3D-Lipo

Can this new, non-surgical treatment really help reduce cellulite?

No matter how much exercise I sweat over and detoxing herbal teas I drink, the cellulite at the top of my legs just won't disappear. I guess it's one of those genetic things, but it's pretty unsightly nonetheless. So I was intrigued, and somewhat skeptical, when I heard about 3D-Lipo, a new treatment that's used for non-surgical fat removal, treatment of cellulite and skin tightening across the face and body.

It claims to use technology that physically destroys fat cells, while a combination of radio frequency and ‘3D-Dermology' tightens the skin and also targets cellulite.

First stage: I find myself lying face down on a treatment bed, legs exposed as the therapist applies a gel-like formula before transmitting low-frequency ultrasound to break up fat cells. Aside from the ringing sound it creates in my ear, it's comfortable and relaxing. Next up comes the radio-frequency skin tightening, which, it claims, stimulates new collagen and elastin, while the final vacuum therapy again helps tighten the skin.

After around an hour the therapist measured my thighs, as she'd done pre-treatment, and surprisingly, I'd lost an inch from each leg — which she said should last for around nine months. As for cellulite – there was no scientific measure as such, though looking in the mirror, post-treatment, I'm certain my dimples have diminished slightly.

3d-Lipo from £140 per session. Skin Associates, 46 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 8SD.  www.skinassociates.co.uk  www.3d-lipo.com