Jeans against Cellulite- Femina

How about a pair of jeans that busts cellulite? Just how far will you go in your war against cellulite,

These pants are no less inventive than Jackie Chan's 'Tuxedo'! This year, an Italian clothing company released the first line of anticellulite pants. The friction between your body and the jeans reportedly releases an anticellulite cream - all for US$139. Does it work? The world's dermatologists are unconvinced.

Jeans saturated with skin cream is only one of the more ingenious cellulite treatments. But let's cut to the chase: Is there any treatment out there that will get rid of cellulite? "There's really nothing that works magic," says Dr Jamuna Pai. The stark truth - there is no cure for cellulite - doesn't stop us from hoping and shelling out a lot of money.

While there aren't any permanent cures, there are some cellulite treatments that might - might - help some people get temporary improvement. Here's a survey of what's out there: From the harmless (and maybe just a little bit effective) to the unproven and potentially dangerous.

Granny's Methods

Getting regular exercise and eating a healthy diet lower in calories may work as a cellulite treatment for some people. No special diet is necessary; just a common sense one that's high in fruits and vegetables and low in fat. But exercise and diet won't necessarily solve the problem. Losing weight will reduce the proportion of fat in your body, and hence a proportion of the fat that's trapped in cellulite. However, the appearance of cellulite is really genetically predetermined. "I always recommend exercise and a good diet as a way to deal with cellulite," says dietician Sarla Tiwari, "But it's true that in some women, exercise and diet don't do a thing."

Dream Creams

The shelves are spilling over with these. Many are over the counter and a few are by prescription. Do any of them work? According to some doctors, these cellulite treatments may work on some people. However, even proponents caution that the effects are modest and not permanent.

"I don't recommend creams, but if patients want to try one, I generally don't have a problem with it," says aesthetician Dr Vinta Gandhi. She suggests looking for creams that contain caffeine or theophylline. There are some studies that show these ingredients might cause fat cells to dissolve, thus having a small effect on cellulite. In theory, even if these ingredients do cause fat to dissolve, slathering it onto the surface of your skin may not do much. Your skin is designed to keep things out, after all. Expecting a topical cream to get deep into your tissue is like placing a sandwich on your belly and expecting to kill your hunger. The cream may never get near the fat deposits. "I think that the effects of any cream are doubtful," says Dr Gandhi. "But I do have some patients who swear by them."

Squeeze It Out

Endermologie or 'deep-massage' is the latest buzzword. Developed in France, it uses a device that suctions the skin with a vacuum and kneads it with a set of rollers. Some studies have shown that deep-tissue massage can break up some of the fibrous bands, help circulation, and improve the appearance of the skin. While this works for some women, the effects are not expected to last. You'll need regular maintenance treatments to keep up appearances. These cost about Rs 5,000 a session and take an hour per week.

Mesotherapy, another cellulite treatment originally developed in France, involves a series of injections into the small pockets of cellulite. These injections contain a cocktail of homeopathic medications and supplements that supposedly break down fat and flush it out. It's popular in Europe but it hasn't been researched much, so dermatologists are skeptical about it. Also, any cellulite treatment that requires injections heightens the risk of side-effects. It's also very expensive and not yet available in India.

Liposuction

You might think that if cellulite is just fat, liposuction is just what you need. But that's not the case. "We often have women who want liposuction for their cellulite," says Dr Gandhi. "We tell them it's not only not going to help, but will probably make cellulite look worse." Liposuction targets fat that is deep under the skin. Cellulite is too close to the upper layers for the treatment to be effective.

What Can Be Done?

Obviously, there's little evidence that any of these cellulite treatments will do much. If you're dying to try something - and provided the therapy you want has no risks - dermatologists say you can give it a shot. However, keep your expectations low and think hard before splurging.

Perhaps, you could also look at changing your attitude. The next time you're looking over your shoulder, staring unhappily at the reflection of your butt in the trial room mirror at a clothing store, remember this: Celebrities, the demigods of our society, have cellulite too.