“In the last 24+ years I have researched all cellulite reduction technologies and ultrasound cavitation - provided is strong enough and that it acts deep enough - is still one of the two best SAFE technologies for this purpose (deep, strong radiofrequency is the other one). Ultrasound cavitation works by destabilising or even breaking fat cell membranes and by stimulating fat release from fat cells, while leaving all other tissues nearby intact. This means that in the right hands ultrasound is both effective and more than 99% safe.”
How does ultrasound cavitation work to reduce cellulite fat?
Ultrasound and cellulite | In summary
What is ultrasound cavitation?
How ultrasound cavitation shrinks fat cells: What ex-vivo skin samples show
What the living tissue biopsies show
No other cells or tissues affected apart from fat cells
Safe and effective
High-power ultrasound cavitation: ideal for cellulite reduction
Can ultrasound cavitation cure lipedema?
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Ultrasound and cellulite | In summary
Ultrasound-induced cavitation happens when powerful ultrasound waves create tiny gas bubbles in fat and skin tissue. These bubbles quickly collapse, releasing heat and mechanical energy that can reduce fat and make fat cells smaller.
Although the exact process is not fully clear, studies on skin samples show that short bursts of ultrasound can shrink fat cells by about 23%, as the cell membranes and surrounding fluid become destabilised. This creates tiny pores, allowing fat to leak out. In living tissue, treated areas have noticeably smaller fat cells than untreated ones, with results still visible after 12 days.
The process targets only fat cells, leaving skin, blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue unharmed and free from inflammation. At higher power levels (50W or more), ultrasound cavitation can be an effective way to reduce cellulite on areas like the thighs, stomach, or buttocks.
While it cannot treat lipoedema, ultrasound cavitation can improve tissue health and help ease the heavy feeling in the legs before or after surgery.
What is ultrasound cavitation?
Ultrasound-induced cavitation is a phenomenon that occurs when high-intensity ultrasound waves are used on liquids and human tissues, such as fat and skin.
When the intensity of the sound waves is strong enough, the ultrasound waves can create small gas bubbles in the tissue. These bubbles can then quickly collapse, releasing energy in the form of heat and mechanical force.
Research has shown that this process can reduce the amount of fat and shrink the size of fat cells in the skin.
How ultrasound cavitation shrinks fat cells: What ex-vivo skin samples show
The exact way that ultrasound-induced cavitation reduces fat and shrinks fat cells is not fully understood, but studies have provided some information.
In experiments using skin samples, exposure to short ultrasound cycles caused a significant shrinkage of fat cells (-23%, P < 0.001).
Analysis of the tissue showed that the process of cavitation destabilised the fat cell membranes and the intercellular fluid.
This destabilisation may be caused by the merging of small vacuoles (fluid-filled sacs) or the formation of clusters of these vacuoles on the fat cell membranes.
The resulting pores in the fat cells' membranes, which are about 0.5-1.5 micrometers in size, allow the fat from fat cells to leak out.
What the living tissue biopsies show
Similar effects were observed in fat tissue samples taken from people who had received ultrasound treatment for fat reduction.
The size of fat cells in the treated areas was significantly smaller than in untreated areas.
This effect was particularly noticeable one day after the final treatment and remained visible after 12 days. Analysis of the tissue showed that scattered fat droplets from inside the fat cells were present in the surrounding tissue and near blood/lymphatic vessels, but there was no longer any leaking of the fat from fat cells.
No other cells or tissues affected apart from fat cells
It is important to note that the effects of ultrasound-induced cavitation on fat cells do not seem to cause injury or inflammation in the surrounding tissue and do not affect other cells in the area.
This suggests that, when used correctly, ultrasound-induced cavitation does not create harmful conditions in the tissue.
Previous studies on animal skin have also found that this process can reduce fat cells without harming skin, blood vessels, nerves, or connective tissue.
Safe and effective
Overall, the research shows that ultrasound-induced cavitation can significantly reduce fat and shrink fat cells in human skin.
The process appears to destabilise the outer layers and fat-filled space inside fat cells, leading to the leakage of the fat.
Furthermore, these effects do not cause harm or inflammation and are specific to fat cells.
High-power ultrasound cavitation: ideal for cellulite reduction
As cavitation reduces fat cell size and fat cell count, it is ideal for cellulite reduction, if provided at a decent intensity.
Unfortunately, most machines on the market are low-power, hence the failure of most such treatments when it comes to cellulite reduction.
At powers of 50W or higher, ultrasound cavitation makes sense for cellulite reduction on the thighs, bum, stomach etc.
Deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency is the only other treatment worth applying for cellulite removal, again, only at high intensities (250W or higher).
At the clinic we use both of these technologies with great results.
Can ultrasound cavitation cure lipedema?
This is a very common question, as many people would like to have a non-surgical solution to lipedema.
However, the truth is that cavitation does not reduce lipoedema and and surgery remains the gold standard in lipedema treatment.
What ultrasound cavitation can do though is improve the health of the tissues and take away that heavy leg feeling characterising lipedema both before and after surgery.
At the clinic we use this treatment for this purpose with great results. But no, we cannot possibly claim to reduce lipedema with cavitation, radiofrequency or any other non-surgical treatment.
Histological and Ultrastructural Effects of Ultrasound-induced Cavitation on Human Skin Adipose Tissue
Research paper link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25289235/
Abstract: Background: In aesthetic medicine, the most promising techniques for noninvasive body sculpturing purposes are based on ultrasound-induced fat cavitation. Liporeductive ultrasound devices afford clinically relevant subcutaneous fat pad reduction without significant adverse reactions. This study aims at evaluating the histological and ultrastructural changes induced by ultrasound cavitation on the different cell components of human skin. Methods: Control and ultrasound-treated ex vivo abdominal full-thickness skin samples and skin biopsies from patients pretreated with or without ultrasound cavitation were studied histologically, morphometrically, and ultrastructurally to evaluate possible changes in adipocyte size and morphology. Adipocyte apoptosis and triglyceride release were also assayed. Clinical evaluation of the effects of 4 weekly ultrasound vs sham treatments was performed by plicometry. Results: Compared with the sham-treated control samples, ultrasound cavitation induced a statistically significant reduction in the size of the adipocytes (P < 0.001), the appearance of micropores and triglyceride leakage and release in the conditioned medium (P < 0.05 at 15 min), or adipose tissue interstitium, without appreciable changes in microvascular, stromal, and epidermal components and in the number of apoptotic adipocytes. Clinically, the ultrasound treatment caused a significant reduction of abdominal fat. Conclusions: This study further strengthens the current notion that noninvasive transcutaneous ultrasound cavitation is a promising and safe technology for localized reduction of fat and provides experimental evidence for its specific mechanism of action on the adipocytes.
Have a treatment in London with the cellulite 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.
(Of course, we keep looking for new technologies every day and if/when a better technology materialises we will be the first to provide it. However, we will never follow the latest ineffective gimmick, just because it’s good marketing to offer the latest hyped up - yet ineffective and/or unsafe treatment.)
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.
And for even better, faster results, we now combine our RF/ultrasound treatments with high-power red/infrared light LED treatment.
Our radiofrequency/ultrasound/LED treatments are comfortable, pain-free, downtime-free, injection-free, 99.5%+ safe and always non-invasive.
(No unsafe and ineffective RF microneedling or HIFU and no safe but ineffective acoustic wave therapy, superficial RF (bipolar/tripolar/multipolar etc), low power RF/cavitation, electrical muscle stimulation, lymphatic massage, cupping, dry brushing and no ridiculous bum bum creams.)
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.
The Cellulite School™: Get advanced training in cellulite reduction and skin tightening
Why train with The Cellulite School™?
We all know that training in cellulite reduction and skin tightening is as basic as it gets. It is typically a 4-6 hour training, involving only basic instruction from the manufacturer on how operators can use the machine; lots of myths, erroneous information and misconceptions; and some basic health and safety on how to use the machine.
There is no proper, real training in the science or cellulite, skin tightening, radiofrequency, ultrasound and all related technologies is non-existent - worldwide.
Do you want to deeply understand radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, LED phototherapy, cellulite and skin tightening?
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