Multipolar radiofrequency goes deeper than bipolar, so it must be good for cellulite, right? No and no. It doesn’t go deeper than anything and it is not an effective cellulite treatment. Multipolar RF, i.e. tripolar, tetrapolar, hexapolar or octipolar RF, is a type of bipolar radiofrequency and, contrary to marketing nonsense, it does not reach deeper than bipolar RF. Yes, multipolar RF is still a bipolar type of radiofrequency. In nature there are only two types or electricity: plus and minus. With so called multipolar RF, the (+) and (-) poles alternate between 3 or more electrodes. So multipolar RF is still bipolar RF, just with the poles alternating, with no extra benefits incurred for cellulite reduction…

Before explaining the mechanics of visceral fat reduction, let's start with some definitions. Visceral adipose tissue, aka VAT or visceral fat, is the type of fat found deep in your belly and between your organs; subcutaneous adipose tissue, aka SAT or simply ‘fat’, is found just under your skin either on your belly or anywhere else on your body; and hypodermal adipose tissue, aka cellulite, is fat found within the deeper part of your skin itself on the thighs, bum and even stomach and arms. Now let's go back to visceral fat reduction…

It is a common question from clients: “Does XYZ treatment “break down” cellulite?” Of course “breaking down the cellulite” doesn’t mean anything at all. Cellulite is a multifaceted aesthetic condition, comprising four physical manifestations in different proportions: water retention/poor circulation, fat accumulation, fibrosis, skin looseness….

Some clinics advertise sports/deep tissue massage as an anti-cellulite massage, which could not be further from the truth. Deep tissue massage (aka sports massage) is a massage technique aiming to work DEEP into the muscles to alleviate muscle tightness, pain or injury. On the other hand, cellulite is an aesthetic condition that is characterised by hypodermal fat accumulation. Now the hypodermis may be the deepest skin layer but it is still way more superficial than the muscles. After the hypodermis we have the intermediate fascia, then the subcutaneous adipose tissue, then the deep fascia, then the muscle fascia and then the muscles. Muscles and hypodermis are two very distant tissues. Furthermore, the massage manipulation muscles need is quite different to the massage manipulation cellulite needs…

Cellulite appears due to the action of enlarged fat globules pushing skin upwards and shortened collagen fibre bundles pulling skin downwards. These collagen fibre bundles are not bothersome, unnecessary for the body tissues that need to be cut out so that fat can perpetually expand upwards without hindrance. These fibres are known to anatomists as retinaculae cutis*, i.e. skin ligaments, and they are there, as all ligaments, to keep two parts of connective tissue attached…