Cellulite Treatments


 

Cellulite is a term invented to describe the dimpling some people,

especially women, have on their thighs, hips, and buttocks. Cellulite is the natural effect of tension on normal skin ligaments (bands that attach the skin to deeper layers). Cellulite is not reduced with lipo- suction, and in fact, there is no good treatment for it.

Endodermologie is a procedure developed in France in the 1980s

 

The Cosmetic Medical Care Product Line 159

 

consisting of mechanical skin massage and external application of suction that has been promoted to treat cellulite and to reduce thigh circumference. It has been approved by the FDA for this purpose, but its effectiveness is still being debated. Multiple treatments—per- haps a dozen or more—are needed to yield any improvement and the results are temporary. Fat tissue is not altered.

A new term, “laserdermology,” refers to endodermologie com- bined with laser or light treatments. Again, more than a dozen treat- ments at significant expense (at least $100 per treatment) are required for improvement, and long-term effectiveness has not been proven.

The drug aminophylline has been promoted as a topical treatment for cellulite but has been discredited.

The bottom line: Entire books have been written about treatment of cellulite and related irregularities, usually by practitioners who have product lines to sell, but there remains no consistently useful, cost-effective treatment method.