- On July 6, the FDA approved an injectable for reducing the appearance of
cellulite for the first time ever. - The injectable, called Qwo, will be available for consumers in spring 2021.
- Doctors inject Qwo into a patient's butt cheeks up to 12 times and over three sessions to dissolve connective-tissue fibers that cause cellulite.
For the first time ever, the FDA approved an injectable treatment for cellulite called Qwo.
On July 6, the FDA gave approval to Endo International, the Pennsylvania-based pharmaceutical company that created the injectable. According to a press release, Qwo will be available in doctors' offices in spring 2021 for those looking to treat their cellulite.
Right now, the product is only approved to be injected into a person's butt, but could later gain FDA approval for other areas of the body where cellulite may pop up.
Anyone can get cellulite, and there isn't a permanent fix
Cellulite occurs when a person's body fat and their connective tissue, which has fibers that hold fat in place, become entangled below the skin, double board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Zachary Farris previously told Insider.
Sometimes a person's connective tissue will stretch out and the fat below it will poke through, causing a somewhat lumpy appearance.
"The skin itself takes on a dimpled appearance often equated to an orange peel or cottage cheese, with patients exhibiting sagging and 'divots' in the skin," Farris said.
This can happen to anyone, regardless of their sex, race, or weight, because everyone has some amount of fat below their skin, according to Farris.
Still, some people are more likely than others to develop it. It depends on hormone levels, skin thickness, and how connective tissues are arranged in the body, all of which are genetic, not diet-related, factors.
Women are a lot more likely to have cellulite than men due to hormones. Researchers have found that an estimated 80% to 90% of women have cellulite.
Weight can also play a role in how much cellulite a person has, but being a certain weight doesn't mean you'll always have a certain amount of cellulite.
"Cellulite is not an indication of being overweight, but losing weight may reduce the appearance of cellulite," board-certified dermatologist and dermatological surgeon Dr. Fayne L. Frey previously told Insider.
The injectable smooths out skin dimples
Qwo aims to temporarily reduce skin dimples with its active ingredient, collagenase.
When injected into the skin, collagenase "releases" the fibers around a piece of fat that cause the dimpled look. The result is a smoother appearance on the skin's surface, according to a press release.
For the treatment, doctors will inject patients' butt cheeks up to 12 times. They'll repeat the process two more times, each 21 days apart, according to a Qwo patient information packet.
After each injection, a patient could have bruising, pain, itching, redness, warmth, or swelling, which is normal, Endo said. If a person is allergic, however, they could have more serious side effects like hives, trouble breathing, chest pain, dizziness, or fainting.