SmoothShapes Cellulite Treatment on The Doctors

Cellulite treatments are extremely popular, inasmuch as approximately 90% of all women will develop cellulite, which is normal fat pressed up against the tissues beneath the skin. At Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center in Boca Raton, cellulite treatments are in demand on a daily basis, especially since Floridians show so much skin in our warm weather. Various treatments, including lasers, massage, diet and exercise, have been touted to effectively treat the challenge of cellulite.

SmoothShapes is a combination of two laser energies that work together to mobilize the fat from the fat cell so it can be taken up by the body. In addition to the laser energies, it uses gentle massage and suction to stimulate blood flow to the treated areas. It's one of several treatments for cellulite, and was recently featured on The Doctors, NBC's daily medical program.

Click this link to see the SmoothShapes segment from The Doctors program. You'll need to click Featured Videos and then the SmoothShapes video on the right.

Dr. Jason Pozner
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, Boca Raton
Sanctuary Plastic Surgery, Boca Raton

Cosmetic MD Nation Daily Links 3/30

Here's what you need to stay on top of today:

1) Kim Kardashian's Failing Fight Against Cellulite [In Your Face]
From Colin Stewart:
"The last time she shone a spotlight on the subject was last year, when she visited American Laser Centers to try to remove those small lumpy deposits of fat from her thighs. She underwent a Velashape treatment there during an episode of her reality-TV show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”This time, her not-perfectly-smooth thighs showed up online. An un-retouched image from a recent shoot for Complex Magazine was inadvertently posted (see below)."

At SMAC Boca, cellulite treatments are performed with an Accent XL, which uses radiofrequency waves to heat the tissue below the skin surface. We also just got Eleme's Smoothshapes, which was launched about a month ago at the AAD meeting in San Francisco. It uses a technology called Photomology, which uses "dynamic laser and light energy with manual manipulation (i.e., mechanical massage) and vacuum" to attack cellulite. Word on the street is it's the best device out there right now.

2. In China, Job Seekers are Resorting to Plastic Surgery [LA Times]
From Don Lee:
"In the U.S., the recession has led to a steep drop in cosmetic surgeries, which generally aren't paid for by health insurers. Nose jobs aren't covered in China either, but that's not stopping consumers here. Job hunters know that a pleasing face helps to get a foot in the door.

"I've been surprised how busy it is," says Dr. Liao Yuhua, president of Shanghai Time Plastic Surgery Hospital, one of the largest in the city. Business began to increase last November, she says, and in recent weeks has been running 40% higher than a year ago. At its busiest in January, Liao says, her team of 10 surgeons was doing as many as 100 procedures a day, raising noses, cutting eyelids and chiseling angular faces into the shape of smooth goose eggs."

Mirroring the trend stories stateside, job-seekers in China are pursuing cosmetic surgery to look their best.

3. New natural boob job uses tummy fat to boost bra size [Mirror.UK]
Emily Cook writes about the advent of stem cell transfers of stomach fat to the breast, to form natural implants. Many centers worldwide are looking at fat grafting to breast for reconstructive and aesthetic use. It's still pretty controversial; it has to do with distinguishing the calcifications from fat grafting from cancers, but strides are being made. Look for this to be mainstream within 10 years.

Dr. Jason Pozner
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, Boca Raton

Dr. David J. Goldberg
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center, Boca Raton
Skin Laser Surgery Specialists of NY/NJ

Visit to one of the first med-spas in Toronto

I spent some time over Thanksgiving visiting with Dr. Steve Mulholland, of SpaMedica in Toronto. I toured his facility, which was spectacular and will be even better after an upcoming renovation. SpaMedica was one of the first medi-spas out there and was an inspiration for SMAC in Boca Raton.

Canada has different rules when it comes to testing and approving new devices, so Steve has a bit of an advantage there when it comes to new technology. We're still testing the Ultrashape but he's been using it in his practice for some time, since it's already approved in Canada. He combines it with Velashape to get some more cellulite removal.

Pretty soon he'll be getting the Liposonix device from Medicis. It's similar to what Ultrashape does, but it's more thermal and supposedly has tighter skin contracture, albeit with more pain. I trust Steve's judgment so we'll see what he says about it. Maybe he should do a split body study on love handles, where each side is treated with a different machine.

He gave me the scoop on some other upcoming technologies that I'll be talking about later.

That is all,

Dr. Jason Pozner
Sanctuary Medical Aesthetic Center