Cellulite-fighting gadgets have no lasting effects beyond draining patients’ bank accounts, skeptics say.
That position has gained support recently, even though the market for anti-cellulite treatments is expected to grow to $200 million a year by 2012.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved more than a dozen types of cellulite fighters, but only judges them on whether they provide short-term changes in appearance.
“We do not have any data or information about how long the effect lasts,” according to an FDA spokeswoman quoted in the Wall Street Journal in an article titled, “The Latest Cellulite Treatments Sound Too Smooth to Be True.”
Cosmetic Surgery Today outlines the issue:
Most of the anti-cellulite procedures require a series of treatments in order to see any major results; a set of 6 - 10 treatments is the typical treatment plan, and patients are advised to maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle during the process.
Critics of these programs suggest that most treatments only provide temporary results, and that most are just ‘glorified’ massage treatments that only reduce dimples and the appearance of cellulite for the short term.
Still, supporters of cellulite treatments claim that these non-surgical methods are a valuable way to lose a few inches, tighten up the skin and enjoy results within a few short months.
“There’s nothing that has been shown in any objective way to create improvement for cellulite,” says Robert A. Weiss of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.
Manufacturers defend their machines’ effectiveness, but many patients have been disappointed. In reader surveys about a few anti-cellulite devices, only a small percentage of consumers visiting RealSelf.com said “Yes” to the question “Was it worth it”:
- VelaShape, 10 percent.
- Thermage, 34 percent. (Thermage is a skin-tightening device, but has recently added a cellulite-fighting attachment.)
Other devices were not rated, including SmoothShapes from Elemé Medical Inc. (of New Hampshire); Velasmooth, the latest version of the VelaShape machine from Syneron (of Irvine and Israel); Dermosonic from Sybaritic (of Minneapolis, Minn.); Endermologie from LPG Systems (of France).
Cellulite is “Public Enemy No. 1” for many women, says dermatologist Ava Chambon of Santa Monica, but she’s skeptical about what anti-cellulite treatments can accomplish. She says the statement “This device will get rid of your cellulite” is one of the world’s top lies, close behind “I’ll respect you in the morning.”
A more detached view comes from Dr. Christopher Zachary, chairman of the Department of Dermatology at UCI, who says the lumpy fat that bothers many women is just a secondary sex characteristic like breasts and wide hips.
In on ongoing survey of In Your Face readers, 54 percent have declared cellulite “Public Enemy No. 1,” while 46 percent call it a normal secondary sex characteristic.
Related links:
- Kim Kardashian vs. cellulite
- Cellulite is target of new Thermage devices
- ‘Smartlipo is a marketing gimmick,’ says dermatology expert
- Newest Fraxel laser wins nod from dermatologist skeptic
For more on celebrities and cosmetic medicine, see list of links on the right side of this blog.
