When doctors, dieticians and personal trainers were answered the question "When somebody loses weight, where does the fat go?", the vast majority of them answered that fat becomes energy, faeces or muscle, with all answers being wrong, of course…
IPL vs LED red light therapy for facial skin redness
Superficial facial vascular lesions (facial redness, thread/spider veins) can be an aesthetic problem as well as a symptom of different skin diseases. Risk factors include Fitzpatrick skin types I, II and III, significant sun exposure, rosacea, alcohol consumption and smoking. Facial spider veins and related facial vascular lesions are treated with laser, IPL and LED phototherapy treatments. The first two (laser and IPL) are generally more effective but also can cause side effects, such pain, erythema/redness and less often oedema, blistering, hematoma, crusting, hyperpigmentation, scarring, keloid formation and infection…
Infrared light therapy for achilles tendinopathy
The most common treatment regime for achilles tendon injury involves eccentric exercises to effect fibre remodelling. However, low level light therapy (LED or laser), usually in the infrared range for improved penetration, is also used for soft tissue / sports injuries, such as tendinopathies, always in combination with exercise. The randomized controlled trial listed below investigated the clinical effectiveness of an eccentric exercise regime for achilles tendinopathy and evaluated the additional benefits of photobiomodulation (low level light therapy, LLLT) as an adjunct treatment. The study challenged the necessity of the intensive Alfredson protocol…
Cranberry juice reverses glycation - and subsequently protects from skin ageing and cellulite
How does infrared / red light therapy work?
Energy in every single cell of the human body is produced in specialised cell compartments called mitochondria. Mitochondria is where oxygen is utilised to produce ATP, the energy currency of the cell. If mitochondria malfunction then the whole cell malfunctions and underperforms. On the skin, this can lead to aesthetic problems (dull, irritated, inflamed or unhealthy skin). In other organs and tissues this can lead to a poorer state of health, lower energy levels, slower recovery from injuries etc…
How does ultrasound cavitation reduce cellulite fat? [Research]
Ultrasound-induced cavitation is a phenomenon that occurs when high-intensity sound waves are used on certain tissues, such as human skin. When the intensity of the sound waves is strong enough, it can create small gas bubbles in the tissue. These bubbles can then quickly collapse, releasing energy in the form of heat and force. Research has shown that this process can reduce the amount of fat and shrink the size of fat cells in the skin.
Brown fat, white fat, thermogenesis and cellulite
Have you ever heard of white fat, beige fat or brown fat? I know it may sound weird, but indeed fat comes in three colours and each of them is different. White fat tissue is known to store fat, making you, well, fat. Could you lose that fat, as well as cellulite, by turning your white fat tissue a few shades darker, i.e turning it into "beige fat" or perhaps even “brown fat”?
Can chokeberry and tart cherry juice prevent or reduce cellulite?
The plant chemicals ‘polyphenols’ are important in maintaining skin and blood vessel integrity, as well as in inhibiting fat accumulation. As such, they are important anti-cellulite agents. Polyphenols are mainly found in red, yellow, purple, blue and black berries and other plants (e.g. blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, black rice, black beans, adzuki beans, purple potatoes, purple broccoli…
Acoustic wave therapy for cellulite: does it work?
What is now euphemistically called acoustic wave therapy (AWT) goes by several other names: pressure wave therapy, extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT, the correct name and the original one coined by scientists), shockwave therapy (the shortened version of the correct name) and lipotripsy (the most ridiculous one I have seen). Before shockwaves were used for (questionable) cellulite removal, they were initially used to break down kidney and gallbladder stones, hence the medical name lithotripsy, meaning breaking down stones. From that, one crafty marketer coined the term “lipotripsy”, i.e. breaking down fat, although shockwaves do NOT physically break down fat…
Pterostilbene, the polyphenol in blueberries, inhibits fat accumulation and fights overweight and cellulite
Pterostilbene, a small molecular weight stilbenoid compound chemically related to resveratrol and found predominantly in black grapes, blueberries and other berries, has important anti-adipogenic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anticancer properties. Resveratrol is already widely known for its anti-ageing and anti-obesity properties and pterostilbene (3',5'-dimethoxy-resveratrol), being a more stable and more absorbable form of resveratrol, shows much more promise in fighting both ageing and fat accumulation…
Cellulite laser treatment: don't waste time, money and hopes, it doesn't work - learn why
There are three types of lasers used for cellulite and skin tightening: hot lasers, i.e. high energy lasers; cold lasers, i.e. low energy lasers and also known as low level laser therapy / LLLT; surgical/invasive lasers. Here we present an analysis of all three types of lasers used for cellulite removal and their effectiveness.
HIIT, uphill interval running and cellulite
Interval training is by far the best form of exercise for cellulite reduction and prevention. This is because during the bursts of high intensity activity you burn calories very fast - much faster than you would with slow intensity work. In addition, those bursts act as a shock on the endocrine system and boost your metabolism much more effectively than slow intensity exercise, so you continue to burn calories after your training session…
Asiaticoside from Gotu kola reverses senescence and oxidative damage in blood vessels
Gotu kola (centella asiatica), skin aging and cellulite: all 128 research papers in one place
All the research on the anti-cellulite / skin anti-ageing action of the four centella asiatica triterpenes, in one place. Gotu kola (Centella asiatica) is probably the most important anti-cellulite, anti-ageing and skin healing herb, as it exerts a multifaceted action against all seven aspects of cellulite. In the last few months we have made a huge effort and collated and summarised 100+ research papers on centella asiatica / gotu kola’s action relative to cellulite and skin health.
Madecassoside from gotu kola may help reduce visceral fat and cellulite
Centella asiatica (gotu kola) exerts multiple actions against cellulite and its concentrated extract, comprising asiatic acid, asiaticoside, madecassic acid, madecassoside, is the most important anti-cellulite herbal extract known. Previously asiatic acid was shown to specifically exert anti-obesity activity and now new research shows that madecassoside may also do the same…
The 500 Dalton rule for skin absorption of cosmetics
Does drinking water help with cellulite?
It’s official: according to a study published in The Lancet and detailed below, drinking lots of water throughout your life helps ward off body ageing and degenerative diseases - and their respective subsets: skin ageing and cellulite. Women should aim to drink 2-3 litres of water and non-caffeinated drinks and men should aim for 3-4 litres a day. Still or sparkling, makes no difference. Contrary to popular belief, sparkling water does NOT cause cellulite. But please do not count sugary/sweetened fizzy drinks, juices and juice drinks, as part of this advice.
Cellular senescence, due to high temperature cooking, causes skin aging and cellulite
Cigarette smoking and high temperature cooking of carbohydrates and fats leads to the creation of various chemicals detrimental to health, two of them being glyoxal and methylglyoxal (MGO). These chemicals eventually lead to the creation of Advanced Glycation End-products (AGEs), which cause whole body ageing, whole body and facial skin ageing and cellulite…
Forskolin, lipolysis and cellulite creams
Gotu kola / centella asiatica: how it works for cellulite and other skin conditions
Centella asiatica (gotu kola) is one of the most important herbs for skincare and skin diseases, due to its multifunctional action. This review summarises the main modes of action of gotu kola on multiple aesthetic and medical skin conditions: acne, acne scars, burns, atopic dermatitis, vitiligo, fibrosis, hair loss and cellulite…