Cellulite Treatments: Which Ones Truly Reduce Cellulite?

"Anti-cellulite elimination devices and gadgets offer no cellulite removal results beyond draining womens' banking accounts or running up their credit cards."

This is the strong opinion of skeptics and medical experts. And their viewpoint carries substantial evidence. They also point to the fact that specific anti-cellulite exercises are the only proven way to banish cellulite.

This viewpoint continues to gain support, even though the desperate market for cellulite fighting products an services is expected to grow to over 200 million dollars a year by 2012.

In most of their summary references - these experts do allude to the fact that the only way to reduce or prevent the appearance of cellulite is through a properly structured and targeted exercise routine.

Even though the FDA has technically approved several dozen types of anti-cellulite gadgets, it only judges them on whether they provide short-term changes in appearance. Approvals are not based on actual, structural, long lasting reductions in cellulite.

"We don't have any third party research data or official proof about how long the reduction effect lasts," claims an FDA spokes-person referenced in the well known, Wall Street Journal in a feature article: "The Latest Cellulite Treatments Sound Too Smooth to Be True." After reading this article - it's hard to believe how many women still buy into these devices and gimmicks.

CST (Cosmetic Surgery Today) details the primary paradox in this industry of flimsy regulations, high hopes, empty promises and fat profits:

Most of the anti-cellulite treatment plans require the woman to commit a series of cellulite reduction treatments in order to see any substantial changes. For example a series of about ten visits is the typical, 'initial' treatment plan, and women are 'advised' to maintain a sensible diet and healthy lifestyle throughout the cellulite treatment process.

Wise critics of these beauty & spa services and procedures point out that most treatments, at best, may only offer temporary changes, and that most are simply glorified massage therapy sessions that only reduce the bumps & dimples, and the appearance of cellulite on a temporary basis - maybe - with no lasting improvements.

They also mention that those women who may have experienced improvements could have done so with properly targeted exercise alone.

But despite all the evidence of doubt, supporters (mainly the companies that sell them) of cellulite treatments state that these non-invasive cellulite treatment procedures are a viable way to drop a few inches, tighten loose skin and see changes within 3 - 4 months.

"None of these things has been shown in any definitive, objective way to offer improvement for cellulite areas," states Bob Weiss of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery. "If there was proof - women would be going crazy - and the undeniable proof would be all over the news and talk shows. There would be no debate."

Cellulite device manufacturers stand behind their treatments' effectiveness, however many women have been deeply disappointed. In reader surveys about a few anti-cellulite devices, just a small fraction of women said "Yes" to the straight question "Was the money you spent worth it?"...

- Vela-Shape, 10% - Thermage, thirty-four percent (Thermage is touted as a skin 'tightening' machine, but the company has recently included an anti-cellulite extension - like on a vacuum cleaner.)

Other cellulite treatment machines and devices were not officially rated: Smooth-Shapes from Elemé Medical Co., Vela-smooth, the newest rendition of the 'VelaShape' from Syneron, The 'Dermosonic' by Sybaritic Co., and 'Endermologie' from L.P.G. Systems out of France.

Dermatologist Avaa Chammbon M.D. of Santa Monica, CA, is very skeptical about what supposed cellulite removal treatments can offer. She states the claims of "This device will get rid of cellulite..." is one of the biggest common lies (costing women millions of dollars annually), very close behind "Don't worry, I'll call you in the morning, I promise I really will."

A more objective viewpoint is offered by Chris Zachary M.D., chairman of the Dept. of Dermatology at U.C.I. He claims the dimply fat deposits that frustrate so many women is just a secondary gender characteristic like breasts and wider hips that can only be improved with exercises that enhance the structure of the underlying muscles, below the superficial dermis (skin) that shows the cellulite dimples and bumps.