But unlike other cellulite treatments — which may attempt to disrupt septa without breaking the skin — Avéli’s strength is that it’s incredibly precise, says David Shafer, MD, a double board-certified plastic surgeon and surgeon in New York City, who performed my treatment. “[It] allows a minimal-access incision and lighted precision to minimize tissue trauma and confirm the band has been cut,” he says. That, in theory, means it gives better results with less bruising than other options before it. (Dr. Shafer offers two devices in his practice: Avéli and NuEra, a radiofrequency device, for treating cellulite.)
Since Avéli is relatively new (it received FDA clearance in October 2021), we’re not yet sure how long the results last. In studies published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal, effects were assessed at 90 days, and then again at 12 months. They showed that a clinically significant reduction in cellulite lasted for a year, but that’s as far as studies have gone. However, after using it on patients since late 2019, “I have yet to run into a single recurrence,” says Grant Stevens, MD, FACS, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Marina Del Rey, California, who was the original physician on the team that developed the device. (He has a financial interest in the maker, Revelle Aesthetics).
This is all noteworthy, as cellulite treatments have a reputation for not delivering. Steven Williams, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Dublin, California, and president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), who has seen his patients’ frustration with the results from other treatments explains, “Cellulite treatment remains one of the most challenging areas of plastic surgery in terms of successful treatments.” He says over the years he’s been let down by new offerings that promised cellulite resolution or improvement only to find, he says, “They fall short of patient and physician expectations.”
But some see Avéli as different. Laurie A Casas, MD, FACS, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Chicago, who has been performing the procedure on patients since February of 2021, now considers it to be the “gold standard” for cellulite dimpling treatment. (She used to offer Cellfina and Qwo.) It stands out from Qwo, which was “very imprecise,” she says, adding, “The skin response was unpredictable, and the skin often stayed bruised for many months.” With Avéli, Dr. Casas says, “The procedure is very satisfying because I can precisely treat the cause of the cellulite dimple — the multiple septa pulling the skin down — and verify it’s been completely treated,” she says. And Dr. Stevens calls the results “spectacular” and says using it, “I get happier every day.”
