As a longtime beauty and wellness editor, it often feels like I’ve heard of and written about almost every trend or device out there, so it’s very exciting whenever I get the chance to discover something that is truly innovative or new. While Endospheres Therapy isn’t brand new to the market, I only recently learned about the cutting-edge treatment that offers a wide range of benefits from decreasing the appearance of cellulite to enhancing lymphatic drainage—and I was eager to give it a try.

As I get older I’ve noticed that I have a tendency to retain more water, especially on days when I’m not active and spend an entire day hunched over my desk writing articles. Unlike many people who receive Endospheres Therapy to treat cellulite, my primary reason for wanting to get it was to see if it would help give my lymphatic system a boost and alleviate some of the inflammatory back pain that I often experience.

Endospheres Therapy is offered at various medical spas and skincare clinics across the country including Volure MedSpa in Beverly Hills. The luxury medical spa is in a prime location on Wilshire Boulevard just down the street from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Petersen Automotive Museum. They offer customizable, cutting-edge beauty treatments with state-of-the-art equipment and a team of professionally trained experts in a modern and relaxing setting. To find a location near you that offers Endospheres Therapy, click here.

The building that Volure MedSpa is in offers convenient valet parking and the med spa is located on the second floor which is accessible by elevator. Upon checking in at the front desk, I was greeted warmly by Melissa Mesich, Volure MedSpa’s patient care coordinator who would be performing my treatment. In addition to being an Endospheres Therapy expert, she is also a former competitive ballet dancer, a certified personal trainer and a Baptiste Power Yoga instructor who works with a lot of celebrity clients. She has a very thorough knowledge of the structure and muscles of the human body, so I knew I was in good hands.

Here’s what you’ll love about Volure MedSpa and Endospheres Therapy: 

• Founded in 2018, Volure MedSpa offers a comprehensive range of customizable face and body treatments with state-of-the-art technologies and experienced staff in a modern and relaxed setting.

• Conveniently located on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, Volure MedSpa is within minutes of major museums, attractions, businesses and restaurants (and just two miles from Rodeo Drive).

• Volure MedSpa was founded by dedicated nurse practitioner Larissa Markevich and Dr. Ilya Gelman, a doctor specializing in nephrology and a pioneer in the medical spa space who also opened Voda Spa (the largest day spa in Los Angeles) in 2007.

• From laser hair removal and dermal fillers to body contouring and skin rejuvenation treatments, the medical spa offers clients the latest innovative services to enhance their natural beauty and to help them look and feel their best.

• Developed in Italy by a cellulite expert, Endospheres Therapy is FDA Registered and the only device in the world that uses an innovative Compressive Microvibration technology to produce a customized full-body treatment that tones, tightens and smoothes out imperfections.

• The treatment offers multiple benefits which include reducing the appearance of cellulite by targeting the root cause, toning muscle, enhancing lymphatic drainage, increasing circulation, and soothing inflammation to reduce aches and pains.

• The clinically-proven and non-invasive device treats the body in a pain-free manner without needles, lasers or down time with noticeable improvement after each session.

• Compared to many other medical aesthetics services, Endospheres Therapy is much more affordable and can be purchased individually or as a package.

After filling out several standard forms that included questions about my medical history and my desired goals for the treatment, Melissa brought me back to the private treatment room where I would be receiving my Endospheres Therapy. She suggested urinating prior to the treatment, which would last just under an hour, and she also mentioned that I would likely have the urge to pee again right after since the machine would be draining my lymphatic system. I made sure to take her up on her advice to ensure a more comfortable experience!

Before beginning our session, she took the time to answer any questions I had and explained to me what Endospheres Therapy is, its many benefits, and what to expect both during and after the treatment. She also showed me a booklet filled with a series of before-and-after pictures of clients that had received Endospheres Therapy and the results (especially after multiple sessions) were very impressive. Check out the photo gallery here.

In addition to all of the previously mentioned benefits, Melissa shared that she has many athlete clients including runners and former NBA players who like to get Endospheres Therapy after a hard workout or marathon to help remove lactic acid buildup in the muscles for a faster recovery. It can help treat issues like tendonitis and tight fascia, and it’s also a popular treatment among women after they’ve given birth and are looking to firm up loose skin and tone muscles in the abdominal area. When I told her that I’d been experiencing some inflammation in my back muscles, she said that I would feel a noticeable difference after my session.

She left the room so that I could get undressed (keeping my underwear on) and I lied down on the treatment bed with a small covering over my breasts and pelvic area. After Melissa came back in she turned on the machine, which consisted of a roller device with 55 hypo-allergenic silicon spheres that rotated and produced rapid vibrations, alternating between pressure and lifting to penetrate from the top of the skin deep into the muscle.

With the combination of Microvibration and Microcompression technology, Endospheres helps trigger the breakdown of fibrous septae, which are collagen bands in the fat layer that connect the soft tissue and fat compartment to the undersurface of skin. The pulling down by the fibrous septae on the skin’s surface results in cellulite, which appears as dimple-like depressions. Cellulite also contains trapped toxins, water and waste material that contribue to an uneven appearance just below the skin’s surface, and Endospheres helps the body eliminate this debris more effectively.

Before treating each area of my body, she applied a thin layer of cool gel across the surface of my skin to ensure that the spheres glided smooth and comfortably. Starting with me lying on my back, Melissa went over my quadricep muscles on the front of my thighs with the device multiple times before asking me to adjust my legs so that she could go over the inner thigh area. She started with a lower setting on the device, but after noticing how well I tolerated it, she eventually moved to a higher setting, which resulted in more intense vibrations.

It felt like a stronger version of the Theragun, the at-home percussive therapy tool I often use to loosen my muscles when they’re tight. The Endospheres device also covers a much wider area than the Theragun, which treats one specific spot at a time with a concentrated attachment. I was pleasantly surprised by how relaxing and therapeutic the device felt the entire time. At no point was it ever painful or uncomfortable for me to endure, aside from feeling slightly ticklish in my upper leg area.

Melissa pointed out that I don’t have much cellulite on my body (much to my delight) and that sometimes the device can be slightly more uncomfortable for those with more cellulite due to stagnant fluid and fibrous tissue, but the sensitivity of the tissues in one’s skin will gradually decrease over the course of a single treatment along with subsequent sessions.

After she finished working on the front of my legs, she asked me to flip over onto my stomach. She noticed a slightly raised area on my upper right back where it looked like there was some swelling and water retention (the exact spot where I have having discomfort), so she spent extra time going over that area with the device. By the time she had finished treating that area, it was completely smooth and flat.

When she was done treating my upper and lower back, Melissa worked on my glutes, hamstrings, calves and even my feet (which she pointed out also have lymphatic vessels). She also worked on the back and inside part of my upper arms, before having me turn over one more time onto my back so that she could finish the session by treating my abdomen. She said that for some clients experiencing digestive issues or constipation, Endospheres Therapy can help get things moving again and improve bloating as well.

By the time my session had concluded I felt lighter, relaxed yet energized, and there was a significant decrease in my back pain. I also needed to pee again, which Melissa said was very common and a sign that my lymphatic system was already working better after the treatment! My only post-care instruction was to drink a lot of water for the rest of the day to keep my lymphatic system moving.

Depending on what you’re treating, especially if it’s something as stubborn as cellulite, more noticeable results will be seen with multiple sessions of Endospheres Therapy. If it’s something more minor like muscle pain or lactic acid buildup, results can be noticed after one session. While there is no minimum number of treatments that are required, many people notice truly dramatic results after 12 to 18 sessions or more. Melissa says she has clients who come in as often as twice a week or as infrequently as once a month. If you plan on having more than one session per week, it is recommended to wait at least 48 hours between treatments.

Endospheres Therapy is also available for the face and performed with a smaller device that helps stimulate the production of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid in skin to revive complexions and restore a healthy glow. It stimulates oxygen to the tissues, nourishing skin from deep within and also tones facial muscles to relax expression lines, treat tissue sagging and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

It differs for everyone, but some common side effects after an Endospheres Therapy session include increased urination, increased bowel movements, tiredness, light bruising (especially in an area where the lymphatic system is blocked) and/or soreness. Some people may notice their bodies feel warmer and the treated areas of their skin appear slightly pink or red due to increased circulation, but that is temporary.

In my case I felt energized for the rest of the day, although I did get tired that evening and went to bed a little early, which is often the case after I get a massage or spa service. I slept really well that night and when I woke up the next day, I didn’t have any morning stiffness or pain in my back and I could move a lot more freely. Almost two weeks later since my treatment, I’ve noticed several positive changes:

• My back pain has significantly been reduced since my single Endospheres Therapy session. I no longer feel the swelling or water retention in my back since Melissa treated it.

• Prior to the treatment I had a tight, sore spot in my left calf that is now gone.

• I haven’t experienced any bloating since my treatment, even after eating a heavier meal. My body also looks and feels less puffy.

• Prior to my treatment the back of my right hand looked and felt drier than my left hand. Since my session, my right hand feels smooth and more hydrated. I think it’s due to the increased circulation and improved lymphatic flow throughout my body since getting Endospheres Therapy.

I’m very happy and satisfied with the results I experienced after just a single Endospheres Therapy session for pain relief. I’ve tried a lot of different treatments for my back pain, from massage and ice baths to red light therapy, but have found that most of them either only offer temporary relief or you need to get multiple treatments on a regular basis for noticeable improvement. I would definitely book another Endospheres Therapy session soon, especially after an intense workout to speed up my recovery, and I’m also interested in trying the facial treatment next!

Cost: Endospheres Therapy ($250/full body, $200/lower body)

Insider Tip: Wear comfortable clothing and thong underwear to your appointment. It is recommended to urinate prior to your treatment as you will likely have the urge to urinate right after since the machine will drain your lymphatic system. Drink a lot of water after your session to keep your lymphatic system moving. Volure MedSpa also recommends using SkinCeuticals Body Tightening Concentrate to complement Endospheres in-between sessions.

Hours: 6 a.m. - 8 p.m. (Daily)

Address: 6333 Wilshire Boulevard, # 204, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Phone: 323-651-9911

For more information about Endospheres, visit their website. To book a service at Volure MedSpa, visit their website. Follow both on Instagram: @endospheresus @voluremedspa

[Photos by Kamala Kirk]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk