible treatment.

Learn more or check prices and book an expert treatment at our London clinic (49 Marylebone High Street, W1)