Same Price. Different Jobs.
Venus Legacy and VelaShape III both treat cellulite. Both are FDA-cleared for the temporary reduction in its appearance. Both feel like a warm deep-tissue massage.
They are still different tools, and choosing the wrong one for what you actually want changed is the most common reason people feel underwhelmed after a course.
Here is how they differ, what the studies found, and how we decide.
The Short Answer
VelaShape III leads with shape. Dimpling and thigh circumference, body only.
Venus Legacy leads with skin quality. Firmness, crepey texture, facial wrinkles. It is the only one of the two with a facial indication.
If the goal is a smoother, slimmer-looking thigh, VelaShape III is usually the fit. If loose or crepey skin is part of the picture, or you want the face or neck treated, Venus Legacy is. Neither is better overall.
How VelaShape III Works
Four things in one applicator: infrared light, bipolar radiofrequency, vacuum and mechanical rollers. The applicator draws a fold of skin into its head, the rollers massage it, and the light and radiofrequency warm the tissue underneath.
In the United States it is cleared for the temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite and for temporary reduction of thigh circumference.
How Venus Legacy Works
Multi-polar radiofrequency and pulsed electromagnetic fields, delivered in the same pass. On the body, a light suction lifts the tissue so the energy reaches evenly. A sensor in the applicator holds the skin at a steady therapeutic temperature for the whole session.
It is cleared for the temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite, and for moderate to severe facial wrinkles with the facial applicators.
Both devices are cleared, not approved. Those are different regulatory pathways, and it is worth knowing the difference.
What the Research Says About VelaShape III
The best-designed study is small and old. In 2005, Alster and Tanzi treated one thigh on twenty women and left the other thigh as a control. After eight sessions, eighteen of twenty improved on photographs scored by two masked assessors.
A 2004 study by Sadick and Mulholland on the earlier version of the platform reported improvement in cellulite appearance across a course.
The manufacturer’s own VelaShape III thigh pilot enrolled sixteen people and nine finished. Those who did averaged 2.8 cm below baseline at twelve weeks, with a second device used in the same session.
Measurable, modest and temporary. That is the honest summary.
What the Research Says About Venus Legacy
Also small, also modest.
In 2017, Wanitphakdeedecha and colleagues treated twenty-five women with abdominal cellulite over eight weekly sessions. Sixty percent called themselves satisfied, a blinded investigator found significant improvement in appearance, and no adverse effects were reported.
The same year, de Oliveira and colleagues treated eleven patients on the face and neck over eight weekly sessions and reported improved skin laxity in all of them. Eleven is a very small sample, and we say so.
A 2012 study by Krueger, Levy and Sadick found that thirty of thirty-one people improved by at least one wrinkle grade after ten sessions on the earlier Venus platform.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Thigh dimpling and circumference: VelaShape III. The published data for this device is about thighs, and the vacuum-and-roller mechanism is built for the body.
- Loose or crepey skin on the abdomen, arms or thighs: Venus Legacy. Its temperature-controlled radiofrequency is what the firmness studies used.
- Face, jawline or neck: Venus Legacy. VelaShape III is body only.
- Not sure: book a single session of either. Your therapist confirms the fit at the first visit, and the price is the same either way.
What Neither Machine Does
Neither removes fat. Neither causes weight loss. We do not present them that way.
Both improve the appearance of the treated area over a course of sessions, and both results are temporary. Most people keep a maintenance session in the calendar every one to three months.
Cellulite Treatment in Houston
Carolina Pintos Therapy offers VelaShape III and Venus Legacy on their own, or built into our hands-on cellulite treatment, at both Memorial and The Woodlands locations.
Availability can differ between clinics. Mention your preference when you book, and your therapist will confirm which machine fits your goal at the first visit.
References
- 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.
- Sadick NS, Mulholland RS. A prospective clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cellulite treatment using the combination of optical and RF energies. J Cosmet Laser Ther. 2004;6(4):187-190.
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03430245: VelaShape III and UltraShape Power for thigh circumference reduction. Syneron Candela, 2019.
- Wanitphakdeedecha R, et al. Efficacy of multipolar radiofrequency with pulsed magnetic field therapy for the treatment of abdominal cellulite. J Cosmet Laser Ther. 2017.
- de Oliveira TC, et al. Effects of multipolar radiofrequency and pulsed electromagnetic field treatment for face and neck rejuvenation. Dermatol Res Pract. 2017.
- Krueger N, Levy H, Sadick NS. Safety and efficacy of a new device combining radiofrequency and low-frequency pulsed electromagnetic fields for the treatment of facial rhytides. J Drugs Dermatol. 2012;11(11):1306-1309.
- FDA 510(k) K122579 (VelaShape III) and K191528 (Venus Legacy).
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