Memorial · Energy Corridor
VelaShape III
Cleared to soften the look of cellulite and reduce thigh circumference. Body only, and nothing to recover from.
VelaShape III · installed at our Memorial clinic
The device
What it offers you
The VSmooth head at work. Your therapist picks the applicator and the settings for the area.
Bipolar radiofrequency
Current passes between two electrodes and heats the tissue between them. The previous generation ran 65 W, so this one reaches working temperature faster.
Infrared light
At 700 to 1500 nm, warming the surface so the radiofrequency behind it meets tissue that already conducts. Both energies go in on the same pass.
Vacuum and rollers
The head draws a fold of skin into its chamber while rollers turn against it, so the area is massaged and heated at once.
One console, two applicators
VSmooth at 45 × 25 mm for broad areas, VContour where the contour is tighter.
Power, applicator footprint and the 45 °C working endpoint come from Syneron Candela’s clinical protocol DHF24451, 6 October 2017. Light and vacuum settings come from the published Alster and Tanzi trial.
Results
Drag to compare. Results come from our body contouring work as a whole and vary from person to person.
Where it works
A body device. There is no facial applicator and we do not use it on the face.
Thighs
Dimpling front and back, and the one area the circumference clearance names.
Buttocks & hips
Where dimpling shows most when you stand.
Abdomen & flanks
Loose, uneven skin after pregnancy or a change in weight.
Upper arms
The back of the arm, worked in small segments.
Pricing
Sessions and packages
VelaShape III is at Memorial only. A $60 deposit holds your appointment and comes off the price of the treatment. Only your first session is booked online. The rest are scheduled with you at checkout, or by phone on 713-474-4774.
Reviews
What people say
They started taking care of me the day after my surgery with in-home sessions , and then continued my treatments in their office. From the very beginning, everything was so easy and organized. Over the course of my recovery, I built such a great relationship with every therapist who worked on me. They were all kind, knowledgeable, and genuinely cared about my healing.
I truly believe they played a huge role in my results. My swelling improved after every session, I looked and felt better each time, and I honestly think my scar healed so beautifully and stayed so small because of the care I received.
If you’re having a mommy makeover, do yourself a favor and get the package. Start your lymphatic drainage massages as soon as you’re cleared after surgery—you won’t regret it. The care, support, and expertise from the entire team made all the difference in my recovery. Thank you all for helping make my healing process such a positive experience!
This is my go-to place for lymphatic massage and have been trying some slimming. Alejandra is very knowledgeable and I have been seeing great results. Their staff is not only friendly but also highly skilled. They are very efficient and punctual.
Mary at the front desk is very welcoming and very helpful. I highly recommend this business.
Their knowledge, technique, and attention to detail were incredible. They took the time to understand my concerns, explained the process thoroughly, and customized the treatment specifically for my needs. I could literally feel the difference during and after the session — reduced tightness, better mobility, less swelling, and overall relief I hadn’t experienced in a long time.
What truly sets them apart is their compassion and professionalism. You can tell they are deeply passionate about healing and helping their clients feel their best. The environment was calming, clean, and welcoming, which made the entire experience even more therapeutic.
If you are looking for someone highly skilled in scar tissue work and lymphatic massage, I wholeheartedly recommend them. This was one of the best bodywork experiences I’ve ever had, and I’m so grateful I found them.
P.S. the decor is gorgeous and the professionalism in the office is superb!
Carolina has such a calming presence and a true gift for what she does. You can tell she is not only skilled, but deeply passionate about helping others heal and feel their best. Every session felt intentional, and I always left feeling lighter, refreshed, and more in tune with my body.
What meant the most to me was how much heart her and her team put into their work. They didn’t just treat me like a client, they treated me like someone who truly mattered.
I will always be grateful for the care, kindness, and dedication Carolina and her team showed me. If you are considering lymphatic massage, I cannot recommend them enough, they are truly exceptional.✨🌟🌟
Katherine is amazing and so knowledgeable and professional. Her Linfa tea is a daily part of my routine
The office carries so much positive energy…
I used Lymphatic drainage before and after my surgery and have continued because of the positive changes I see in my body and mind.
Evidence
What the research shows
Thigh cellulite
Saw overall improvement after eight sessions on one thigh, with the other left untreated as a control and photographs scored by two masked assessors.
Alster & Tanzi · J Cosmet Laser Ther 2005
Abdomen circumference
Average reduction at the end of treatment, still 3.83 cm below baseline a year later. Body weight barely moved, so the change was not weight loss.
Wanitphakdeedecha & Manuskiatti · J Cosmet Dermatol 2006
The one VelaShape III trial
Finished the manufacturer’s own thigh pilot; seven did not. Those who did averaged 2.8 cm below baseline at twelve weeks, with a second device used in the same session.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03430245 · sponsor Syneron Candela, 2019
Twenty years of small studies, most on earlier generations of this platform. In one head-to-head trial it bruised more than the device it was compared with; in another the thighs did not change at all. Both are in the note below.
Choosing
VelaShape III or Venus Legacy?
Both treat cellulite and neither is better overall. If you are not sure, the therapist decides at consultation.
VelaShape III
Smoother and slimmer
- Dimpling, the circumference of an area
- The shape of a thigh
- Body only, never the face
Infrared light plus bi-polar radiofrequency for the heat, with vacuum and mechanical rollers for the manipulation.
Venus Legacy
Firmer and tighter
- Skin quality, crepiness, laxity
- The only device here with a facial indication
- Face and body
Multi-polar radiofrequency plus pulsed magnetic fields, with VariPulse vacuum on the body heads.
Why here
Why Carolina Pintos
Carolina Pintos. A machine is only as good as the person holding the applicator.
Worked to temperature, not to a timer
The manufacturer’s protocol ends a segment when the skin reaches temperature or when you have had enough heat, whichever comes first. That depends on the therapist, not on a program.
We say when it is the wrong device
It is one tool among several here. If none of them fits what you want changed, you hear that at consultation, not after six sessions.
Claims you can check
Every clinical and regulatory statement on this page carries its source: the clearance number, the journal, the study size.
Regulatory
What it is cleared for
Cleared is not approved. These are the uses the FDA record names.
Temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite.
Cleared
Held since this platform’s first clearance in 2005.
Temporary reduction of thigh circumference.
Cleared
Thighs specifically. We quote the clearance rather than rounding it up to circumference in general.
Relief of minor muscle aches and pain, and of muscle spasm.
Cleared
A real cleared indication that rarely gets mentioned in aesthetic marketing.
Temporary improvement of local blood circulation.
Cleared
Part of the same written indication.
Questions
Before you book
Does it hurt?
It should not. Most people describe a hot, firm massage with a pulling sensation from the vacuum. The manufacturer’s own protocol says to work up to the target temperature or to the point where you have had enough heat, whichever comes first, so the instruction to stop is part of the method. Say something and the settings come down.
How many sessions will I need?
Body contouring works as a course rather than a single visit. Six sessions about a week apart is the usual plan, and that is why the package is priced the way it is. Your therapist confirms the number at consultation.
Will it make me smaller?
The device is cleared for the temporary reduction of thigh circumference. The published numbers are modest and honest ones: a centimetre or so on an arm, a few centimetres on a thigh or an abdomen, and in one pilot study no change on the thighs at all. Body weight barely moved in those studies, because this is not weight loss and it is not fat removal.
Are the results permanent?
No. The FDA clearance itself uses the word temporary four times over. Results fade, which is why maintenance sessions exist. Anyone telling you a non-invasive body contouring device gives permanent results is overstating it.
Can I have it on my face?
No. VelaShape III is a body device: there is no facial applicator and no facial indication on its FDA record. The machine we use on the face is Venus Legacy, which is cleared for moderate to severe facial wrinkles.
How is it different from Venus Legacy?
Different jobs. VelaShape III is body-only and is built around shape: dimpling, circumference, a smoother line. Venus Legacy is built around skin quality: crepiness, laxity, facial wrinkles. See the Venus Legacy page.
Is there any downtime?
None. People go back to their day straight afterwards and the treated area stays warm and pink for a while. Bruising happens, and in the one head-to-head trial this platform produced significantly more of it than the device it was compared against, so it is worth planning around anything where you would rather not have a bruise.
Which clinic has the machine?
Memorial, in the Energy Corridor, at 11777 Katy Freeway, Suite 260 South. It is not at The Woodlands. Call 713-474-4774 if you normally use The Woodlands and we will sort the booking out on the phone.
Who should not have it?
The device is not for everyone. Pregnancy, a pacemaker or other implanted electrical device, metal implants in the treatment area, active cancer treatment and some skin conditions all rule it out or need a doctor first. Your therapist screens for this before your first session.
Ready when you are
VelaShape III runs at Memorial, 11777 Katy Freeway, Suite 260 South. Monday to Friday 9:00 to 19:30, Saturday 9:00 to 15:00.
Regulatory and clinical note
Cleared, not approved
VelaShape III is a Class II prescription device, originally from Syneron Medical and now
sold by Candela. Clearance K122579, 13 September 2012, 21 CFR 878.4810, product code NUV,
with K071872, K070092 and K050397 behind it. The 2012 clearance covered the change of the
infrared source from a tungsten halogen lamp to an LED and did not alter the indications
for use.
What it is cleared for in the United States
Quoted from the Indications for Use, not paraphrased: relief of minor muscle aches and
pain, relief of muscle spasm, temporary improvement of local blood circulation, temporary
reduction in the appearance of cellulite, and temporary reduction of thighs
circumferences.
What we do not claim
Abdominal circumference reduction. The manufacturer markets thigh and abdomen; the
VelaShape 510(k) names thighs. The abdomen indication belongs to a different Syneron
clearance, Transcend K120510, which is not this device.
The studies, including the unflattering ones
- Alster TS, Tanzi EL. Cellulite treatment using a novel combination
radiofrequency, infrared light, and mechanical tissue manipulation device.
J Cosmet Laser Ther 2005;7(2):81–85. Twenty women, one thigh treated, the other
left as a control. - Wanitphakdeedecha R, Manuskiatti W. Treatment of cellulite with a bipolar
radiofrequency, infrared heat, and pulsatile suction device: a pilot study.
J Cosmet Dermatol 2006;5(4):284–288. Twelve subjects, no control group. - Nootheti PK et al. A single center, randomized, comparative, prospective
clinical study… Lasers Surg Med 2006;38(10):908–912. Head to head
against another cellulite device in twenty women: no significant difference between them,
and significantly more bruising on the side treated with this platform. - Brightman L et al. Improvement in arm and post-partum abdominal and flank
subcutaneous fat deposits and skin laxity… Lasers Surg Med
2009;41(10):791–798. Arm circumference fell 0.625 cm by the fifth
treatment. - Hexsel DM et al. A bipolar radiofrequency, infrared, vacuum and mechanical
massage device for treatment of cellulite: a pilot study. J Cosmet Laser Ther
2011;13(6):297–302. Hip circumference came down; thigh circumference did not change
at all. - ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03430245, sponsor Syneron Candela, completed July 2019.
Single-arm, unblinded, run by the manufacturer, and every participant also received a
second device in the same session. We could find no independent peer-reviewed trial
naming VelaShape III specifically.
About the results shown
The before and after images on this page come from our body contouring work as a whole,
not from one machine or one session. Individual results vary and are temporary. Your
therapist confirms at consultation which cleared use applies to what you want to
change.
Suitability
This device is not suitable for everyone. Pregnancy, implanted electrical devices, metal
implants in the treatment area, active cancer treatment and certain skin conditions are
screened for before your first session.