By Nasrin Mani, M.D.
Do cellulite creams work? Certainly the advertisements for many cellulite creams would have you believe that they present a solution for this condition that plagues between 80 and 90% of women. But do they survive scrutiny outside the world of late-night infomercials?
Scientists have actually evaluated many different formulae for cellulite creams, with very mixed results. One oft-cited study looked at a cream that had many herbal ingredients, including black pepper, orange peel, ginger root, cinnamon, hot pepper extract, green tea, and caffeine. The study also looked at whether the impact of the cream could be improved by wearing neoprene (rubber) shorts. The study showed that, yeah, about 63% of subjects saw some level of improvement, but it would be hard to say whether the improvement as significant or not. In addition, about 62% saw more improvement on the areas covered by the rubber shorts. Other studies have looked at similar and different formulae without the shorts angle and found little in the way of documentable results.
Another potential formula for cellulite creams is a 0.3% retinol cream. In one study showed that 12 of 19 subjects showed some level of improvement. Other studies have shown no improvement from this formula, but another study showed that caffeine improved the impact of the cream.
If you are unhappy with the appearance of cellulite, feel free to try creams. As long as they’re not too expensive and are made by reputable companies you can trust not to adulterate their creams with pharmaceuticals and dangerous substances, they won’t likely do any damage, and you may get lucky.
However, if you want a proven treatment for cellulite, Thermage has been shown to reshape the fat cells responsible for the bumpy appearance of cellulite.
To learn more about Thermage, please contact La Jolla Cosmetic Laser Clinic for a consultation.