Cellulite Treatments: Myths and Truths. Despite being a completely benign condition, much like wrinkles, cellulite is a major beauty concern of women worldwide. The corresponding myths and deceptions take the place of fact and reason, leading many to waste their money. The cosmetics industry and lots of doctors and estheticians want to sell you products or provide treatments to eliminate cellulite. But do they work? In This Article: Regrettably, most of us (women that is) have cellulite to one degree or another.
According to statistics, and this is really shocking, cellulite shows up on the thighs of more than 8. Caucasian and Asian women. To make matters worse, for women, cellulite represents stored, hard to metabolize fat that is interdependent on estrogen.
Ironically, weight isn. Rather, any amount of fat (and we all need some of it in our bodies) can show up as cellulite on women. This means the cosmetics industry and lots of doctors and estheticians want to sell you products or provide treatments (particularly expensive ones) claiming to slim, trim, tone, and de- bump your thighs. Everything from loofahs, miracle ingredients, special washcloths, herbal supplements, vitamins, minerals, bath liquids, rubberized pants, brushes, rollers, body wraps, and toning lotions to electrical muscle stimulation, vibrating machines, inflatable hip- high pressurized boots, hormone or enzyme injections, and massage have been claimed to be successful cellulite treatments. Yet, as the anti- cellulite market increases, research regarding efficacy remains at a bare minimum and is often obscured by self- serving studies from those who peddle these cures. Sadly, the lure of these supposed remedies is hard to fend off because fighting cellulite is an uphill battle. For lots of women the mere hope or illusion that something may work is a powerful temptation, and that weakness is something the cosmetics industry counts on and exploits to the max.
Myth Busting. Trying to navigate and smooth out cellulite fact from fiction isn’t easy but there is a small amount of good news: there are options that may make a difference. The bad news is that even the treatments that have some potential of working (and we say potential of working very carefully) rarely live up to the claims asserted, but improvement as opposed to merely wasting your money is definitely a turn for the better. A great way to start is to straighten out some popular myths about cellulite: Men don’t get cellulite: To some extent that’s true. Physiologically, women are far more prone to accumulating fat on the thighs and hips while men gain weight in the abdominal area. Plus, for women, the connective tissue beneath the skin has more stretch and is vulnerable to disruption, which is the perfect environment for developing cellulite. Some men do get cellulite!
Drinking water is beneficial (although there is really no research showing how much is healthy versus unhealthy) but there’s no research showing water consumption will impact fat anywhere on your body, let alone the dimples on your thighs. Arguments for high water intake are generally based on the assumption that because our bodies consist mostly of water (5.
But assumptions aren’t science and this one is a non- sequitur; it is similar to arguing that since our cars run on gasoline, they always need a full tank to run efficiently. Water retention causes cellulite: It’s ironic that low water intake is considered a possible cause of cellulite, and the polar opposite. There’s lots of speculation of how water retention can affect cellulite but there’s no actual research supporting this notion. Further, fat cells actually contain only about 1. It’s true that water retention can make you look bloated and feel like you’ve gained weight, but water itself doesn’t impact fat or the appearance of cellulite. Eating a specialized diet can help: A healthy diet that encourages weight loss may help your entire body look better. However, because weight in and of itself is not a cause of cellulite, dieting won’t help.
It cannot change the skin structure of your thighs, which is what causes the dimpled contours to show. For some people cellulite is made worse by the accumulation of extra fat. In those cases, weight reduction may decrease the total area and depth of cellulite, but general weight loss isn’t going to make much difference. Cellulite is different from fat on the rest of the body: Theories abound about how cellulite differs from regular body fat.
Body Shape Cellulite Patch. The Cellulite skin patch features natural ingredients traditionally used to smooth uneven, orange peel skin. The Cellulite Patch is based. The connective tissue layers on the thigh are too weak or thin to maintain a smooth appearance—allowing fat contour to.
- Patch contour: These patches are applied over areas of cellulite and worn continuously. Mesotherapy is a form of cellulite treatment that involves injections.
- The Quest Cellulite Patch features natural ingredients traditionally used to visibly improve the appearance of skin for those who see signs of cellulite.
- Skin patches set to innovate anti-aging market.
However, few studies show how cellulite clumps differently than other fat on your body. But overall, most researchers feel cellulite is just fat, plain and simple. Besides, even if cellulite is different in how it congregates, what you can and can’t do about fat on any part of the body remains the same. Exercise can help: Exercise helps almost every system in the human body, but it won’t necessarily impact the appearance of cellulite. Exercise doesn’t improve skin structure and it can’t affect localized areas of fat.
CO2 Body Sculptor Anti-Cellulite Patches. The Universal Contour Wrap
Detoxifying the body reduces the appearance of cellulite: Detoxifying the body for consumers has taken on the meaning of purging it of pollutants or any other problem substances in the environment or in the foods we eat. In terms of the way this concept has been mass marketed, there is little research showing credible efficacy as to whether or not detoxification of the body is even possible. There’s no doubt this is helpful for the body. Whether or not this reduces cellulite is completely unknown because skin structure and fat accumulation are not caused by toxins in the environment or in your body. Furthermore, there are no studies showing toxins of any kind prevent fat from being broken down. What We Do Know. There are three leading theories about cellulite formation: Women have unique skin structure on their thighs, which causes cellulite to easily form. The connective tissue layers on the thigh are too weak or thin to maintain a smooth appearance.
Beyond topical products there are devices such as endermologie and microdermabrasion, medical treatments such as lasers and mesotherapy (a procedure involving repeated injections, which is claimed to break down fat). Lotions, Creams & Extracts Galore.
As far as skincare products for the body are concerned, the litany of options is mesmerizing. Yet there is almost no uniformity between formulas. It would appear, if the claims are to be believed, a wide variety of unrelated plant extracts can deflate or break down fat and/or restructure skin. Looking at the research, however, most articles suggest there’s little hope that anything rubbed on the skin can change fat deposits or radically improve the appearance of cellulite. The hope that botanicals have the answer is odd because not one study points to what concentration of an ingredient needs to be in a formulation, what physiochemical characteristics particular to each active ingredient need to be present, or whether or not these ingredients retain any standardized properties between batches, not to mention how they can penetrate skin to affect the fat deposits deep within it. A Bevy of Anti- Cellulite Ingredients.
From aminophylline to Visnaga vera extract, cosmetics companies will claim that just about anything can treat cellulite! Mesotherapy actually got its start 5.
France through the work of a physician who was trying to find a cure for deafness. From there it gained notoriety in the United States after singer Roberta Flack appeared on ABC’s 2. Some of the substances being injected are homeopathic and some are pharmaceutical.
Strangely, there isn’t necessarily any consistency, and the cocktail of ingredients can vary from practitioner to practitioner. The fact that the material being injected isn’t consistent and not everyone discloses exactly what they are using makes this treatment very hard to evaluate. The most typically used substance in mesotherapy is phosphatidylcholine, but it can also be combined with deoxycholate. A handful of studies have shown that this can successfully reduce fat when injected into the skin, with one study demonstrating this for the undereye area.
Theoretically, the reduction of subcutaneous fat may be caused by inflammatory- mediated cell death and resorption. However, mesotherapy isn’t without risk. One study explained, . At follow- up averaging 9 months, 5. Mesotherapy costs $3. Endermologie. Searching on the Internet, you would think endermologie was nothing less than a cure for cellulite. Physicians, spas, salons, and just about anybody else with the money to buy one of these machines want you to believe in their exaggerated, over- the- top claims.
Developed in France in the 1. FDA approved this high- powered, handheld massage tool in 1. It consists of two motorized rollers with a suction device that is moved over the skin, somewhat like a mix between an old- time, wet- clothes ringer and a vacuum cleaner. But remember, weight and cellulite are not directly related.)While claims abound, legally those advertising endermologie treatment are only permitted to promote it for . Finding out if this works is time consuming and pricey.
Anywhere from ten to twenty treatments are recommended plus one or two maintenance visits per month are required to preserve any results. There is no typical cost, and depending on where you go, prices can range from $7. Attempting to portray endermologie as a serious effective treatment for cellulite, it’s often presented as being FDA- approved as a Class 1 Medical Device and therefore approved by the FDA for its intended purpose. While endermologie machines are indeed Class 1 Medical Devices, this has no meaning in terms of efficacy. Class 1 status is a designation indicating there is . According to the FDA, .
Examples of Class 1 devices include elastic bandages, examination gloves, and hand- held surgical instruments. Whether or not these devices are harmful depends on how they are operated, meaning how aggressively they’re used.