Update on Cellulite Treatment with Qwo

Cellulite is something that nine out of 10 women face. Although topical treatments are marketed to reduce their appearance, few procedures address the root cause of Cellulite.

Cellulite occurs when the subcutaneous fat tissue interacts with the skin’s connective tissue, causing it to dimple. Although people think it is associated with body weight and overweight, Cellulite can affect women of all sizes. Three main factors contribute to the formation of Cellulite:

• Skin: As we age, our skin becomes thinner, making the appearance of Cellulite more visible.
• Fat: Fat cells enlarge and push against the skin creating a dimple effect on the outside.
• Fibrous Bands: Fibrous bands under the skin thicken and cause tension, creating the signature dimpling.

What is Qwo?

In 2021, Qwo made headlines as the first FDA-approved injectable for cellulite treatment. This innovative product utilized a potent enzyme derived from collagenase clostridium histolyticum-aaes to dissolve the collagen strands responsible for unsightly dimpling in the buttocks. Unfortunately, after less than two years of availability, Qwo will no longer be manufactured or sold by Endo due to unpredictable and excessive bruising side effects and a risk of prolonged skin discoloration.

Any update on Qwo?

The manufacturer is no longer producing or selling Qwo after clinical experience revealed that the injectable for Cellulite might cause excessive and unpredictable bruising and prolonged skin discoloration. The product remains FDA-approved for Cellulite in the buttocks, and physicians may choose to continue offering treatment with their remaining unexpired stock of the product.

How Long Is The Qwo Treatment?

At your consultation, Ellie Zarnegar, PA, DMSc, will begin by fully assessing your areas of concern and marking the dimpled areas. After indicating the areas that will be treated, she will inject the product with a small needle. Since the injections are more fat cells and fewer nerve cells in the buttocks, the injections will not be painful, and no topical numbing is necessary. The injection process itself takes about 10 minutes.

Are any other treatment options available since Qwo is no longer available?

Numerous FDA-cleared, effective cellulite reduction treatments remain on the market for smoothing dimpled skin. Although Qwo had been the only marketed and developed injectable solution, there are other alternatives available to reduce and diminish cellulite.

• Laser treatments: Laser cellulite treatments, such as Cellulaze, are inserted beneath the skin via a tiny probe that releases the fibrous septa (cellulite) while firming the skin and reducing fat.
• Energy-based treatments: Non-laser devices use technology like radiofrequency (RF) or ultrasound, applied topically to the skin, to send pulses below the skin’s surface to relax cellulite-causing bands and increase collagen production.
• Mechanical treatments: Devices like Cellfina use a tiny blade, inserted via a small incision, to target cellulite bands and precisely break them.

Is there any treatment Cellulites for Cellulite?

When seeking cellulite treatment, it’s important to have realistic expectations: whichever method you choose, expect it to reduce, but not eliminate, cellulite.

Note that methods that only treat the skin’s surface are comparatively ineffective: cellulite massage offers only minor, temporary improvement; similarly, cellulite creams can only slightly boost skin firmness and are thus unable to correct cellulite dimpling. Neither addresses the cellulitees of cellulite.

Discover a safe and effective treatment for your Cellulite and say goodbye to your dimpled skin!

If your tough workouts and healthy habits are not helping reduce the appearance of your cellulite, call or text us at 925.855.1773 or request a consultation online to get started today.