How to Get Rid of Cellulite: What Works and What Doesn’t

You cannot get rid of cellulite permanently, but you can make it look noticeably smoother by building muscle, keeping your weight stable and, if you want faster change, using clinic treatments that firm the skin. Creams and body brushing make a small, temporary difference at most.

Cellulite affects the large majority of women at some point, including people who are slim and very active. So if you have it, you are in good company. This guide goes through the options one by one, with an honest view of what each can do.

Why Cellulite Is So Hard to Shift

Under your skin, bands of connective tissue anchor the skin to the deeper layers. Fat sits in the pockets between those bands. When fat pushes up and the bands pull down, the surface dimples. In women the bands run straight up and down, which lets fat bulge through more easily. In men they tend to criss cross, which is why men get cellulite far less often.

Because this is about structure, not just fat, losing weight does not always make cellulite vanish, and some people find it looks more obvious if losing weight leaves the skin looser. For the full background, read what causes cellulite, and is it the same as lipoedema.

What Helps, Ranked by How Much Difference It Makes

Option	What it does	Honest verdict
Strength training	Builds muscle under the fat so the area looks firmer	Worth doing for everyone
Stable, healthy weight	Less fat pressing up between the bands	Helps, but slim people still have cellulite
Radiofrequency treatment	Warms the skin to encourage collagen and targets fat beneath	Gradual improvement over a course, top ups needed
Retinol and caffeine creams	May thicken skin slightly or reduce fluid temporarily	Small and short lived
Body brushing and massage	Moves fluid, makes skin look smoother for a few hours	Pleasant, not lasting

How to Get Rid of Cellulite on Your Legs and Thighs

The thighs and bum are where most people notice cellulite. For these areas:

1. Train the muscles underneath. Squats, lunges, glute bridges and step ups, two or three times a week, build the muscle that gives the area shape.
2. Keep your weight steady. Big swings up and down stretch the skin and make dimpling more visible.
3. Look after your skin. Moisturise, protect from the sun and avoid smoking, all of which affect collagen.
4. Consider a clinic treatment if you want a visible change that exercise alone has not given you.

What Clinic Cellulite Treatments Can Do

Clinic treatments work on the skin, the fat, or both. At our Surbiton clinic we use SmartSculpt Pro, a radiofrequency device. It warms the deeper layers of the skin to encourage new collagen, which makes the skin firmer so it shows less of the unevenness beneath, and it targets the fat layer at the same time.

Most people have a course of 8 sessions on each area. Improvement is gradual, results vary from person to person, and because cellulite is partly structural, occasional top up sessions help maintain the result. You can read more on our cellulite treatment page.

What Does Not Work

• Detox diets and teas. Cellulite is not caused by toxins.
• Drinking extra water on its own. Staying hydrated is good for you, but it does not remove cellulite.
• Products that promise permanent removal. Nothing currently does that.

When It Might Not Be Cellulite

If fat on your legs is painful, tender, bruises easily and has built up evenly on both sides while your feet stay slim, it could be lipoedema, which is a medical condition. Speak to your GP before trying cosmetic treatments.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get rid of cellulite completely?

No. Cellulite is linked to the structure of your skin and connective tissue, so no treatment removes it for good. Exercise, a stable weight and clinic treatments can make it look noticeably smoother.

What is the fastest way to reduce cellulite?

Clinic treatments that firm the skin, such as radiofrequency, tend to give a more visible change than home options, but they still work gradually over a course of sessions.

Does losing weight get rid of cellulite?

It can make cellulite less visible if you are carrying extra weight, but slim people also have cellulite, and fast weight loss that leaves skin looser can make it look more obvious.

Do cellulite creams work?

Creams containing retinol or caffeine may make a small, temporary difference. They will not remove cellulite.

How many sessions of cellulite treatment do you need?

With SmartSculpt Pro most people have a course of 8 sessions on each area, then occasional top ups.