Profound RF for the body and cellulite in London

In the US clearance, Profound's second cartridge, the SubQ, places its needle pairs deeper and at a steeper angle, and it is the one cleared for the appearance of cellulite. The same single-session approach is used on the upper arms, the skin above the knees and the bra line, where the treating investigators in a published series rated improvement in every arm and bra-line area treated. Every treatment is given by Dr Marie Duggan, GMC 7488383, at Profound RF London Clinic, 8 Devonshire Place, with the price in writing at a free consultation.

What the studies measured

• Cellulite, 50 women, 100 thighs, four US sites (the trial behind the 2016 clearance): one treatment with the SubQ cartridge. At three months 79 of the 84 thighs that could be assessed had improved by at least one grade on the cellulite scale, which is 94%, and 93% held that at six months. Pain during treatment averaged 3.7 out of 10 with local anaesthetic and cold air; three adverse events were recorded in three women, none serious. The figure is often written as "94% improvement in cellulite"; the accurate reading is that 94% of thighs improved by one grade or more.
• Upper arms, above the knee and bra line, 31 women, 62 areas (2021): one treatment; the treating investigators rated improvement in every arm and bra-line area and in 65 to 92% of the above-knee areas. Redness lasted about two days in 69%, swelling occurred in 46% and bruising in 32% for about a day. The authors sit on Candela's advisory board.

Which body areas

Cellulite on the thighs, the upper arms, the skin above the knees and the bra line have published series. The abdomen, the chest, the legs and larger body areas are areas we are asked about for loose skin. No published series gives a figure for them, so the doctor tells you at the consultation whether Profound can be done on yours. Profound firms skin; it is not a fat-removal treatment and does not repair separated abdominal muscles, and the doctor says so where a different treatment would serve you better. Darker skin types need a discussion about the cellulite cartridge: the trial enrolled all skin types, but the US clearance for cellulite covers types I to III only.

The session and after

Routinely a local anaesthetic infiltrated into the area, with cold air in the cellulite trial, then the treatment, planned by the size of the area. Redness for a day or two, swelling for days and some bruising, with normal activities within 24 hours for most. The result builds over the following months; in the cellulite trial the three-month gain held at six months, the last point measured. In our practice we photograph it at six months. The how long it lasts page sets out the timeline.

Who it suits

In our practice it suits an adult with cellulite dimpling on the thighs, or loose skin on the arms, above the knees or at the bra line, who wants one treatment and a natural firming, not a surgical lift. Not a weight-loss or fat-removal treatment. In our practice it is not given in pregnancy or breastfeeding, with an active infection in the area, with a pacemaker or other electrical implant, or with a history of keloid scarring without the doctor's advice first. The face and neck page covers the face, and the full guide the rest.