Cellulite is the bane of many women’s lives. Jenny Laue tries a treatment that claims to tackle the unsightly problem.

VERY few women are lucky enough not to have it – the unsightly bumpy bits on thighs, bums and bellies, we know as orange peel skin. We spend millions of pounds every year on lotions and potions to get rid of cellulite in an effort to regain soft, smooth skin. The results are very subjective and short-lived.

The anti-cellulite treatment Endermologie has been around for more than 15 years, and was accidentally discovered by French horse trainers as a positive side effect to injury therapy. It claims to leave dimpled skin smoother, firmer and more contoured.

To see if it can deliver on its promises, I went to Face Etc Medi Spa, in York, one of the few places in the North to offer the treatment.

Could it help me with my trouble areas, my inner thighs and bum?

After filling in a health assessment form, Brigid McPeake, my beauty therapist for the session, explains that cellulite results from a build-up of fat in the cells located under the skin, plus water retention in the surrounding areas. And once cellulite has set in, it is self-sustaining as it stops blood supply to the affected areas (the skin feels cold), causing a stagnation of metabolic waste, which makes the appearance of dimples worse over time. Endermologie works on those fat pockets, breaking them down and bringing back blood circulation, which is vital for renewal. This is done with what can only be described as a mini vacuum, which massages and sucks skin to bring blood back to the surface.

Brigid asks me to slip on a robe and, oh horror, stand in front of a full-length mirror. In the harsh natural light streaming into the Medi Spa treatment room, every indentation shows. There is no hiding.

Brigid gives my skin a closer look and even flicks it gently in order to assess the stage of development of my cellulite. Visible dimples, standing up and lying down, as well as a ripple in the skin would indicate the worst kind of cellulite, she says.

Luckily for me, I’m not at that stage yet and, according to Brigid, the treatment should work well for me and have an instant noticeable effect.

For the session, which lasts about 35 minutes, I’m also given a body stocking, which not only protects my skin but also my modesty. It’s rather like a grey all-over pair of support tights and rather difficult to put on, but it does make the Endermologie device glide over my body more easily and the treatment is relaxing and soothing.

Endermologie is non-invasive, a purely surface treatment. There are no chemicals or electric currents to stimulate the skin, making it suitable for most women.

For the treatment to really make in impact, Brigid recommends a course of 14 sessions, with two every week, and thereafter one session every month. Combined with regular exercise and a healthy diet, some women will be able to get completely rid of their unsightly cellulite.

Even though I’ve only had one session, I can see and feel the effects immediately.

There is a little redness on the inside of my thighs, but they look slimmer and my bum feels hot, even three days after the treatment, which tells me that a lot of fresh, nutrient- packed, blood has been carried to the those fatty cells just under the surface of the skin. In fact, my legs and my bum feel like they do when I’ve exercised them hard, and that, in my book, can only be good.

■ Face Etc Medi Spa, 8 Coppergate, York, YO1 9NR, 01904- 675222, faceetcmedispa.co.uk One session of LPG Endermologie costs £50, one course with 14 sessions costs £600.