Does CoolSculpting treat cellulite?

Dr. Dean Kane Q & A.

Q.  Does CoolSculpting treat cellulite? My legs from the top down to my knees have bad cellulite and as I'm loosing weight it is looking worse. What can I do?

A.  ​​​Cellulite is nothing more than a superficial layer of normal fat cells caught beneath the poorly expansive skin. The fat appears bumpy and irregular because it is trapped between a skin ceiling, a tough unyielding fibrous floor and thin fiber walls. Any swelling or reduction in the metabolic fat will inflate or deflate its appearance on the skin. Like a parachute, more or less air will create dimples and pulls on the silk chute. A thicker skin such as those of black, Mediterranean, Asian, Indian and other origins will resist the irregularities on the skin. A thinner northern European skin will more easily show the pucker, dimpling, hollows and bulges.
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​Sometimes, what you consider to be Cellulite may be skin laxity or other dermatologic concerns which are treatable.
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​CoolSculpting is tried and true but limited in fat reduction with some skin contractibility on some patients. It is not found to be consistent or reliable in reducing the superficial fat that creates Cellulite. In fact, there is no reproducible or reliable technology to improve Cellulite. There ARE other alternative medicine and dietary options that may help.
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​Please consult with a well experienced, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon or Dermatologist to evaluate and compare appropriate options for you.

All the best!

Dr. Dean Kane Q&A – My face is aging from weight loss and age. I have Ehlers Danlos. What are my options?

Question from Chicago, IL: I am 45. Until 3 months ago, I had a youthful face. I've lost weight over the last year, about 20 pounds. I weight 105 and am 5'2.5". Lines around my mouth are forming that weren't there before and I have mildly lax neck skin. I'm also wrinkling around my eyes. I've been told to stay away from lasers, as a treatment burned and scarred me. Retina-A made my pores worse. Honestly, with Ehlers-Danlos, what are my options for this aging -- do I have any? Or is my best course to regain a few pounds?

 Answer from Dr. Dean Kane, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon from Baltimore:​

You appear to have lost significant weight creating a more laxed skin as well as creasing around the lips. 
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​Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome is a constellation of elastic tissue problems due to improper production of the various forms of collagen in the skin, joints, intestines, blood vessels and other organs and tissues. 
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​Depending on the type of inherited problems you have will there be different options for you. 
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​It will probably take a university hospital group effort with your Dermatologist to provide the best opportunities in achieving a more youthful appearance. For greater fullness, fillers with different properties may help. Consider the use of Sculptra to stimulate greater fibroblast formation of skin molecules such as collagen. Ask about the use of laser or light therapies. As you probably know, surgery may not heal well. 
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​As this is not my super-specialty, I can only offer you these usual options to consider.
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​I hope this has been somewhat helpful. All the best!