Cellulite. Despite what you may have heard, it is not ‘toxic waste products’ or ‘bad fat’ and nor is it exclusive to fat people. It describes deposits of dimpled fat, and it is normal for a woman to have some cellulite at some point during their lives. In fact, it can affect women of all shapes, sizes and ages.
The promise of improved circulation, reduced body fat and less cellulite may sound tempting. Many salons offering body wrap treatments claim to tackle the areas of your body that you find troublesome (commonly the waist, hips and thighs) through scrubbing, brushing and lathering them with oil or lotions, before wrapping you (normally in a plastic film or muslin). After a 50-minute treatment you will have apparently shed inches!
If dieting and exercise hasn’t solved your body hang-ups, and you’ve heard previous body wrap success stories, this may sound like the perfect body fix for you!
How can this be possible? Is the oil or lotion used a miracle ‘fat-burning potion’? Can you magically melt away your fat?!
We cannot reiterate enough: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
Yes – when you are encased in cling film so tight that you resemble Egyptian mummies, you will sweat and lose a lot of water. You may even come out of the treatment a little lighter. The treatment may EVEN make your skin feel ‘smooth, firm and invigorated’.
But that’s where the fairytale ends.
Although the treatment may cause temporary water weight loss, as soon as you start eating and drinking again, your fluid levels and body weight will return to normal. This is because the only way to lose body fat is by eating less and moving more (or in some cases-liposuction).
There is a lack of science supporting any claims that body wraps lead to reduction in body fat. Of the very few scientific studies conducted, none found a significant difference in body fat levels before and after treatment, and amusingly one study (Collis, N et al. 1999) only found improvement when the female subjects were asked if they felt slimmer after the treatment (even though they weren’t!) In other words, the women demonstrated the power of the placebo!
The distribution of your body fat and levels of cellulite are also partly hereditary, and one single body wrap is not going to change this. It is impossible for a beauty treatment to reduce body fat in specific areas. With each therapy costing about £50 and some companies claiming that you require 6 treatments, the cost can easily add up to £300.
While this technique might lead to some weight loss over a short period of time, it is not a sustainable method for refining your body and losing excess weight. It’s not an old phenomena- body builders have been using this technique for years for refining muscle definition. So, if you have the cash to spare and want a quick fix, then by all means go ahead. But we recommend incorporating sustainable healthy habits into your day to help maintain a healthy weight. You’ll avoid all the unpleasant side effects of a body wrap such as dehydration, dizziness and claustrophobia, while also saving yourself some pennies!
