Cellulite
Cellulite is incredibly common (up to 90% of women), especially on the thighs, buttocks, and hips, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating. It’s caused by fibrous connective tissue bands beneath the skin pulling down on fat, creating a dimpled or uneven texture that many people feel very self-conscious about. While it's not a medical issue, cellulite can certainly impact your confidence and comfort in your own skin.
At BelleSante by Kristine Romine, MD, we take a modern, evidence-based approach to cellulite that goes deeper than skin level. Our goal is to help you feel smooth, confident, and proud of the body you're in, no filters necessary.
Your Transformation Blueprint
Our BelleSante team offers a range of treatment options to address unwanted cellulite.
- Smooth Curves Cellulite Reduction (Avéli): Performed in-office with local numbing, Smooth Curves Cellulite Reduction at BelleSante is a one-time targeted treatment that precisely cuts only the fibrous bands causing visible dimpling, releasing the overlying skin and delivering long-lasting smoothing results. Downtime is minimal, and results continue to improve as swelling fades, providing real change without the need for repeated treatments.
- Expert Aesthetic Consultations: Cellulite can be caused or worsened by multiple factors, including skin laxity, volume loss, or hormonal shifts. During your consultation and clinical exam, we take the time to understand your concerns, goals, and lifestyle before recommending the right solution. Our personalized approach means you never feel rushed or overlooked.
Your Transformation Blueprint
Our BelleSante team offers a range of treatment options to address unwanted cellulite.
- Smooth Curves Cellulite Reduction (Avéli): Performed in-office with local numbing, Smooth Curves Cellulite Reduction at BelleSante is a one-time targeted treatment that precisely cuts only the fibrous bands causing visible dimpling, releasing the overlying skin and delivering long-lasting smoothing results. Downtime is minimal, and results continue to improve as swelling fades, providing real change without the need for repeated treatments.
- Expert Aesthetic Consultations: Cellulite can be caused or worsened by multiple factors, including skin laxity, volume loss, or hormonal shifts. During your consultation and clinical exam, we take the time to understand your concerns, goals, and lifestyle before recommending the right solution. Our personalized approach means you never feel rushed or overlooked.
Your Transformation Blueprint
Our BelleSante team offers a range of treatment options to address unwanted cellulite.
- Smooth Curves Cellulite Reduction (Avéli): Performed in-office with local numbing, Smooth Curves Cellulite Reduction at BelleSante is a one-time targeted treatment that precisely cuts only the fibrous bands causing visible dimpling, releasing the overlying skin and delivering long-lasting smoothing results. Downtime is minimal, and results continue to improve as swelling fades, providing real change without the need for repeated treatments.
- Expert Aesthetic Consultations: Cellulite can be caused or worsened by multiple factors, including skin laxity, volume loss, or hormonal shifts. During your consultation and clinical exam, we take the time to understand your concerns, goals, and lifestyle before recommending the right solution. Our personalized approach means you never feel rushed or overlooked.
What Our Clients Are Saying
The BelleSante Perspective
Kristine Romine, MD and Sara Romine, DNP, FNP-C understand that cellulite is more than a surface issue. At BelleSante, we assess the underlying structure of your skin and connective tissue, paying attention to your overall health and fitness, then create a targeted, effective plan that works with your body, not against it. Our treatments are designed to deliver long-term results without invasive surgery or guesswork.
The BelleSante Difference
Many providers take an overly simplistic approach to neuromodulator treatments, focusing on individual lines without considering the whole picture. This can lead to results that are unnatural or unflattering for a patient’s specific features.
At BelleSante by Kristine Romine, MD, we consider how each facial feature and muscle group works together to create your unique expressions. Dr. Romine and Sara Romine, DNP, FNP-C, carefully observe your natural facial movements and create an injection map specific to your anatomy. We often integrate neuromodulators into our Exclusive Treatments, like The BelleSante Skin Gym, to deliver comprehensive rejuvenation that maximizes the health and beauty of your skin.
Balance and proportion guide our injection philosophy. Instead of over-treating certain areas, we distribute neuromodulators thoughtfully to create symmetry and harmony throughout your face, neck and even beyond. Dr. Romine’s signature micro-droplet technique delivers exceptionally natural results, so you'll leave BelleSante looking like you, only better.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cellulite
What causes cellulite?
Up to 90% of women suffer with cellulite. Cellulite occurs when fibrous connective bands (septae) tether the skin downward while underlying fat pushes upward, creating dimples or an uneven surface. It’s very common—especially on the thighs, buttocks, and hips—and reflects structure beneath the skin, not just fat.
How do you treat cellulite?
Cellulite is typically treated by addressing the fibrous septae that tether the skin and/or by improving the tissue around them. One option is subcision, a minor in-office procedure that releases these bands; Avéli is a device-guided form of subcision that works just beneath the surface to identify and precisely cut the specific septae responsible for dimpling, allowing the overlying skin to relax and appear smoother.
Another option is a biostimulator such as Sculptra that gradually enhances volume and skin quality, helping to mask banding and soften texture. Our experts will recommend the best approach—or a combination—based on your cellulite pattern and severity.
Is cellulite treatment painful?
Your comfort is prioritized. With subcision, we mark the area and use local anesthetic, then review expectations and guide you in simple breathing exercises to keep you at ease. Most patients report pressure or tugging, not sharp pain. Afterward, tenderness, bruising, and swelling are common but short-lived; most return to light activities in 24-48 hours.
With biostimulators, we utilize a variety of comfort measures like “TAP-esthesia,” topical numbing, calming box breathing, and roller balls for an anxiety-reducing experience. Patients feel calm and supported throughout their visit.
How do you know its cellulite vs. skin laxity?
Skin laxity is often confused with cellulite. In general, skin laxity looks like generalized looseness, rippling, or crepe-like texture that improves when you lift or stretch the skin. Cellulite shows up as discrete dimples or “orange-peel” puckers caused by fibrous bands tethering the skin. Dimples usually persist when you stand and can become more visible when the skin is gently compressed or shifted.
During your consultation, our experts will provide a thorough assessment in standing and seated positions with directional lighting, use gentle pinch/shift tests, and map patterns on photos to see whether tethering (cellulite), laxity (volume loss), or both are present. From there, they will create a personalized treatment plan to help you feel smooth, confident, and proud of the body you’re in.
When will I see the results of cellulite treatment?
You’ll notice immediate smoothing with Sculptra and will experience additional, progressive improvement over time. With subcision, optimal results develop over 3-6 months as tissues heal and remodel. This gradual progression delivers natural-looking improvement: people notice smoother skin, but won’t guess you’ve had a procedure.
Is there any downtime with cellulite treatment?
While some bruising and swelling with subcision are normal, our protocols significantly minimize these temporary effects. Most patients can return to their normal activities within 24-48 hours. Our team will advise when you can resume strenuous exercise based on your treatment areas and healing.
After biostimulator injections, some patients may experience mild swelling, redness, bruising or tenderness in treated areas that typically resolve within a few days
Connect With Us
You don’t need to hide behind clothes or camera angles. We’re here to help you address cellulite at the source and reveal smoother skin that you can show off confidently. Schedule your personalized consultation with our experts in skin anatomy and cellulite at BelleSante and take the first step toward lasting body confidence.
Connect With Us
At BelleSante by Kristine Romine, MD, we believe that every aesthetic journey should be as unique as you are. Through our artistic approach and deep understanding of facial anatomy, we help you achieve the refined, natural-looking results you deserve.