Cellulite treatments are either invasive or non-invasive medical procedures, or products which have the end purpose of minimizing, if not eradicating dimples on the skin, in the areas of the abdomen, pelvis, and lower limbs; this condition concerns both men and women, and usually occurs after puberty.
In order to understand why treatments for cellulite are gaining current popularity, it is necessary to know about the condition which they aim to treat in the first place. Cellulite is no more than fat cells; these are trapped by body fibers which have gradually formed a network. The fibers require constant cleansing through bodily fluids, but poor body circulation inhibits the cleansing process.
This leads to the accumulation of waste materials which slowly thicken, and eventually develop into thick and hard pockets of non-movable fat. This final process is what is commonly blamed as the cause of dimpling, also known as the orange-peel effect. While this condition occurs for both sexes, it is more common in females, as practically all experience a degree of cellulite after puberty. The causes for such a condition are various. Metabolic and physiological changes do contribute to the occurrence to a certain extent, and these include disorders in water metabolism, chronic venous insufficiencies, or abnormal hyperpolymerization in the connecting tissues.
The female hormone estrogen is also a commonly-known contributing factor to cellulite. Surplus amounts of it appear to cause or aggravate cellulite. Other hormones are also known to contribute to the condition, with insulin being one of the more familiar types. Genetic predisposition is also a possible cause for cellulite development. Such tendencies include gender, race, or biotype; the presence of allele, a hormone receptor which determines receptor amounts and sensitivity, and the distribution within the body of subcutaneous fat; or the inborn predisposition to insufficient circulation.
Diet is also a contributing factor, especially those which contains unhealthy amounts of alcohol, fat, salt, and carbohydrates, and an insufficient amount of dietary fiber. A person's lifestyle, which may include smoking, insufficient exercise, activities which require a maintained standing or sitting position for extended periods of time, and wearing of tight clothes and high-heeled shoes can also significantly contribute to the increased tendency of acquiring cellulite.
In order to address the cosmetic concerns of the condition, a number of different treatments and procedures have come up, offering relief from cellulite. Several treatments have come to the forefront of the industry. One of these is Acoustic Wave Therapy, which was initially developed as a painless procedure for cellulite reduction. Research has shown that the presence of acoustic waves are indeed efficient in correcting the connecting tissue abnormalities which causes skin dimpling, and increases the skin's elasticity through a stimulation of the production of collagen.
The procedure employs pressurized waves, which permeate the skin and the underlying fat, in order to smoothen out dimples, and firm the skin. The procedure can be performed on the arms, stomach, buttocks, and thighs. Observable benefits of the procedure can be achieved after at least six treatment sessions, each of which lasts for thirty minutes. The cost of acquiring the treatment vary depending on the location and secondary promotion offerings, but is somewhere within the range of $75 to $100 (U.S.) per treatment session.
Endermologie is a non-invasive procedure which also promises the same benefit. Since this technique does not necessitate surgery, it is relatively gentle and safe. And with alleged results of losing as much as three inches of cellulite after therapy, it is quickly gaining popularity among women. The procedure was originally used as a non-invasive means of treating the scarring caused by burn trauma. It was added as an alternative cellulite-reduction procedure when patients reported positive effects from the condition.
Endermologie is recognized as an effective, albeit temporary, procedure (results may last from six months to a year), with required multiple treatments of 14 to 28 30-minute sessions, often performed twice a week for best benefit. The cost of each session treatment may range anywhere between $50 and $159 (U.S.), depending on service packages and discounts for continuous treatment.
Mesotherapy is yet another type of cellulite reduction procedure, which was originally intended as a method of delivering medicine under the surface of the skin. As a treatment for cellulite, it involves administration by injection in minimal doses of a variety of medications, in target areas within the body, in order to burn fat. The treatment is given with nutritional and medical supplements in order to help in the melting of fat beneath the skin of the targeted area, thereby reducing cellulite.
Medications include aminophylline, which is effective in burning fat cells within the body; phosphatidylcholine, which aids in dissolving of fat in order to be flushed out through the bloodstream, eventually ending up in urine and stool; hyaluronidase, which enhances in the absorption and propagation of phosphatidylcholine within the body, encouraging fat cell breakdown in areas between connecting tissue bands; l-carnitine, which also aids in fat burning through the transportation of fatty acids into the mitochondria of cells; and lidocaine, an anesthetic which is used during treatment to provide comfort from pain, by inhibiting it after administration through injection.
The cost of mesotherapy treatments can be anywhere between $300 and $800 (U.S.) for each session, depending on the level of cellulite. This is ideally done on a weekly basis. A procedure which is similar to mesotherapy treatment is Lipo Dissolve, a non-surgical treatment which involves a series of medical injections, called phosphatidylcholine, intended to dissolve tiny areas of fat. The patient can achieve observable results after three weeks of the treatment. In order to obtain maximum benefit from the procedure, multiple and consecutive treatments are necessary.
The costs involved in the medical procedure fall somewhere between $375 and $1,500 (U.S.). This depends on the treatment plan which is suitable to the patient's body type, but the usual frequency of treatments require no more than six consecutive injections in order to achieve desirable results, so the costs will significantly stack up.
Probably the most affordable and easiest way of dealing with cellulite is through external application of lotions or creams. Such cosmetic products are effective since they stimulate the circulation within the cells, they melt fat, and they move fluids and toxin out for flushing. A good cellulite topical product is one which has a system of substance dispersion affording easy permeation into the cells.
Cellulite creams are effective in pulling out fluids from the gaps between cells, eventually inducing lipolysis, a process of fat burning within the layer underneath the surface of the skin. Recent studies has given clinical proof of this benefit; it was found out that cellulite creams do reduce fat cells within the skin, affording observable results in a matter of weeks. There are current cellulite treatment products available in the market which do an efficient job of substantially reducing the orange-peel effect.
With over two hundred such products presently available, how can the average consumer choose which ones are best suited for the need? First, the product should be able to promote reduction of cellulite; it also must have an efficient dispersion system for the active ingredients; it must have ingredients of excellent quality; and it should also have properties associated with skin tightening. Cellulite creams are effective when used or applied in specifically-targeted areas; applications are best made immediately following a hot bath or an intense workout, as the skin remains moist and warm after such activities.
According to a recent product comparison research, the top ten cellulite products available which satisfy the previously-mentioned criteria with flying colors include (products are mentioned in no specific order) Celrase, Celluthin, Derma Ab Solution +, Body Sculpture, Cellulean, Avotone's Body Sculpting Lotion, Aroma Slim, Hydroderm Body Shape, Thermoderm, and Oligo DX. Keep in mind that these products are rated in relation to their overall effectiveness; this does not necessarily mean that they will work for all skin types.
Aside from the aforementioned cellulite-reduction treatments and techniques, there are still other numerous pseudo-treatments and fad procedures which promise relief from cellulite either, through surgical or non-surgical means, weird implements like tight shorts to be worn at all times, and other topical creams which contain a host of ingredients which are either entirely unfamiliar, or are too good to be true. How should a consumer start considering all these options? The best place to start is in a consultation clinic. Cellulite is a medical condition that requires treatment which only a qualified doctor can prescribe for or perform.
The patient should also have enough understanding of any procedure or product before undergoing treatment, or before using creams and other applications. Each method of treatment has its own share of limitations, risks, and costs. Since cellulite treatment through cosmetic procedures are hardly reversible, potential patients should think twice before undergoing any treatment. They must also approach the procedure with a certain frame of mind.
The usual underlying reasons on why women opt for cellulite treatment include the desire to enhance their physical appearance, and consequently boost self-esteem; the need to be less aware of the imperfections in their appearance; the aim of having skin with a smoother texture; and the desire to reduce the fat on their bodies. Although this wish list is more than encouraged, patients should realize that cosmetic treatments are essentially designed to promote improvement, not to achieve perfection.
They should set realistic goals so they won't be disappointed if they don't meet the ideal. Also, the benefits of cellulite treatments are not permanent, but provide the patient with relatively transient results. In order to maintain the effect of the procedures, the patient must make return visits for maintenance treatment; this usually done either on a monthly or quarterly basis. Treatments are not one-time affairs, but are essentially a sustained effort which eventually becomes ingrained in the patient's lifestyle.