Cellulite and body contour
Cellulite, the dimpled, orange-peel look of the thighs, hips and buttocks, is so common that most women have some, even very fit women, and it is a feature of how skin is built rather than a sign of ill health. Because it comes from the way the skin is anchored to the tissue beneath, creams and massage cannot make it disappear. Course-based bodywork can soften how it looks for a while, gradually and modestly, and keeping that up takes maintenance.
At a glance
- Who you’ll see
- Our team
- Where
- CREAMÉ, 350 Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 1, Dubai
- What may help
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- Endosphères Compressive microvibration
- icoone Laser Micro-alveolar stimulation
The short answer
Cellulite and soft contours respond to regular circulation and drainage work: a course of quiet sessions in a weekly rhythm, not a single correction.
Probably not that: These are not slimming machines, and we will not sell them as one.
What it is, and why it happens
Under the skin, fat sits in small chambers between bands of fibrous tissue that anchor the skin to the layers below. In women these bands run straight down, at right angles to the skin, and the chambers are larger, so fat bulges up between the anchor points while the bands hold the skin down: that is the dimpling, and the reason cellulite is far more common in women than in men.
Estimates put it in 80 to 98 percent of women after puberty, and it seems to be driven by hormones, oestrogen in particular. Weight changes how much it shows rather than whether it is there: extra weight can make it more visible, and losing weight helps some people, but loose skin after weight loss can make it more noticeable.
For choosing care, it helps to know what you are looking at. Dimpling is cellulite. A soft, puffy look can be fluid, which drainage-style work suits, while the shape of the body itself comes from fat, muscle and frame, and bodywork does not remove fat. And fat that builds up evenly in both legs, sometimes the arms, while the feet stay slim, especially if it is tender or bruises easily, may be lipoedema, a medical condition rather than cellulite, although the skin over it can look dimpled too.
What may help
Endosphères · Compressive microvibration
Endosphères works over the thighs, buttocks and abdomen with a roller of 55 silicone spheres, combining rhythmic compression with low-frequency vibration to stimulate circulation and drainage and work muscle tone, which suits cellulite that comes with puffiness or heavy legs. A course for cellulite is usually 12 to 15 sessions, twice a week, then one or two a month to keep what it achieves; any change in how cellulite looks builds gradually over the course and varies from body to body. The research is thin: in the one published study we know of, 27 women aged 40 to 69 reported improvements after twelve sessions, but there was no comparison group, most changes were not statistically significant, and the company that gave the treatments funded it. Downtime is usually none: the skin can look pink for a while, and a light tingling or squeezing during sessions and mild muscle soreness afterwards are possible. It is wellness bodywork, and it does not remove fat or change your weight.
icoone Laser · Micro-alveolar stimulation
icoone lifts the skin gently into tiny suction cells on motorised rollers, up to 21,600 times a minute, while a 915 nm laser adds gentle warmth in the deeper layers and a 650 nm LED works on the surface; the suction is adjustable, so it suits delicate skin too. A body course is usually 10 to 15 sessions, two to three a week at first, then a session or two a month; skin often looks smoother early on, and the change in tone and texture builds over the full course. The research on icoone itself is small, we know of no controlled trial of it for cellulite, and studies of suction massage in general are few and mostly of poor quality. Downtime is usually none: redness where the rollers worked usually fades within a short while, and if the suction feels too strong it is turned down. Like Endosphères, it works on the skin and the fluid beneath it, not on fat or weight.
What to be careful with
Creams, wraps and supplements. Caffeine creams may make cellulite a little less obvious by drawing water out of the skin, but only while you keep applying them every day, and a retinol cream may help slightly after six months or more. For a spa wrap that covers the skin in clay or algae and plastic, dermatologists note there are no independent published studies and that any change lasts about 12 to 18 hours; there is no evidence that any supplement reduces cellulite.
Expecting smooth skin. The dimples come from the bands that anchor the skin, which bodywork does not release, so its effect is modest, varies from body to body and needs upkeep. No device replaces movement, sleep and food; bodywork supports them.
What matters in Dubai
Swimwear season in Dubai lasts most of the year, at the beach and by the pool, and many people want a course to land before a holiday or a wedding. A course runs over several weeks and the change builds gradually, so start about two months ahead, and plan any maintenance sessions for after.
Drink water after each session and through the day, more on hot days; if you are fasting in Ramadan, an evening session after iftar means you can drink afterwards. Downtime is usually none, so sessions fit around work and summer plans.
When to see a doctor first
Cellulite is not a medical problem, but a few things that look like it are. Fat that builds up in both legs, and sometimes the arms, while the feet and hands stay slim, and that aches, feels heavy or tender or bruises easily, may be lipoedema. It is more common in women, may be linked to hormonal changes such as puberty, pregnancy or the menopause, can run in families and is not caused by being overweight; see a doctor for a diagnosis.
Cellulitis, despite the similar name, is a skin infection: skin that turns painful, hot and swollen, usually red though less obviously on brown or black skin, most often on the lower legs. It needs a doctor the same day, and emergency care if it comes with a very high temperature, a fast heartbeat or fast breathing. If you can see veins in the area, or one leg swells more than the other, see the phlebologist before any bodywork.
Questions people ask
Why do I have cellulite when I'm fit?
Because it comes from structure rather than fitness: the bands that anchor the skin, the shape of the fat chambers between them, and hormones. Most women have some, even very fit women. Exercise still helps how it looks, because more muscle beneath the skin makes the surface look smoother and firmer.
Do men get cellulite?
Rarely. In men the bands beneath the skin run at an angle rather than straight down, but cellulite can appear, for example when testosterone is low or with oestrogen treatment. The bodywork is the same for anyone.
Will cellulite come back if I stop?
Gradually, yes. Improvements from massage are thought to be short-lived, and with suction massage dermatologists see cellulite return within about a month of stopping, which is why a course is followed by a session or two a month, only if you want to keep it up.
Can I start after having a baby?
Yes, once you have finished breastfeeding, since studies of these treatments leave out pregnancy and breastfeeding, and after a caesarean, once the scar has fully healed. We ask about the birth and any surgery at the first visit, and plan around them.
Endosphères or icoone for cellulite?
Endosphères is usually our first suggestion for cellulite, especially with puffiness or heavy legs; icoone suits delicate skin, or cellulite together with stretch marks or tone lost after pregnancy or weight change. We suggest one, and both only when your concern calls for it.
Where can I get cellulite treatment in Dubai, and how do I choose a clinic?
At CREAMÉ, 350 Al Wasl Road in Jumeirah 1, we offer Endosphères and icoone for cellulite, as wellness bodywork. Wherever you go, choose a clinic that asks about your health, your veins, your medicines and any recent surgery before the first session, tells you plainly what a course can and can't change, and doesn't sell it as slimming. A sound plan names the number of sessions and any maintenance after them, and sends you to a doctor first if what you have may not be cellulite.
Can you treat cellulite on the thighs, the backs of the legs, the buttocks, the stomach or the upper arms?
Yes on the thighs, the backs of the legs, the buttocks and the stomach: Endosphères works over the legs, buttocks and abdomen, and icoone's maker describes it for the same areas. Both makers also describe their devices for the arms, so we look at the upper arms at the consultation and tell you honestly whether a course there is worth it. Whichever the area, a course softens how cellulite looks rather than removing it.
What is anti-cellulite treatment, and what does a course involve?
It is care that aims to make cellulite less noticeable; ours is bodywork that works on circulation, drainage and skin tone over a course, softening how cellulite looks rather than removing it. Endosphères uses a roller of silicone spheres that compresses and vibrates the tissue, usually 12 to 15 sessions, twice a week; icoone uses gentle suction rollers with laser and LED light, usually 10 to 15 sessions, two to three a week at first. A body session takes 45 to 75 minutes and feels like a deep massage.
Is there a laser treatment for cellulite at your clinic?
Only as part of icoone Laser: its suction rollers work alongside a 915 nm laser that adds gentle warmth in the deeper layers and a 650 nm LED on the surface. It doesn't release the bands that hold the dimples down, and the research on icoone itself is small, so any change is gradual, modest and varies from body to body. Because it uses light, it isn't done over a tattoo, with epilepsy triggered by light, or within a year of medicines that make skin more sensitive to light.
When do cellulite treatment results show, and how long do they last?
Gradually, over a course that runs for several weeks, so we suggest starting about two months before an event. Puffiness often eases early with Endosphères and skin often looks smoother early with icoone, but any softening of cellulite builds over the full course and varies from body to body. It lasts only while you keep it up: the change fades after sessions stop, so one or two a month afterwards can help hold it. Gaining weight can also make cellulite more visible again.
What are the side effects of cellulite treatment, and can I have it during pregnancy?
Side effects are usually mild and short-lived: pink or red skin where the device worked, a light tingling or squeezing during Endosphères, and mild muscle soreness afterwards. In a small study of icoone on the legs, three of 25 women had brief tingling, slight swelling and more visible small veins in spots. Compression moves fluid towards the heart, which is unwanted with a recent blood clot, an inflamed vein or heart failure, so we check first. Not during pregnancy or breastfeeding, which studies leave out.
Is there a cellulite treatment that really works, and what are the benefits?
Research shows some treatments can make cellulite less noticeable, at least for a while, but none makes it disappear. Over a course, Endosphères and icoone can leave skin looking smoother, better toned and, where fluid is part of it, less puffy, by different amounts in different bodies. They don't release the bands that cause the dimples, or remove fat. The evidence on both is thin: one small study of Endosphères without a comparison group, and no controlled trial of icoone for cellulite that we know of.
Is cellulite a medical problem, and should I see a dermatologist?
No, cellulite is a normal feature of how skin is built, and what we offer for it is wellness bodywork, not medical treatment. See a doctor, such as a dermatologist or your GP, if it may not be cellulite: fat that builds up in both legs while the feet stay slim, and aches or bruises easily, can be lipoedema; painful, hot, swollen skin can be cellulitis, an infection that needs a doctor the same day. With visible veins there, see our phlebologist, Dr. Marat Takoev, first.
Related concerns
Sources
- Bass LS, Kaminer MS. Insights into the pathophysiology of cellulite: a review. Dermatol Surg. 2020;46(Suppl 1):S77–S85.
- American Academy of Dermatology. Cellulite treatments: what really works? aad.org.
- Kardashova ZZ, Ratnikova NO, Vasilenko IA, Fomicheva AA. Compression microvibration: experience of using the method for the physiotherapeutic treatment of cellulite. Russian Journal of Physiotherapy, Balneology and Rehabilitation. 2022;21(6):391–400.
- Moortgat P, Anthonissen M, Meirte J, Van Daele U, Maertens K. The physical and physiological effects of vacuum massage on the different skin layers: a current status of the literature. Burns Trauma. 2016;4:34.
- NHS. Lipoedema. Health A to Z, nhs.uk. Reviewed July 2023.
- NHS. Cellulitis. Health A to Z, nhs.uk. Reviewed April 2024.
- Fenix Group. Endosphères: body and face treatments, as its maker describes them.
- i-Tech Industries. icoone cellulite-targeting treatment, as its maker describes it.
Updated 27 October 2026