HealthWatch: Treatment Shows Promise In Smoothing Cellulite

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) - Doctors have a new way to tackle cellulite,  a tool that uses acoustic waves to produce a noticeable cosmetic result.

Acoustic wave technology has been used to break up kidney stones and treat soft tissue sports injuries, now it's being aimed at smoothing out nagging cellulite.

"When female athletes were being treated for their soft tissue injuries, they were reporting that they were getting improvement in their cellulite," explained dermatologist Dr. Kimberly Finder

The idea behind Cellupulse technology is simple. Thousands of pulses of energy penetrate up to an inch deep to soften up the hardened connective tissue that can cause bulging pockets of cellulite.

"It's not an instant change, there will be improvement in the appearance of the cellulite because we're altering the basic problem," Finder said.

Cellupulse consists of eight treatments over four weeks of less than 30 minutes a session.

Doctors who like it claim the results are more predictable than previous cellulite treatments.

Finder has used Cellupulse on a handful of patients over the past month with good early success.

"I've been very happy and impressed with what I'm seeing," she stated. "So I think it was worth taking that leap and adding it to our repertoire of what we can offer patients."

Finder said it may take up to three months for patients to see the full results of Cellupulse. Patients may need maintenance sessions in nine months to a year.

Most people get the treatment on their thighs and buttocks. Depending on the size of the treatment area, Cellupulse costs between $450 to $2,000.

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