Is There Cosmetic Relief From Cellulite?

If swimsuit season is here, can anxiety about cellulite be far behind?

Cellulite--the spongy-looking, fatty skin most often found on thighs, buttocks and upper arms--affects an estimated 80% of women at some time in their lives.

(Men aren’t as affected because their fat distribution pattern is different.)

How do you get rid of cellulite? Experts have suggested everything from “learn to live with it” to plastic surgery.

And now, several cosmetics companies have introduced cellulite “relief” products--creams or gels that sell for $30 or more a tube and promise to make your skin look better in matter of weeks by tightening it up, some say. Users massage the creams or gels into affected areas daily.

No one’s calling them a cure, exactly, nor saying they get rid of the underlying fat cells.

Are these products worth a try? Here are two views:

Dr. Karen Burke, New York City dermatologist.

“Absolutely. I did research on these gels three or four years ago for a French company. It’s difficult to measure (results) because changes are terribly subtle. There is at least a scientific rationale for why they may work.

“Your expectations should not be great, but there is a possibility (these creams) do something. Just massage alone can help (the appearance of cellulite) by stimulating blood flow.”

Dr. Rhonda Rand, Beverly Hills dermatologist; UCLA assistant clinical professor of dermatology.

“No. There’s no way anything you put on the skin could make any lasting change in cellulite.

“I don’t believe a cream can actually tighten up the skin on the leg for any more than a few hours. On the face, maybe, but not the leg, which is supporting body weight and is in frequent motion.”