Matcha, green tea and cellulite

Matcha, green tea and cellulite

Matcha is a special green tea variant specially developed to contain high amounts of caffeine - and a bright green colour. Matcha is consumed as a whole leaf powder diluted in hot water, as opposed to normal green tea, which leaf extracted in hot water via a filter or a bag. Contrary to popular belief matcha tea is not healthier or superior any form than normal green tea…

How much does a cellulite treatment cost in London?

How much does a cellulite treatment cost in London?

Cellulite treatment prices in London can range for £50 per session, for a simple massage or similar treatment, to (literally) £3,000 per session, for an overpriced “you only need one session” gimmick (BTW, you never only need one - or even 2 or 3 or 4: for good long-term results with cellulite, even with the best treatment available you need a course of 6-12 sessions.) Of course, as with everything else in life, the truth lies somewhere between the two extremes, so most treatments worth having (safe, fast results, long-lasting results, at a decent clinic, ideally with an experienced, professional therapist) cost somewhere between £200-£400, depending on the area treated (larger areas mean longer treatment times and therefore higher cost)…

Cellulite and contrast showers, cold plunge, cold showers, sauna, steam room, ice baths: what is best?

Cellulite and contrast showers, cold plunge, cold showers, sauna, steam room, ice baths: what is best?

Everyone knows about the benefits of cold showers after a workout or after a long day, but few have heard about the even more pronounced benefits of contrast showering, and even fewer have tried them. However, contrast showers, as we will see are much better in all respects than plain cold showers, especially when it comes to cellulite removal and skin firming.

How do cellulite creams work?

How do cellulite creams work?

Spot cellulite/fat reduction: is it possible? Most women believe that cellulite creams do not “work”, and I do not blame them given the hype, exaggeration, misinformation and fake before and after after pictures regarding anything to do with cellulite (not just cellulite creams) out there. But even knowing that a cellulite cream can get absorbed, one may ask how can a cream reduce cellulite fat that lies in the dermis and hypodermis?…

Does lack of sleep cause aging and cellulite?

Does lack of sleep cause aging and cellulite?

Lack of sleep itself is an indirect cause of cellulite and a direct cause of skin aging. Lack of sleep is not as important as sugar intake, calorie intake, lack of exercise, smoking/vaping, alcohol intake etc, but because it indirectly leads us to the above behaviours, it does play a role. Lack of sleep makes us feel more tired and consequently leads to increased food intake, especially sugar-containing food, smoking/vaping, alcohol intake and stimulant intake…

Does fibrosis always occur after lipo and is it permanent?

Does fibrosis always occur after lipo and is it permanent?

Fibrosis (i.e. internal scar tissue) is the result of inflammation. Not all Inflammation results in fibrosis, but quite often it does. Fibrosis after liposuction surgery can happen as a result of: Mechanical trauma, i.e. the movement of the liposuction cannula under the skin. This usually manifests as fibrous nodules (i.e. bumps / hard lumps) or occasional adhesions (skin stuck to underlying tissues and inhibiting movement / causing pain during movement). This kind of fibrosis is inadvertent…

IPL vs LED red light therapy for facial skin redness

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…

Forskolin: a key anti-cellulite cream active

Forskolin: a key anti-cellulite cream active

Forskolin, is the extract of the South Asian plant coleus forskohlii / plectranthus barbatus. It has been extensively researched for decades for its lipolytic action and is routinely used in lab experiments when it is needed to stimulate lipolysis in fat cells. (Lipolysis refers to fat release from fat cells, leading to fat cell size reduction and, if sustained, eventual fat cell death.) However, due to its high cost (10x more than the highest quality caffeine) it is rarely used in anti-cellulite creams - although it is way more important than caffeine in this regard…

Cellulite treatment results

Cellulite treatment results

It is quite natural to be excited about seeing results from your aesthetic treatment, be it an anti-ageing procedure, a cellulite removal treatment etc. And living in a fast paced world, where instant gratification is considered the norm, people want to see results from anything they undertake as soon as possible - ideally yesterday. But let’s see how realistic such expectations are and what to expect from your cellulite treatment, really…

Can you take collagen and whey protein powder together?

Can you take collagen and whey protein powder together?

Whey protein powder (10-40g/day) is usually taken in combination with resistance exercise, as it has the exact aminoacid profile for this purpose. Hydrolysed collagen protein (5-20g/day) is usually taken to help support joints and maintain/boost skin firmness, sometimes in combination with radiofrequency treatment, as it has the exact aminoacid profile for this purpose (more glycine, proline and hydroxyproline). Hydroxyproline, specifically, is only found in skin / hydrolysed collagen protein…

Does exfoliating and hydrating help with cellulite?

Does exfoliating and hydrating help with cellulite?

Exfoliating and/or moisturising your skin would not make the tiniest difference to your cellulite. Exfoliation / hydration work on your epidermis, i.e. the top 0.1mm of your skin. Cellulite is located in the hypodermis, i.e. the deepest 2-8mm of your skin and 20-80 times deeper than the width of your epidermis. There is absolutely no connection…

Cavitation / radiofrequency for cellulite at home: does it work?

Cavitation / radiofrequency for cellulite at home: does it work?

The truth is that quite often even professional RF treatments do not offer any significant benefits, simply because they are provided with the wrong equipment, usually cheap chinese low-power, bipolar machines, which are too superficial, too weak and, quite frankly, not very safe or sturdy to use in a professional setup. Home-use radio frequency equipment is even worse than cheap professional equipment, as it is even lower spec…

Infrared light therapy for achilles tendinopathy

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…

Glaucine and cellulite

Glaucine and cellulite

Yellow poppy (glaucium flavum) is a plant that belongs to the poppy family and is primarily found in western Europe. Studies undertaken by a cosmetics ingredient manufacturer have shown that the yellow poppy extract glaucine exerts a pronounced inhibitory effect on fat cells, that can be used in the fight against cellulite, as a cellulite cream ingredient.

Weight loss / slimming leggings: they don't work

Weight loss / slimming leggings: they don't work

The very tight compression garments (such as Spanx, Skims etc) do improve the appearance of the body while being worn, so there is not much discussion to be made on this aspect. They do hide the fat and improve the appearance of the body contours. However, do they reduce fat wherever they are worn?

Is it fat or cellulite that I have on my thighs?

Is it fat or cellulite that I have on my thighs?

This is a very common question at the clinic, as most people are misinformed about what cellulite is. Cellulite is hypodermal adipose tissue, i.e. fat within the deepest skin layer (hypodermis). Fat is subcutaneous adipose tissue, i.e. fat under the deepest skin layer (hypodermis). But how can we differentiate between cellulite and fat in our own body It’s simple. At the clinic we offer the following simple way to help clients differentiate between fat and cellulite…

Does skin shrink after weight loss?

Does skin shrink after weight loss?

After weight loss most people experience skin laxity, as the increased skin length that used to accommodate for the fat volume becomes “excess skin” and looks loose and saggy. So it’s no wonder that many people ask if skin can naturally contract on its own…

What is radio frequency butt lift? How long does it last?

What is radio frequency butt lift? How long does it last?

There are two types of butt lifting procedures: surgical (BBL/brazilian butt lift) and non-surgical. From the myriad non-surgical bum lifting procedures the only one that really works, and is SAFE, is deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency. Deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency works my stimulating collagen and elastin synthesis as well as collagen contraction on both the dermis and hypodermis, where all the important collagen structures are found (the ones that give shape to your skin). The end result is skin tightening that lifts the skin and helps it defy gravity, i.e. bum lifting…

The reason we do NOT offer RF microneedling at our London clinic

The reason we do NOT offer RF microneedling at our London clinic

Radiofrequency microneedling has become extremely popular the last few years. We have tried RF microneedling around 2014, way before it became popular around 2019 and all the rage around 2022, and found it lacking, both in terms of effectiveness and especially safety. In fact, we found the treatment quite horrid and gave back the machine after a few days of training (a doctor had to come from abroad specifically for us for the training) and after trying it with a few clients. The best way to understand the reasoning against RF microneedling is real world evidence, consisting of feedback and reviews from real people in the real world, as opposed to the virtual reality of instagram, tiktok or even science papers…