Cellfina vs CelluSmooth®: Which Cellulite Treatment Goes Further?

Short answer: Cellfina and CelluSmooth® both release the fibrous bands (septa) that pull the skin down into cellulite dimples, and released bands do not reattach. Cellfina does this with a vacuum device and a motorised micro-blade set to a preset depth. CelluSmooth® does it by hand with a fine needle, after mapping the bands with ultrasound, and adds a skin booster in the same session. Cellfina treats the bands; CelluSmooth® treats the bands and the skin.

CelluSmooth® is Dr Hasan Benar's one-session cellulite protocol combining ultrasound assessment, medical subcision and skin booster.

What both treatments have in common

Cellulite dimples are structural: fibrous septa tether the skin to the deeper tissue, and fat pushing up around those tethers creates the dimple. Creams, massage, radiofrequency and shockwave cannot release a septum, so they can only smooth the surface temporarily. Subcision, in any form, divides the septum so the skin is free to level out. That is why both Cellfina and CelluSmooth® produce long-lasting results on the dimples they treat.

How Cellfina works

Cellfina (Merz Aesthetics, FDA-cleared in 2015) is a tissue stabilised-guided subcision system for the buttocks and thighs. A vacuum chamber draws the dimpled skin into the device, local anaesthetic is delivered, and a motorised micro-blade passes beneath the dimple at a preset depth to release the band. Standardising depth and angle reduces operator variability. Its pivotal multicentre study showed sustained improvement at 3 years (Kaminer et al., Dermatologic Surgery, 2017), and in 2019 the FDA extended its indication to results lasting 5 years.

Cellfina is a well-proven device. But it does one thing: it releases bands at the depth the device is set to. It does not assess the bands before treatment, and it does nothing for the skin itself.

What CelluSmooth® adds

1. Ultrasound assessment before treatment. The bands responsible for your dimples are mapped before the procedure starts, so the plan is built around your own anatomy rather than a device setting.

2. Needle subcision performed by hand. CelluSmooth® uses a fine needle rather than a blade. Cellfina's vacuum cup has to draw each dimple in and treat it at a preset depth, which does not suit every dimple or every area. Manual subcision adapts to each band, whether it is shallow or deep, at an unusual angle, or very close to its neighbour, and stops when the band is released.

3. Skin booster in the same session. Releasing bands improves dimples, but it does not improve thin or lax skin. The skin booster works on skin quality in the same visit. Cellfina does not address this.

Cellfina vs CelluSmooth®, side by side

Releases the bands that cause dimples: both.

Instrument: Cellfina uses a motorised micro-blade inside a vacuum device. CelluSmooth® uses a fine needle, guided by hand.

Anaesthesia: local anaesthetic for both.

Treatment time: CelluSmooth® takes 30 to 45 minutes.

Planning: Cellfina treats the dimples marked on the skin surface. CelluSmooth® maps the bands with ultrasound before treatment.

Depth control: Cellfina uses a preset blade depth. CelluSmooth® adjusts depth and direction to each band by hand.

Skin quality and laxity: Cellfina does not treat it. CelluSmooth® includes a skin booster in the same session.

Number of sessions: one for both.

Who performs it: CelluSmooth® is always performed by Dr Hasan Benar, a dermatologist with more than 1,000 cellulite subcision cases.

Evidence: Cellfina has 3-year and 5-year data. Manual subcision has been described in the medical literature since 2000, and shares the same band-release mechanism that Cellfina's long-term data support.

Downtime: similar for both, with bruising and tenderness for one to a few weeks and normal activities within a day or two. No compression garments are needed after CelluSmooth®.

Why I prefer this approach

After more than 1,000 cellulite subcision cases, my view is that the deciding factor is not the instrument but the judgement behind it. A device with a preset depth cannot see that one band needs a deeper release and its neighbour a shallower one. Ultrasound shows me the bands before I begin, my hands let me treat each one individually, and the skin booster treats the part of cellulite that cutting bands alone cannot reach. That is why CelluSmooth® combines all three in one session.

Frequently asked questions

Is Cellfina a type of subcision? Yes. Cellfina is a branded, vacuum-assisted, device-guided form of subcision.

Is CelluSmooth® the same as Cellfina? Both release the fibrous bands that cause dimples. CelluSmooth® adds ultrasound assessment beforehand and a skin booster in the same session, and the release is performed by hand with a fine needle by a dermatologist, rather than by a blade device.

Which lasts longer? Released bands do not reattach with either treatment. Cellfina has published 3-year and 5-year data; CelluSmooth® uses the same release mechanism. New dimples can form over time with weight change or ageing.

Is Cellfina available in the UK? Yes, at a small number of clinics. CelluSmooth® is available only from Dr Hasan Benar at 54 Harley Street, London.

Can I have CelluSmooth® if I already had Cellfina? Usually yes, for remaining or new dimples, after a consultation.

References

Kaminer MS, et al. A multicenter pivotal study to evaluate tissue stabilized-guided subcision using the Cellfina device for the treatment of cellulite with 3-year follow-up. Dermatologic Surgery. 2017;43(10):1240-1248.

Merz Aesthetics. FDA five-year indication for Cellfina, October 2019.

Hexsel DM, Mazzuco R. Subcision: a treatment for cellulite. International Journal of Dermatology. 2000;39(7):539-544.

Dr Hasan Benar is a dermatologist practising at Dr Elif Clinic, 54 Harley Street, London.