Massage for Cellulite

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Many treatments exist in health spas up and down the country offering a potential way to reduce the appearance of cellulite as well as lose a few inches at the same time. But what exactly do they involve and how effective are they?

In addition to dietary methods, herbal wrap therapies as well as traditional massages performed within a spa are used to improve the appearance of skin affected by cellulite. This method will not cure the underlying causes of the cellulite but can provide the skin with improved appearance and feel by decreasing the fluid retention and improving circulation as well as lymphatic drainage. 

A herbal wrap is applied to the area that is affected by cellulite and works by compressing the tissue beneath the surface of the skin.  Through compression, it is hoped that water retention can be reduced, therefore it is definitely possible to lose a few inches from the area in which the wrap was applied. Due to the nature of this treatment, the arms and upper legs are the target areas and other areas, such as the abdomen or buttocks may be very difficult to target.  Unfortunately, this form of treatment does not make the cellulite disappear but it will make wherever the treatment was applied feel much healthier and the inch loss around the thighs just might make up for the lack of permanent solution.

A massage that is used to reduce cellulite is not the same as your traditional therapeutic massage. The massage is far more vigorous and additional pressure is applied so as to reach deep into the skin.  More often than not, the massage is also combined with oils. Some places allow you to choose the oils yourself or bring some with you. These oils are for the purpose of making the surface skin feel refreshed although some offer additional benefits such as fat breakdown and metabolism. If there is an oil that you prefer, therapists will quite often take that into account and be flexible when it comes to choosing an oil.

An advantage to having a massage over a treatment such as a herbal wrap is that all areas commonly affected by cellulite, that is the buttocks, thighs, abdomen, back and arms, can be targeted not just an area a wrap could reach around. Each treatment costs somewhere in the region of £40-£60 and regular treatments would be necessary to see any longer lasting effects.

Is it possible to perform massages for cellulite at home?

Many people describe taking a trip to a beauty salon or health spa as an invigorating and relaxing experience. Nevertheless this kind of thing isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. Some people may strongly dislike a complete stranger performing a massage on them, for example. For those that would still enjoy a relaxing experience but with the addition of it being in your own house, it is definitely, possible to do treatments you can receive in a spa on yourself at home.

Body wraps are a very common home treatment that are designed to help with skin related problems. Poor circulation and muscle pain, as well as cellulite, are just some of the issues these treatments claims to help relieve.  The treatment is very simple in how it is carried out. No complex equipment is necessary for you to gain the full benefits. All that is required are items already found in most households - a bowl, long towels and a method to heat these up such as an oven, etc.

The treatment is based on two principles, absorption and squeezing. Firstly, absorption must be induced within the skin to allow for the rest of the treatment to be successful. Certain pore opening chemicals are used to achieve this. Possible ingredients may include some herbs, minerals, Aloe Vera, Seaweed and Sea Clay. Once the area of skin wishing to be treated has had absorption agents effectively applied, the wraps can then cover this skin. Once the towels have been wrapped completely around the area, excess water as well as waste products should come up through the skin and be absorbed by the towels. The effect of this is to reduce the water retention in the skin. As a result, you are highly likely to lose some inches around the area treated. Unfortunately, a side effect of this treatment is that the skin can be left very dry after the treatment due to the water loss.  Exactly how effective the treatment is highly dependent on precisely what absorbent agent is used.  An agent that is more absorbent, for example sea clay, will result in more water leaving the skin so more inches would be lost from that area. However, the skin would be left far drier than if a less absorbent agent was used.

The process of squeezing the skin is a highly important aspect of this treatment. The wraps are constricted to squeeze the skin. Underlying tissue will be also squeezed in this process. The cells within this tissue are made to shrink, although this is only possible if the excess fluid has been forced from them. All of this should lead to a reduction in the appearance of the cellulite.

Due to the nature of this treatment, certain things need to be done before you should proceed so as you can achieve the best results. For at least 24 hours before you perform a body wrap on yourself, it is extremely important that you drink plenty of water. This is so as to prevent severe dehydration developing during the treatment as the wrap causes you to sweat a fair bit. In addition, after the treatment it may be advised to use hydrating/moisturising creams on your skin so as to reduce the dried skin effect.

Effects seen from any home or spa based treatments are not permanent so multiple treatments would be required if an improvement is observed.  In similarity to the supplements, it has not been scientifically proven how effective this form of therapy is for the reduction of cellulite so there are no guarantees that the treatment will work although some people do claim to see a difference.

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