Circumference reduction and cellulite treatment with a TriPollar radiofrequency device: a pilot study
Abstract Background. A wide variety of treatments for circumference reduction and outcome are available, but most procedures offer suboptimal clinical effects and/or delayed therapeutic outcomes.
Objective to determine the safety and effectiveness of the TnPollar ra. radiofrequency device for cellulite treatment and circumference redlנction.
Methods Thirty-nine females with cellulite received eight weekly TriPoll’ar treatments. Treatment areas include the abdomen, thighs, buttocks, and amוs. Subjects were evaluated using standardized photographs and measurements of body weight, circumference, subcutaneous thickness, and skin elasticity of the treatment sites at baseline, immediately after, and 4 weeks after the final treatment. Physiaians’ evaluation of clinical improvement tתscores using a. quartile grading. g scale was recorded. Results Thrty-seven patients (95’%} completed the treatment protocol. There was a significant circumference reduction. action of 3.5 and 1.7 cm at the abdomen (P = 0.002) an,d thigh (P = 0.002) regions, espectively. At 4 weeks after the last treatment, the average circumferential reductions of the abdomen and thighs were sustained. No significant circumferential reductions of the buttocks and arms at the last treatment visit compared to baseline were demonstrated (P= 0.138 and 0.152, respectively). Que grading scores correlate to approximately 50% improvement in cellulite appearance were noted.
Conolus·orns Tripollar radiofrequency provided benefiס]al effects סח the reduction of abdomen and thigh circumference.ce an.d cellulite appearance.
Received: 13 October 2009; Accepted 12 February 2009
in overweight persons, there is a redistribution of fat in specific patterns. One aesthetic problem for most obese individuals., who achieve modest or even significant degrees of weight loss due to a diet control program combined with physical exercise, is the ability to elongate the indicated fat at some specific anatomical sites, such as the abdomen, buttocks, and thighs. These localized areas of fat accumulation cannot be served by regular dietary control alone but require an additional body sculpting specific areas of cellulite occ1nrece, which is a commode. ,distres ing condiiti.on experienced by over 80% of postpubertal women.
Cellulite is characterized by an irregular, dimpled of the skin which is mainly found on the thighs, buttocks, and abdomen.4 Cellulite is best considered to be multi-factorial .in etiology, including structural, genetic, and endocrine abno1·01alities. It is evident that weakened connective tissue, enlarged fat cells, and diminished microcirculation play key roles in the pathophysiology of cellulite. variety of topical preparations, massage-based therapies, and surgical techniques, including liposuction and subsection have been advocated to Improve the cellulite condition.
by promoting microcirculation in the affected areas. However, most procedures offer suboptimal and inconsistent clinical effects and/or a delayed therapeutic outcome.
Recently, various technologies such as a. radiofrequency (RF) device alone and combined RF and light source technologies have been introduced for tissue tightening by volumetric heating of the deep dermis.6,.7 Applications include a controlled. RF energy sources have become one of the most exciting modalities for the treatment of Cellulite, skin tightening, and body sculpting Modern RF systems use an RF source in one or more configurations: mono-polar and bi-polar. Previous studies reported beneficial effects of mono-polar and bi-polar RF in the treatment of cellulite and skin tightening. Mono-polar RF provides deep dermal heating, but the procedure is painful, with a delayed outcome, whereas bipolar RF has a limited depth of tissue heating and is also whit pain associated.
TriPollar RF is a novel technology producing homogeneous deep volumetric heating of tissue, thus combining the effects of mono-polar and bi-polar RF modalities in one applicator. The RF current flows between three poles (electrodes) and simultaneously heats superficial and deep skin layers at the same time. The densely focused current between three poles results in a high power density in the treatment area (Fig.1 ) and, therefore, low power consumption provides clinical effects with longer-term results over successive treatment sessions without discomfort.
The present study is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the TriPollar RF technology-based device in obtaining long-term results for circumference reduction, cellulite treatment, and skin tightening.
Materials and methods
The Etlucal Committee on Research approved the study protocol involving human subjects, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University. Written informed consent was obtained from all study subjects.
Thirty•nine females (aged 23-60 years; , mean 41 years) with the presence of grade >2 cellulite (Nurnberger-Muller scale) 13 were recruited to the study between August 2007 and January 2008. Subjects were instructed to adhere to their regular diet, exercise program and life style with weight f1uctations not exceeded 2 kg from the preceding month. Exclusion criteria included
