Combining nature and technology, the new Meso-CRF Body | Turmeric (www.lipotherapeia.com) treatment offers women a powerful new tool to reduce cellulite and tighten up skin in a non-invasive, pain-free way with no down time – Top Santé editor Katy Sunnassee gives it her verdict.

 No matter how slim or large you are, as a woman, studies show it’s 98 per cent likely you’ll have some level of cellulite. I’ve never been big but those dimples have been there since age 18 and have never gone away, no matter how healthy or active I am.

So when I heard about the new Meso-CRF Body | Turmeric, which offers a double whammy of cellulite reduction and skin tightening, I was in.

The 60-minute sessions harness deep tissue radio frequency treatment as well as a bespoke gel-cream containing powerful botanical extracts, including curcumin – the active component of turmeric root – green tea, cocoa polyphenols, resveratrol from berries and moisture-boosting hyaluronic acid.

WHAT IS RADIO FREQUENCY?

How it works is a wand is massaged over your bum and thighs, passing electrical currents into the deeper layer of skin where cellulite lives. This creates waves of heat energy that literally melt fat.

The fat then circulates into your blood stream to be used up as energy – one of the reasons exercise and a healthy diet are recommended alongside to ensure fat is burnt off rather than being re-stored.

‘I have specialised in cellulite and skin tightening for the past 17 years, researching and trying out all the major technologies available. In my opinion, Deep Tissue Radio frequency comes out on top as the most effective for minimising cellulite as well as tightening skin,’ says Georgios Tzenichristos, director of LipoTherapeia, the company that created this new cellulite-zapping treatment.

THE POWER OF NATURAL BOTANICALS

While radio frequency is already proven to help tone skin and improve texture, it becomes even more effective in this treatment thanks to the use of a the cellulite-busting gel/cream containing active botanical extracts.

Normal lotions used in radio frequency treatments contain no or very few actives, while this one is packed with pure curcumin – the active component of turmeric root.

‘I have researched more than 400 natural anti-cellulite and skin firming actives; curcumin comes out on top as the most important anti-cellulite active today, with green tea extract (EGCG), hyaluronic acid, resveratrol and cocoa flavanols coming close seconds, which is why they, too, are in the gel I use for the treatment,’ says Georgios.

Powdered green tea, which is used in the Meso-CRF Body Turmeric cellulite treatment

TURMERIC HELPS BEAT CELLULITE

Curcumin is widely researched for its ability to reduce free radical damage and fat deposits, and for increasing skin tautness. It’s no wonder everyone is jumping on the turmeric beauty bandwagon.

However, most formulas containing the spice contain only one per cent actual curcumin. ‘What’s more, due to curcumin’s molecular structure, it is not absorbed by the skin, so you don’t receive the benefits.

‘The type of curcumin and other actives I use are very bioavailable and make up a whooping 20 per cent of the formula,’ says Georgios. ‘Combined with radio frequency, all the active compounds in the gel can penetrate skin for maximum smoothing effects.’

HEALTHY LIVING TIPS TO IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE OF CELLULITE

 But even with the best that technology and nature have to offer, Georgios recommends 6-12 sessions for maximum results.

‘There is no overnight cure. Changes in the cellulite tissues take weeks to occur, not minutes, hours or days. I would steer clear of claims of instant miracle treatments, typically seen on social media,’ he says.

‘Cellulite is a complicated aesthetic problem that needs a full-spectrum approach, i.e. technology, natural actives, healthy eating and regular exercise for maximum results.’

Georgios recommends this anti-cellulite diet:

  • Vegetables
  • Berries
  • Herbs
  • Spices (including turmeric)
  • Cacao
  • Green tea
  • Vegetable juices
  • Oily fish
  • Organic lean meat
  • Plant-based protein powder for vegetarians/vegans
  • Carbs from black rice, quinoa and sweet potatoes

Smooth your legs for summer with new radio frequency treatment

TOP CELLULITE-BUSTING EXERCISES

Georgios advises interval training, running, spinning classes, vibration training and hot yoga. For maximum bum lifting, hip extensions – where you lay flat on the floor, knees bent, and raise your hips up off the floor – and squats will lift the muscles underneath, adding to the benefits of topical treatments.

‘Alcohol intake and smoking should be minimised if you want to make the most of any cellulite treatment, as they both significantly contribute to the condition,’ he says.

MESO-CRF BODY | TURMERIC TRIED AND TESTED:

Editor Katy gave the treatment a go: ‘Despite being slim I still have noticeable cellulite on my legs and especially bum. Having tried similar treatments before with no improvement, I wasn’t holding my breath. Once I got over the embarrassment of baring my bum to a man I’d just met, I actually found the treatment relaxing, like a massage.

You can’t feel the heat until close to the end of the treatment, as it targets the deep, cellulite-laden layers, which do not feel heat, as opposed to the superficial skin layers that do.

The continual massaging motion ensures its comfortable though, with only minimal ouch moments, usually over the thinner skin on inner thighs. There’s some redness afterwards but this fades within hours.

After just one session I could definitely see a difference – I requested it be done on just one side so I could compare! The folds above my knee looked smoother, the bumpy bits under my bum cheek had reduced slightly, skin felt tighter to the touch, and I think my glute was even slightly lifted! It certainly felt that way in the jeans I wore the next day as the pocket on that side didn’t fold over as much onto my thigh.

It may not have been a massive change but I can see how with a course of treatments, the results would be impressive. Of all the things I’ve tried over 13 years as a health, wellbeing and beauty journalist, this is one I’d do again.’

* Meso-CRF Body | Turmeric starts at £200 per session with discounts for courses. Sessions last 40-60 minutes. Call 0207 118 2014 or visit lipotherapeia.com.