Nuera tight: Efficacy and safety in the treatment of the appearance of cellulite with minimal downtime

Sergey Y Turin

Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, United States

Abstract

Background: Cellulite is a complex aesthetic problem caused by an interplay of dermal-fascial septae, lipodystrophy, and inadequate skin elasticity. Reliable solutions for cellulite remain elusive. Objective: To evaluate a novel radiofrequency-based body contouring device cleared by the FDA for the temporary improvement in the appearance of cellulite in the thighs and abdomen (NuEra; Lumenis, Ltd., Yokneam, Israel).

Methods: A 2-part prospective cohort trial was designed: first, subjective patient and provider reported ratings of safety, comfort, and efficacy was collected using the NuEra system in treatment of thigh cellulite in 9 participants. Following review of this data, the second portion of the trial was conducted using the NuEra system to treat the abdominal area in the same patients, collecting anthropometric measurements using a 3-dimensional imaging system (Vectra M3; Canfield, Parsippany, NJ, USA). Five treatments were delivered at 1-week intervals with a final treatment after a 6-week delay. Results were assessed at the time of the treatments and at 2 months following the last treatment. Likert scales were used to evaluate subjective experiences and a standardized cellulite assessment scale was used to rate the pre and post treatment photographs.

Results: Patients rated the overall level of comfort at 4.3 and satisfaction as 3.3 on a 5-point scale. Pain scale scores during treatment averaged 1.4 on a 5-point scale. Providers reported very high levels of satisfaction with the ease of the treatment (4.3 on a 5-point scale). Evaluation of standardized photographs showed an average improvement of 0.53 (standard deviation [SD]=0.53), with the average pre-treatment score of 2.2 (SD=0.62) and post-treatment score of 1.64 (SD=0.68). The average reduction in waist and hip circumference measurements was 0.99 cm (SD=2.68 cm) and 0.71 cm (SD=1.44 cm).

Conclusion: Radiofrequency based body contouring is a safe, effective, and well tolerated treatment for thigh cellulite.

Publications

1. Turin S, Micallef C, Schierle CF NuEra® Tight: Efficacy and Safety in the Treatment of the Appearance of Cellulite with Minimal Downtime Journal of Cosmetic Medicine 2020;4(2):75-79

2. Davis DS, Boen M, Fabi SG. Cellulite: patient selection and combination treatments for optimal results-a review and our experience. Dermatol Surg 2019;45:1171-84.

3. Hexsel D, Mazzuco R. Cellulite. In: Tosti A, Hexsel D, editors. Update in cosmetic dermatology. Berlin: Springer; 2013. p. 21-32.

Biography

Turin is currently in his last year of training in the plastic and reconstructive surgery residency at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, IL. His research has centered on body contouring and aesthetic surgery, including facial rejuvenation, buttock augmentation, as well as several reconstructive facets of the specialty.