No single effective treatment for cellulite identified

(HealthDay)—A comprehensive literature review analyzed the range of available treatments for cellulite reduction. The results were published online July 6 in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.

Irene Zerini, M.D., of the University of Siena in Italy, and colleagues performed a review of 73 clinical studies and analyzed the data to estimate the overall effect of cellulite treatments. In most of the studies, the participants were women.

The researchers found that 66 studies examined the efficacy of an exclusive treatment for cellulite, including topical agents (11 studies), shock-wave therapy (10 studies), radio frequency (10 studies), laser therapy (eight studies), oral therapy (five studies), manual massage therapy (four studies), carbon dioxide therapy (three studies), compressive therapy (two studies), infrared therapy (two studies), dermabrasion (one study), and 11 devices that used an association of multiple treatments. Seven studies assessed the combination of two or more treatments. The mean difference between the treated group and the control group for clinical morphologic features and ultrastructural changes revealed significant heterogeneity between studies.

"It is still difficult to indicate an exclusive and effective single treatment for this condition," the authors write.