do ground coffee beans work for reducing cellulite?
February 15, 2007 12:51 PM   Subscribe

has anyone used the coffee grounds routine for cellulite? does it work for you??
posted by jamshine to Health & Fitness (9 answers total)
 
I'm not sure I understand what you're asking. Could you detail the routine or give us the lay-science here?
posted by GilloD at 1:14 PM on February 15, 2007


No spot training or spot treatment, other than liposuction, has ever been shown to cause spot reductions in fat deposits. I guarantee this will not work.

However, toning up your thigh muscles will give your thighs (or butt, or whatever) slimmer appearance. Saddlebags and that sort of thing are really hard to lose, though. I'd recommend weight training and some fairly intense cardio, maybe cycling, to work on the appearance of the cellulite-afflicted area. And of course, as you work out and burn the body's fat deposits, some of this cellulite will vanish.
posted by Mister_A at 1:20 PM on February 15, 2007


The gist of the theory is that you use them as the base for a cream/rub/whatever to topically reduce cellulite. From what I understand, it falls into that category of things that "technically work", but the amount of whatever chemical or enzyme you need that's present in the grounds isn't nearly enough to make any kind of difference.
posted by mkultra at 1:22 PM on February 15, 2007


Here is a good article from WebMd. But basically, caffine can help, but there isn't that much in coffee grounds and massage (exfoliating with the coffee grounds) could help.

Arguably the easiest and least-costly approach is lotions and creams that purport to stimulate cell circulation, melt fat, and move fluid and toxins out. Many doctors are not convinced they help. But Newburger says there are creams and lotions that have some effect -- those whose key ingredient is methylxanthines (one form of which is caffeine).
"Caffeine creams work great to pull fluids out of the spaces between cells and induce lipolysis -- fat burning in the layer just below the skin's surface," says Newburger.
In a study published in the journal Dermatologic Surgery in 1999, researchers found that methylxanthine creams reduced fat cells in skin, with visible results in about eight weeks. The higher the concentration of methylxanthine, the better the cream worked.
Newburger says a good delivery system to drive the creams into the cells, like liposome technology, is also important.
Among the hottest-selling caffeine cellulite creams are Neutrogena's Anti-Cellulite Treatment (about $18.49 for 5 ounces) and CelluSculpt Anti-Cellulite Slimming Treatment by Avon (about $16 for 6.7 ounces).
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/109/109137.htm
posted by stormygrey at 1:53 PM on February 15, 2007 [3 favorites]


I would also like to just point out that really skinny people have cellulite, cellulite is the fat within the skin layer, not the fat that sits on top of stuff, so you can lose tons of weight and have lots of cellulite and liposuction does not help with cellulite. Blame it on your mom more than anything. (Not saying that fat people don't usually have moer cellulite)
posted by stormygrey at 2:18 PM on February 15, 2007


I believe this is what you have been waiting for:

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/caffeinelaced-pantyhose-for-weight-loss-174993.php
posted by SMELLSLIKEFUN at 3:16 PM on February 15, 2007


Sorry but the only way is to diet and exercise. A regime of running usually helps. Let me clear some stuff up here.

The real deal with the so called "anti-cellulite creams" with methylxanthine is that they do not work. Everyone quotes that dumb article in Derm Surg journal but the fact is it was a flawed study to begin with because there is no real good way to actually measure cellulite. Cellulite are just fat deposits in your leg. In order to burn fat you need water... lots of it. The fact that the caffiene or methylxanthine actually removes the water is counter productive and actually helps promote fat deposition! What most doctors agree upon (Class C Recommendation) is that the methylxanthine serves only to dehydrate the area thus giving the impression of "firmer tone" and thus "loss of cellulite" when the raelity is that your skin is just sorta sucking tighter to your body. Don't waste you rmoney on creams, buy some running shoes.
posted by cdcello at 7:10 PM on February 15, 2007


I understand that WebMD isn't a peer reviewed journal or anything, but I would think their info is at least mostly correct. I beleive it is a myth that exercise helps most cellulite, it helps the appearance of cellulite, much like the cream. The "impression" of firmer tone is pretty much awesome if you just want to wear that skirt tonight. Of course exercise is crucial to many important life functions.

Here is the relevent part of the WebMd article:
The fat that causes cellulite is not the same as the fat that takes us from a size 10 to a 14, experts say. That fat lies far below the skin, closer to our bones, and it is what the body burns as fuel for energy.

Cellulite, on the other hand, is made up of fat cells that reside within the skin. They can't be burned as fuel, says Murad, so dieting, exercise, even liposuction won't help.

Cellulite is a decidedly womanly problem, primarily targeting females over 35. Although doctors aren't sure why, many say hormones and anatomy are key.

"The best evidence for increased incidence in women is that it's related to hormonal changes, but also the anatomy of what's called 'septa' -- fibrous bands of tissue that surround fat cells in the skin to help keep them in place," says Bruce Katz, MD, medical director of Juva Skin and Laser Center in New York, and clinical professor of dermatology at the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.

In men, Katz says, the septa run in a diagonal pattern, while in women, their pattern is vertical.

When we are young, this doesn't matter, since both designs work equally well in keeping cellulite anchored within the deeper layers of skin. As we age, however, the normally elastic septa can become hard and rigid. When they do, they bear down on the buoyant cellulite cells, which begin pushing up through the spaces of the hardened septa pattern.

"When the septa run vertically, it results in a 'mattress tufting' effect,'" Katz tells WebMD. "The fat cells push up in between and create those dimples we know as cellulite."
posted by stormygrey at 5:13 AM on February 16, 2007


I don't know if it's valid, but my friend the esthetician always says that they learned that massage will help smooth cellulite. She always feels like it's the act of rubbing all these creams and lotions in that helps, and not the products themselves.
posted by thejanna at 5:39 AM on February 16, 2007


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