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Cellulite: we all have it. In fact, 9 out of 10 women in the United States are afflicted with some form of cellulite somewhere on their respective bodies. And for most no matter how hard we try to get rid of it, nothing changes. Unfortunately, in most cases, cellulite is genetic and even a healthy diet and workout regimen will not help individuals rid their thighs, buttocks or arms of this unsightly contour irregularity.

There are varying ways to reduce the appearance of cellulite that lasts from 6 months to a year, but nothing that treats the root of the problem.

Haute Beauty sits down with Haute Beauty Brand Ambassador, board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of LUXURGERY, Dr. Sachin Shridharani, to talk about QWO, the world’s first and only (recently) FDA approved injectable that treats the root cause of cellulite. Dr. Shridharani is and has been involved in several of the FDA-approved clinical trials that helped gather data and information on how to safely administer QWO and improve the appearance of cellulite. To-date Dr. S has performed hundreds of injections of QWO, making him one of the most experienced injectors of QWO in the world.

“It was something that my team and I got involved with over a year ago. We really started our in-depth work about that time and there have been incredible strides made to improve the appearance of cellulite with this drug. It’s a privilege to help work on treatments that then get FDA-approved which go on to impact millions of people once commercially available,” says Dr. Shridharani.

QWO works by enzymatically disrupting the fibrous septae responsible for creating cellulite resulting in a smoother appearance of the treated skin. It is made up of CCH (Collagenase Clostridium Histolyticum).

Dr. Shridharani, has actually worked with CCH before, during his residency at John Hopkins University, when CCH was used to treat complex hand problems resulting from abnormal scar tissue impacting tendons in the hand.

“I had experience, exposure, and understood how powerful this molecule could be as early as around 2010-2011, and then was really excited to help make this become a reality and FDA approved now for an aesthetic indication,” says Dr. Shridharani who focuses on cosmetic surgery and non-surgical treatments.

Dr. Shridharani is well-known for being an injectable expert, probably one of the most experienced, if not the most experienced, Kybella injectors in the world. “Then, we started to do it (Kybella) on the body. That captured a lot of attention for injections on the body,” he adds.

Although QWO is officially FDA approved, it will not be ready commercially until 2021. Dr. Shridharani says this time allows for adequate training and education for physicians all over the country to begin using QWO. Dr. Shridharani has the unique opportunity to treat select patients with QWO before the full commercial launch in a host of various study-related activities. “We already have a waitlist of patients who want to be treated,” says Dr. Shridharani. “I’m not totally surprised considering how much cellulite bothers my patients, “ he adds.

“It [cellulite] doesn’t spare age. It doesn’t spare ethnicity. It doesn’t spare weight or activity level. It doesn’t matter. You can be thin and have a certain skin tone and still have cellulite. You can be heavy, have a completely different skin tone, and older and have really smooth buttocks or thighs. There are so many different genetic components and things beyond our control that can contribute to it,” says Dr. Shridharani.

To learn more QWO or schedule an appointment visit: www.luxurgerynyc.com