Many beauty salons and spas now offer a plethora of
treatments that promise to eradicate cellulite. By pandering to the desires of women desperate to achieve the body beautiful image so adored by the media, the cellulite business is booming. One treatment developed in France about 12 years ago involves using a massage machine that was originally invented to give deep massage to injured horses. Smooth skin was a side-effect of the massage noted on the horses. Someone with an eye for opportunity patented the machine for use in treating cellulite.
The Endermologie® machine works by gently exerting vacuum pressure on the skin. Skin is sucked into a chamber where it is massaged to encourage the break down of its underlying fat. This allows the fat, along with excess fluid and toxins, to be flushed away by the blood and lymphatic systems. Each treatment takes approximately 40 minutes. The client is required to change into a type of body stocking of white gauze-like material before lying on a bed and for treatment by the machine wielding therapist. If it is painful, the suction is too strong and needs to be reduced. The effects do appear to be impressive, although regular treatments are necessary to maintain the results. This can be both costly and time-consuming.
A body wrap is another salon option. Many claims have been made about the effectiveness of body wraps. Claims include tightening of the skin, treatment of dermatitis, reducing size (inches), banishing cellulite, and eliminating toxins. They do appear to do all of these things, albeit temporarily. The process of having a body wrap usually involves completely undressing and putting on a pair of paper underpants before being covered by the chosen substance promoted by your particular salon. This can be a clay based substance, a marine type gel, or possibly a mix of Dead Sea minerals. The body is then virtually mummified. The therapist encases every part in bandages. Sometimes these bandages have been presoaked in another solution known to draw out impurities. Some body wrap systems include attaching the client to a machine that emits a low current to stimulate circulation and elimination even further. This has been described as feeling like an army of ants is marching up your extremities. The client is usually left, sometimes under a heated blanket, for up to 90 minutes while the wrap is allowed to work its magic. Once the treatment time has elapsed, the bandages are removed and, depending on the nature of the treatment substance used, any excess may need to be showered off, before dressing and leaving the salon. It does appear that there is no doubt that this treatment offers an immediate improvement in the tone and appearance of the skin and inches can be lost. However, the results are temporary and repeated treatments are required to keep problems from reappearing.
