New technology fights cellulite

Lisa Castronovo said she started looking for a treatment for cellulite after becoming dissatisfied with the way she looked wearing shorts.

"No matter how much you work out, (cellulite) just starts to form," she said.

Castronovo decided to undergo treatment with Reaction, a technology that was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It's the first device that combines existing therapies to treat cellulite and fat and to tighten the skin.

"They get a better overall results with fewer treatments," said Dr. Matthew Schulman, with the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

Reaction uses a treatment with radio-frequency energy to heat the skin and vacuum therapy to increase blood flow to the area.

"Heating will cause the collagen to shorten and, in effect, tighten the skin," Schulman said. "It causes a controlled injury to the fat, causing the fat to disappear."

Some patients might bruise or feel minor discomfort during the treatment, which works on all skin types and colors.

"It just felt like someone was giving me a massage but with really hot heat," Castronovo described the procedure.

Doctors said it usually takes a few weeks for patients to see the effects, and they will need a maintenance treatment once or twice a year.

Reaction technology costs about $2,500 for a six-week course of treatment. Since it's a cosmetic procedure, insurance does not cover it.

Doctors caution that no treatment can reshape the body completely.

As she approached her final treatment, Castronovo said she has definitely seen an improvement.

"I feel a lot better. I'm not so self-conscious. I don't have to wear a little sarong," she said.