In 2006, women across the United States willingly spent almost $100 millions on cellulite treatments, all of which promised to remove those unsightly bumps and depressions found on the thighs and butt cheeks.  Have any of these treatments worked?  Not one, if you base it on news reports.  These days, we have plenty of solutions, but not one has had the honor of being the real thing.

strong>The myths and fallacies about cellulite reduction
There are certain myths and fallacies about cellulite that persists to this day.  Some have a grain of truth in them but others are just plain myths.

Cellulite is a special type of fat. 
Nope.  Cellulite is really just plain fat and crash diets cannot reduce their appearance.  In fact, losing weight so fast can make the look of cellulite worse.  It is far better to lose weight gradually.

Cellulite can be removed through liposuction.
Liposuction can indeed remove fat and change your body shape in more ideal proportions, but it won’t reduce cellulite appearance.  There are some doctors, however, who are attempting to reduce cellulite by treating those offensive dimples one by one.

Laser can reduce cellulite.
Many proponents of laser treatments swear they work.  Unfortunately, they don’t offer a one-time deal.  Using laser as a solution for cellulite reduction is a long-term investment, requiring monthly maintenance that costs $150 to $200 per session.

Water diets can reduce cellulite.
Diets that promote water loss do not do anything for cellulite.  In fact, they even loosen the skin, making it sag even more.

Special creams can reduce the appearance of cellulite.
Manufacturers of anti-cellulite creams promise that their products can reduce the dimply stuff on your thighs after just 4 weeks (or 5 or 8, depending on the product).  The real effects of these creams are very subtle and cumulative at best.  Whatever improvements you might notice are also temporary.

Massages can help.
Cellulite fats are too deep within the body structure to be manipulated with massages.  The best these massages can do is to increase blood flow in the area.  However, a mechanical massaging technique called the Cellu M6 Keymodule by Endermologie, claims to produce results, despite the fact that it produces discomfort during use.  By using this hand-held massaging device, swelling is induced, which temporarily (again, that’s temporarily) reduces the appearance of those bumps.

The real solution to cellulite reduction
Reducing cellulite takes more than just slathering your skin with expensive creams, being zapped by laser and getting pulled and mashed by mechanical devices.  The key, according to a study published in 2006 in the Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery journal, is to minimize the appearance of cellulite through weight loss.

By losing weight slowly, the supple quality of the skin is maintained even when fat is reduced.  To keep the structure underneath that fat toned and to ensure that the skin surface does not show dimpling, muscle building must be implemented.  That’s not as convenient as rubbing on an anti-cellulite cream, but getting firmer thighs and butt is more effective as a solution to cellulite reduction.

According to an article published in Prevention, cardio exercises to burn fat combined with spot reduction techniques to build muscle, along with a sensible diet plan will be a very good solution to the problem of cellulite.  The article further states that to make this plan work, 200 minutes of high-intensity exercises a week (that’s 30 minutes everyday) can slim, smoothen and trim your body in as little as 4 weeks.

Will it work?  According to Prevention, this is a science-based cellulite reduction solution and they do promise you’ll get improved results.

cellulite reduction

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 28th, 2007 at 8:17 pm and is filed under Cellulite Reduction. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.