Contact Thermography: What’s Under the Skin | Cryo Generation
Understanding cellulite not as an inflammation of the cells but rather a chronic-degenerative dysfunction of connective tissue is the first step you must take before diagnosing the severity of your clients’ conditions and identifying the proper treatment measures. But what’s next? Though traditional treatment methods — including electrolipolysis, ultrasound therapy, laser therapy, low voltage electric current, mesotherapy and endermologie — abound in the market, the truth is that many of them are one dimensional and thus marginally effective at tackling the root issues at hand. These traditional methods are only useful in treating topical symptoms and have no way of detecting cellulite below the surface that may be invisible to the naked eye. As it turns out, the most effective technique to pinpoint cellulite in its earliest stages is the use of contact thermography, a diagnostic technology to accurately and precisely target cellulite in its earliest (non-visible) stages and disrupt its manifestation.
What Is Contact Thermography?
Contact thermography is a diagnostic tool that has been used in the medical and aesthetic fields since the 1970s. Originally employed for purpose of identifying breast pathologies, thermography has since been used in a variety of other medical fields — including rheumatology and angiology — and is now harnessed in the aesthetic space to help detect and classify cellulite on the legs and hardened fat on the abdomen and arms. Contact thermography involves microencapsulated liquid crystal plates that change color depending on the temperature of the area to which it is applied.
The technology itself is easy to use, painless, non-invasive and rapid: simply apply the flexible plate to a part of the body, hold it down for a few seconds and wait for the plate to generate a nuanced color-coded map that can reveal the thermovascular condition of the underlying tissues. It can show the extent and severity of microcirculatory damage in both the cutaneous and underlying subcutaneous tissue.
In this way, the tool can offer objective evidence about the progress of cellulite so that targeted and customized therapies can be implemented on a case-by-case basis. Contact thermography can make it possible to:
detect cellulite from the earliest stages, even when there’s no visible surface evidence,
identify with greater precision which areas need to be treated,
devise the most suitable treatments for each case,
monitor progress by checking responses to treatments, and
keep track of cellulite for remedial treatments to keep it at bay.
Thermographic plates are completely reusable, and can be repeated countless times without adverse effect.
It’s important to note that a thermographic test and analysis should always be conducted prior to every single treatment session. Without it, you may as well be throwing a dart at the issue and crossing your fingers for the best. Results are best assessed prior to treatment (rather than after treatment) since any treatment intervention will affect the microcirculation of the area and thereby impact the image map the plate creates.
When it comes to interpreting the results, specific color patterns and corroborating with the accompanying manual to assess whether cellulite is absent or in either the oedematous/fibrous/sclerotic stage.
The thermographic plates allow users to evaluate the extent and severity of the microcirculatory damage based on the alterations of skin temperature. Temperature variations reveal the presence of cold areas (hypothermia due to circulatory causes), or of hot areas originated by capillary-venular stasis.
The absence of spots means that there is no cellulite thanks to a good blood supply and the absence of oedema and toxin retention.
MOTTLED IMAGE: EDEMATOUS CELLULITE
The image will show spots of different color with blurred edges surrounded by haloes which indicate the presence of cold areas with a reduced blood supply. The skin feels rough to the touch and elasticity and tone may have decreased. If a hand is placed on the skin for a few seconds (pressing more firmly with the fingertips on the examined area), there will be a noticeable white halo confirming the presence of fluids in the subcutaneous layer.
LEOPARD SKIN IMAGE: FIBROUS CELLULITE
This image is usually characterized by numerous spots with sharply defined edges which indicate venous stasis and the presence of cold areas. The skin’s consistency is altered and the tissue starts to feel painful when pinched, plus there is a great decrease in elasticity and skin tone. The area may appear very compact or flaccid. The presence of adiposity usually accompanies this stage.
IMAGE WITH BLACK OR BROWN PATCHES: SCLEROTIC CELLULITE
In this case the situation is very similar to the previous one, but the color patches are much darker, black or brown, which indicates the presence of macro nodules, or very cold areas.
The skin’s consistency is greatly altered, the tissue is painful simply when touched, there is a great decrease in skin elasticity and tone. The area may appear very compact or flaccid. The presence of adiposity usually accompanies this stage.
Contact Thermography and Thermal Shock
The stand-out prevention and treatment approach available today is the combined use of contact thermography and thermal shock. Where contact thermography allows you to identify visible and invisible cellulite formation for your client and give you the specific location on the body where treatment needs to be applied, thermal shock (which alternates between heat and cold) is employed to kill fat cells (taking the pressure off the connective tissue) and increase blood and lymph flow (which alleviates inflammation and softens the connective tissue). This novel approach of heat and cold can increase microcirculation by up to 400%. It is far more effective than administering cold alone. Alternating between cooling and warming sequences in the same session: facilitates drainage; reduces edema; reduces fat layers, and: stimulates the connective tissue. This drives oxygen flow to the targeted areas and improves the permeability of the skin as well as increases collagen production. The end result is that the appearance, texture and elasticity of the skin is improved and excess liquids/metabolic wastes are eliminated through a natural re-absorption of the lymphatic system.
For more information about Contact Thermography reach out to Cryo Generation, exclusive North American distributor for IPS Systems Thermography which is marketed under the Adicell the Thermascan brands.
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