Profound RF for cellulite on the thighs in London

Cellulite is the body use Profound is FDA-cleared for in the US, through the 75-degree SubQ handpiece in the FDA's description, for skin types I to III, on the strength of a 50-woman thigh study. The needle pairs go into the dimpled skin of the thigh more steeply and deeper than on the face, each point heated to a set temperature, in one session usually under local anaesthetic. 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 it does on the thighs

The heat placed in the layer where the fibrous bands pull the dimples down prompts new collagen and elastin, so the dimpling softens and the skin firms over the following months. The clearance word is improving the appearance of cellulite, which we use. It does not remove fat or tighten a large excess of skin, and the doctor says at the consultation which treatment fits those.

What the studies measured

In the 50-woman thigh study behind the US clearance, 79 of the 84 thighs assessed, 94%, improved by at least one grade on the cellulite scale at three months, and 93% held that at six. A 2018 paper of the same size, very probably the same study, reports the same six-month figure. The body page and the full guide set out the rest.

The session and after

Local anaesthetic, then about an hour for both thighs in our practice. Redness for hours to a day or two, swelling for up to five to ten days, some bruising, loose clothing and no hard exercise for the first days, and most people back to normal activities within 24 hours. The result builds over months and is photographed at six months in our practice.

Who it suits

In our practice, an adult with moderate cellulite on the thighs whose weight is stable, who wants one treatment. Not in pregnancy or breastfeeding, with an active infection, with a pacemaker or other electrical implant, metal in the leg, or with a history of keloid scarring without the doctor's advice first. The knees page covers the skin above the knee.