The Noninvasive Procedure That Lifted and Reshaped a Woman's Butt

Lola Parrilla (**name changed), age 57, had been struggling with her cellulite for a couple of years before she discovered VelaShape. Living in Miami where the sun is always shining and the beachgoers are constantly stripped down to their swimsuits, Parrilla was feeling a bit self-conscious about her butt, which had “lost its gravity,” and her legs, which were speckled with cellulite. “We all worry about cellulite,” explains Parrilla.

Years before her current doctor recommended VelaShape, Parrilla had tried another cellulite treatment for her legs and buttocks, but the results weren’t even comparable to those from VelaShape. “Even after the first VelaShape treatment, I noticed how much it had lifted and reshaped my butt, and really reduced the cellulite on my legs,” she says.

What makes VelaShape different from other cellulite treatments are the different technologies combined into one machine. “VelaShape combines various energies like bipolar radio frequency and infrared light with a vacuum component to improve cellulite, tone the skin, and shrink fat cells,” says Miami dermatologist Stacy Chimento, MD. While Parrilla only had her legs and her buttocks treated, VelaShape can target areas where cellulite is commonly present. “VelaShape is often used to smoothen the “crepey” skin and body areas where reduction of cellulites and improvement of skin quality are needed.” explains Dr. Chimento.

Parrilla had no fears leading up to her VelaShape treatment. “I was actually really excited and happy to try out a treatment I hadn’t done before,” she says. “I wanted to do something great for my body.” As with most treatments, the doctors took pictures of Parrilla’s body beforehand, so they could keep track of her progress. “I took my clothes off, laid in the bed and the treatment started immediately,” says Parrilla. “They ran the machine, which was very quiet, over my legs first, and it took about 15–20 minutes for each leg. It felt like a warm massage while it was sucking and softly grabbing my skin.” Parrilla said she was chatting with the doctor while getting her legs treated but fell asleep when her buttocks were being treated. “It’s a very pleasant experience, actually,” she laughs.

The “pleasant” feeling Parrilla describes was “a temporary circumferential and cellulite reduction through bipolar radio frequency and infrared light with a vacuum component,” explains Dr. Chimento. “VelaShape promotes localized inflammation, which means that is basically makes fat cells more metabolically active by getting them to run up against each other.” The process is then coupled with a vacuum that causes fibroblast proliferation and allows for deeper penetration of the radio-frequency energy. Through this process, you’ll start to see “improvement in cellulite and smoothness of the skin, as well as circulation to promote lymphatic drainage,” adds Dr. Chimento.

After her first treatment, Parrilla recalls her legs and buttocks being a bit pink, but not sore or painful. “I saw a big improvement within a couple of days after my treatment and decided to get a package deal for more VelaShape treatments,” she says. Although a patient will start to see results after the first treatment, “it is recommended for patients to do a minimum of three treatments to get improvement,” says Dr. Chimento. “For the ultimate results, we recommend up to four to six treatments, spaced about two weeks apart.”

Parrilla has since had six VelaShape treatments, and just recently bought another package for six more. “I like to space out my treatments to maintain my results, and the longest I’ve been between treatments is five months or so,” she says, adding that a healthy and active lifestyle do help keep her cellulite at bay, but VelaShape is what helps her reach her body-confidence goals.

VelaShape is FDA cleared for the relief of minor muscle aches and pain, relief of muscle spasm, temporary improvement of local blood circulation, temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite, and for temporary reduction of thighs circumferences.