“I have researched cellulite physiology for more than two decades and based on physiology graduated compression leggings, by boosting lymphatic drainage, can temporarily help. However, in the long run, compression leggings, by insulating both skin and blood vessels from vibration, can lead to skin laxity and poor circulation. Of course, normal, non-graduated compression leggings are not ideal, expect as a temporary measure to hide cellulite. And feedback from hundreds of clients over the years confirm this analysis based on physiology.”
Cellulite compression leggings: pros and cons
Compression leggings/tights and cellulite | In summary
Do compression tights work for cellulite?
Three types of compression garments
Plain (constant pressure) cellulite leggings
Compression leggings for water retention
Do compression leggings work for cellulite?
Fanka, Alo and similar leggings
Are anti-cellulite leggings / tights a good idea?
(*) Anti-cellulite compression leggings and arterial flow
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Compression leggings/tights and cellulite | In summary
Compression leggings – often sold as “anti-cellulite” – promise smoother thighs and a more sculpted silhouette, but do they actually work? The answer is… sort of, but not in the way many expect.
There are different types out there: basic compression leggings, graduated compression garments, and gimmicky ones like anti-cellulite jeans (yes, really). The first kind – uniform pressure leggings – don’t do much at all, other than squish everything in temporarily. They don’t improve circulation, lymphatic drainage or skin firmness – all of which are key if you're hoping to reduce cellulite.
Graduated compression garments are a bit more promising. They help with water retention by supporting blood and lymph flow upwards through the body, which can slightly improve the appearance of cellulite – especially if your issue is more fluid-related. However, they can’t touch the fat or fibrosis that make up deeper cellulite, and regular wear might even reduce skin firmness over time.
Brands like Fanka and Alo make you look great while wearing them, but there’s no evidence they improve cellulite long-term. For prevention or real improvement, you’re better off focusing on healthy habits – diet, exercise, cutting out smoking and alcohol, and the occasional cold shower – rather than relying on leggings alone. Wear them if you like how they look, but don’t expect miracles.
Do compression tights work for cellulite?
There are many different types of “anti-cellulite” compression garments, such as leggings, stockings, tights, socks, shorts, pants, jeans and corsets.
Many of these garments are suggested to be used for water retention reduction, permanent or temporary body reshaping but the main selling point is cellulite removal.
But does this “anti-cellulite” shapewear work? Are they all the same or equally effective?
Three types of compression garments
We can divide the different compression garments on the market in three categories:
Uniform pressure (simple compression) garments
Graduated compression garments
Utter gimmicks, such as ‘anti-cellulite pants’ (😂) and jeans (😂😂)
On this article we are analysing the two types of compression garments and their effectiveness in reducing cellulite and water retention and their effect on firmness. And on a separate article we are analysing the gimmicks, such as ‘anti-cellulite pants’.
Plain (constant pressure) anti-cellulite leggings
Apart from keeping fat compressed and contained, the main idea behind compression garments is that they encourage blood circulation and lymphatic drainage.
Unfortunately constant pressure compression garments are very bad at this. If they are very tight, they will inhibit arterial flow(*), which is a bad thing.
Furthermore, due to the uniform pressure from ankle to hips, venous return (the return of blood from the limbs to the heart via the veins) and lymphatic drainage (the return of lymph from the limbs to the heart via the lymphatic vessels) will not be encouraged, as there is no pressure differential. You need high pressure lower down in the limbs and gradually lower pressure high up in the limbs to stimulate upward flow.
Short garments, such as calf-only ones MAY help, but why buy those instead of the graduated pressure ones which will DEFINITELY help with lymph drainage / blood circulation?
As for cellulite, there is not a chance in hell that constant pressure compression leggings, stockings and tights can help:
As we will see below, compression inhibits skin firmness
And as we have just seen, venous return and lymph drainage is not improved and even arterial flow is partially inhibited.
Plus compression does nothing to either reduce fat or to break down fibrosis, in addition to not doing much for water retention.
So there is no effect on any of the main aspects of cellulite: fat, firmness, fibrosis or water retention.
Compression leggings for water retention
Graduated pressure compression garments are proven to help with water retention, but what about cellulite?
Graduated compression garments do aid the return of blood and lymph from the feet, calves, thighs and hips towards the heart (but can be unhelpful with arterial flow).
For this reason graduated compression stockings, leggings, tights and socks do help prevent water retention (we are all familiar with the flight socks used to prevent deep vein thrombosis on long haul flights).
Do compression leggings work for cellulite?
Now regarding cellulite:
(+) As WATER RETENTION is one of the main aspects of cellulite, they should partially help improve cellulite too
(-) Compression leggings and other similar garments cannot remove established cellulite FAT ACCUMULATION
(+) However, they can at least help inhibit the deposition of new cellulite FAT ACCUMULATION. This is because water retention and poor circulation are proven to stimulate fat accumulation in the area where they occur. Plus, compression inhibits the growth of fat tissue, which is the principle on which slimming leggings are based.
(-) Compression leggings cannot possibly help with FIBROSIS, a major aspect of cellulite
(+) Due to their effect on water retention reduction, they can help with adipose tissue INFLAMMATION, another aspect of cellulite
(-) However, as we will see below, and as mentioned above, all compression garments (especially the slimming leggings mentioned above) undermine skin FIRMNESS. In most cases cellulite is, to a large extent, a lack of skin firmness problem.
In summary, the role of compression leggings in water retention reduction is clear and this is why they are used in medical settings for this purpose for decades.
Fanka, Alo and similar leggings
This is the category where ‘Fanka leggings’, “Alo leggings’ and similar brands fall into: they immediately make your thighs and butt look really amazing.
But as for long-term cellulite reduction and/or prevention things are ambivalent to negative, as we described above and as the lack of any scientific evidence for actual true cellulite reduction suggests.
I would wear them if I had cellulite, to look great whilst wearing them but I would not expect my cellulite to improve get long-term because of any tights or leggings - it just doesn’t work that way - and I would expect my firmness to gradually decline if I used them all the time.
Are cellulite leggings / tights a good idea?
For cellulite, the situation is neither here nor there.
If your cellulite is of the “more water retention/inflammation” type, you will see a benefit. But don’t wear them all the time as they will gradually diminish your skin firmness. Plus you will become dependent on them.
However, since water retention and skin looseness usually go together, it is a difficult call to choose between smoothness and firmness.
If your cellulite is of the “more fat” type or the “more fibrosis” type, then compression “cellulite leggings” will not help at all in cellulite reduction, but may help a bit with prevention.
In any case, for cellulite prevention, compression leggings would be my last choice, due to their long-term negative effect on skin firmness. There are far better ways to partially help prevent the “water retention” type of cellulite than wearing compression leggings all the time - which is really counter-productive.
This is not a way to live one’s life, especially given that water retention occurs more in the summer and compression leggings become unbearable in the summer.
These better ways to reduce water retention are healthy eating, exercise (especially swimming), increasing the intake of specific polyphenols in your diet (or supplementing with them) and avoiding toxins, smoking, alcohol and the contraceptive pill. Lying down with raised your legs at night, hot and cold showers also help and the occasional - as opposed to continuous - use of tights and leggings do not harm either.
(*) Anti-cellulite Compression leggings and arterial flow
All compression garments inhibit arterial flow.
This is because arterial blood travels in the opposite direction of vein blood and lymph, and also against the pressure gradient of graduated compression garments.
So, although graduated compression aids in lymph/vein flow, it also keeps arterial flow reduced, resulting in poor nourishment of the tissues.
This may not be a big problem if compression is used short-term.
However, continuous use of compression socks, stockings, tights and leggings (graduated pressure or not) is not recommended.
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We will be pleased to see you, assess your cellulite, skin laxity or fibrosis, listen to your story, discuss your case and offer you the best possible treatment.
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