Studies on cellulite are problematic because it is difficult to quantify the results. Photographs are unreliable evidence since other factors such as lighting are always in play. Even if the photographs are comparable in every other way, how do you quantify the results? Good? …really good? …kinda good? They’re not exactly terms of scientific precision.
That’s why this press release caught my interest. (It caught my attention, however, because of the hilarious title: “Cellulite Improvement Means Flattening Bumps and Elevating Dimples.” Who writes these?).
According to the press release, Dr. Michael Kulick, an internationally recognized plastic surgeon in San Francisco, is one of the first cellulite researchers to use three-dimensional imaging validation to quantitatively measure changes in cellulite. The results of the study are published in the June issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
In the study, Dr. Kulick used the imaging technology to study twenty patients for six months after they underwent treatment with a device that combines laser therapy and mechanical manipulation (both vacuum and massage). Six months after treatment, patients continued to display improvements in their cellulite, with dimples elevated .63 – 5.6 mm and bumps flattened 1.4 – 7.8 mm (hence the title of the press release).
Dr. Kulick also pioneered a technique that calculates changes in cellulite based on changes in volume. In addition to traditional photography and now this 3D method, other cellulite studies use MRI’s or ultrasound to validate study results.
I don’t know if it’s necessary or even possible to quantify changes in cellulite with any degree of precision, but I am glad to see that members of the medical community are out there trying.
