WRITER Nilufer Atik, 48, hid her legs in summer because she hated her orange peel thighs. Could a bargain treatment loved by the stars banish her cellulite for shorts season?
FOR decades, I enjoyed my perfectly smooth legs and a bum that could have given Kylie Minogue a run for her money.
I had no qualms about donning Lycra shorts to hit the gym, or sporting a thong bikini on the beach.
But then I hit my forties and got pregnant.
Suddenly, as my belly expanded and my hormones went haywire, crater-like dimples began appearing all over my thighs and buttocks.
“It’s normal to get cellulite in pregnancy,” my midwife told me.
So, I figured it was just a natural part of the bodily changes that come with impending motherhood and that things would go back to normal after I gave birth.
But they didn’t — they got worse.
Despite me losing most of the baby weight after having my son Milo, now seven, my cellulite stubbornly remained.
And although I exercised daily, used scrubs, slathered on expensive creams, tried specialised massages and even gave dry brushing before baths a go — apparently something Geri Halliwell swears by as a cellulite buster — nothing alleviated it.
I went from proudly displaying my short, but toned, legs in miniskirts on sunny days to hiding them away under maxi dresses.
During the school run, I envied other mums who would rock up in cool playsuits with not a hint of cottage-cheese skin in sight, as I sweated beside them in black leggings and an oversized jumper to hide my unsightly bumps.
Desperate, I began doing some research online. There had to be something that minimised cellulite that didn’t mean turning to costly, invasive surgery.
That’s when I came across LPG endermologie.
It’s a type of lymphatic drainage developed by French doctors in the 1980s and has been used by women in France ever since. It was originally designed to help burns victims, until doctors noticed that it also improved the appearance of cellulite.
It eventually became so popular in France, women would book in for weekly sessions. Celebs including Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce and Penelope Cruz are also said to be fans.
The technology can be used on the face as well as the body, claiming to tighten skin, reduce double chins and smooth wrinkles.
I discovered a medical and aesthetics clinic — the Bodyvie in Richmond, Surrey, near my home — that did LPG endermologie, with sessions starting at £20 for ten minutes. I booked in for a consultation.
“Endermologie works by breaking down fat deposits, promoting lymphatic drainage and improving circulation to combat cellulite,” said Donna, my therapist.
She then showed me the handheld device used to administer treatment, which had two metal rollers inside that moved in and out to create a vacuum effect.
Donna suggested that I have two half-hourly sessions per week for six weeks to tackle my problem areas on my thighs and bum.
I was assured it didn’t hurt, but I was nervous before my first one.
I was given a bizarre all-in-one white bodysuit to wear to protect my skin from the rollers and make it easier for them to move.
It looked like it would barely fit over my little finger, but was surprisingly stretchy and comfortable.
Next, I was asked to lie face down on a massage table as Donna switched on the LPG endermologie machine and got to work.
The feeling was not unpleasant, and it definitely didn’t hurt, but I wouldn’t describe it as relaxing either.
It felt like there was a big, cold catfish moving up and down the backs of my legs and pausing to suck my skin every few seconds.
I berated myself for falling for yet another waste-of-time-and-money treatment.
Nilufer Atik
That was an image I couldn’t get out of my head and even giggled at one point, passing it off as being “a bit ticklish”.
The machine signalled when it was time for me to roll over, and after 15 minutes on my front and another 15 on my back, I was done.
Impatient to see the results, I jumped in front of the mirror, craning my neck to see if any of my dreadful cellulite had vanished. But Donna explained that I would not notice a visible difference until at least six sessions in.
I was not convinced, and by week three, I was disappointed to see that there was barely any difference at all. I berated myself for falling for yet another waste-of-time-and-money treatment that promised much more than it delivered.
But then, after my seventh session, I asked Donna to take some photos of the backs of my legs and buttocks to compare with the ones I had taken at the beginning.
I was shocked when I saw them — the cellulite was virtually gone.
Not only did the skin on the front and backs of my legs look smoother, but my bum was firmer too. I was delighted.
I asked how long the results would last once I completed the course and Donna told me the average time was about three months.
But if I had regular top-up sessions throughout the year, I could maintain the improvement. I was sold.
Walking out of the clinic I began picturing myself on holiday this summer, braving a bikini without a sarong for the first time in years.
I promised myself that, if the weather was good, I would do the school drop-off in my best summer dress the following morning and give the show-off mums a run for their money.
Bye bye, orange peel — hello sunshine!
