Does vibration get rid of cellulite

Example of trial results

The following table taken from one of the clinical trials shows the actual reduction in size of hips, buttocks and thighs achieved after only four weeks of using vibration massage. We have also summarised the results of several other trials in the table below

What is cellulite and how does it form

In this section:

• What is cellulite
• How does cellulite form

Why does cellulite form

Why does this happen in some parts of your body while others remain normal? Scientists have found that the parts with cellulite have reduced circulation (about 35% less than normal) (1)⁠. Fat is deposited in these tissues, but when your body needs fat for energy the reduced circulation slows the re-absorption. Most of the fat instead is reabsorbed from tissues with normal circulation, so fat builds up in the cellulite tissues.

How does vibration help reduce cellulite

When used correctly vibration helps increase circulation, which allows the excess fat to be reabsorbed normally. Applications of vibration only increase circulation for a limited time but the reabsorption takes a long time, so the vibration needs to be repeated regularly over a long period of time.

For convenience the clinical trials used vibrating chairs or platforms to apply the vibration. This is something most people can easily do at home. We will discuss this, but we will also discuss a much more optimal way a professional might use vibration to increase circulation using affordable equipment that is safe, easy to use and available to the public.

How the scientists got the results in the trials

How to do this at home

Professionals such as Chiropractors and Physiotherapists regularly need to increase circulation when treating pain syndromes, injuries or during rehabilitation. When using vibration to do this they do not use chairs or vibration platforms. They use dedicated vibration massagers. These are available for the public and very easy to use, so in this section we will show you proper equipment and how to use it for the best results.

Standard disclaimer: This is general information only to be discussed with your health care professional, not specific advice.

In this section:

1. The vibration frequency is important
2. The equipment you will need
3. How to use a vibration massager
4. Where to apply, when, and how long for

The vibration frequency is important

The circulation increase depends on the vibration frequency

The therapeutic effects of vibration very much depend on the vibration frequency which is measured in Hz (cycles per second). For circulation the optimum frequency is about 50 Hz. To illustrate this one trial found that 50 Hz gave an excellent increase in circulation which stayed increased for about 30 minutes after the vibration stopped. By comparison 30 Hz gave a smaller increase which only lasted a few minutes (11).

Most equipment gives vibrations at non-optimum frequencies

Chairs and plates

The equipment you will need (a genuine vibration massager) will give vibrations at this frequency. As a contrast the chairs and vibration plates used in the clinical trials gave vibrations at a much lower frequency which is why they are not optimal for circulation.

Massage guns

As we will discuss later massage guns (percussion massagers) are designed to drive their heads into your muscles rather than sit on the surface and send in vibrations. Most come with hard plastic heads while the powerful ones drive their heads in 14-16mm. Driving something like that into your muscles 50 times a second would cause carnage, so massage guns cannot safely or comfortably be used at the optimum frequency for circulation.

The equipment you will need

Equipment to avoid

Vibration massagers for personal use

When we were looking for a suitable vibration massager for our patients to use all the effective machines seemed to be "professional" products for therapists to use. These were expensive and not designed for self use. Because of this we built our own that pack the effectiveness of a professional unit into an economical one for self use. They are now used, recommended and sold by over a thousand clinics across half the world (some examples). For information about these and where to get them please use these links.

Read what professionals say about DrGraeme massagers

Where to apply, when, and how long for

Overview

To increase circulation the vibration needs to be applied directly to the cellulite tissues. Circulation needs to raised over a long period of time to allow the fat to be reabsorbed, but vibration only increases circulation for a limited time. To achieve their results scientists did things like sit the patients in the vibrating chairs daily for an hour at a time. However, if we use the proper equipment and vibration frequencies we can do a lot better than that.

How long to apply the vibration before

As mentioned above the scientists applied lower frequency vibration that raises circulation a small amount and has only a very short residual effect. That meant to get a decent amount of increased circulation they needed to apply the vibration for long periods of time. However, 50 Hz applied by a proper vibration massager gives a larger increase with over 30 minutes residual effects. Therefore, using the proper equipment two applications of a few minutes each will give the same (if not more) increased circulation than 60 minutes with a massage chair or a vibration plate.

When to apply the vibration

Vibration using a proper therapeutic vibration massager is very safe and comfortable. You could apply it a few times a day for a few minutes each time and get a far greater total increase in circulation that those sitting on a platform or chair for 60 minutes.

Vibration methods that do not work

1. Vibration platforms (used as advertised)
2. Massage guns
3. “Wands and “gimmick” massagers

Massage guns (percussion massagers)

Limited vibration effects

Massage guns are designed to drive their heads into your muscles rather than deliver vibrations. As discussed above this means that the amount of vibration they give is low and at the wrong frequency to increase circulation. This means any increase in circulation from using a massage gun is negligible.

Irresponsible claims of smashing or dispersing fat cells

We have read a lot of crazy claims such as that vibration causes fat cells to selectively die off, or that massage guns disperse or smash the fat cells. As we have seen in the pics of cellulite the fat cells are securely held in strong pouches so cannot be dispersed. Also, fat cells are fairly sturdy and cannot be easily smashed.

The danger of these irresponsible claims

The biggest concern is the danger these false and irresponsible claims create. The fine blood vessels are far more delicate than the fat cells so any attempt to disperse of smash fat cells would result in internal bleeding. Mostly this just results in bruising, but people have nearly died from internal bleeding after using massage guns.

”Wands” and “gimmick cellulite massagers”

As the pic below shows there are a huge number of factories churning out ineffective gimmick cellulite massagers and “wands”. These are not serious therapeutic devices and would have no benefits for your circulation or cellulite.

Frequently asked questions

1. Why do most cellulite treatments just give temporary results
2. Will vibration help lose weight

Will vibration help lose weight

Using vibration as we have described will help your body normally re-distribute fat around your body. The total amount will remain the same.

Grading cellulite

For research or description cellulite is graded as follows. Where the grades were reduced in the trials that means that the cellulite improved.

• Grade 1 – you can’t see cellulite with the naked eye, but the changes on your skin are still going on microscopically.
• Grade 2 – the skin shows paleness, lower temperature, and decreased elasticity after compression or muscular contraction. There is no visible “orange peel” roughness to the skin.
• Grade 3 – this is when the lumps and bumps are starting to make themselves visible. Thin granulations in the deep levels of the skin can be detected by palpitation. All Grade 2 signs are present.
• Grade 4 – more visible, palpable, and painful lumps are present, adhering to deep structures in the skin. The skin has a noticeable dimpled, wavy appearance. Additional microscopic changes are detected. Grade 4 signs are present, and cellulite is constantly visible to the patient.

References

1. Piotrowska A, Czerwińska-Ledwig O, Stefańska M, Pałka T, Maciejczyk M, Bujas P, et al. Changes in Skin Microcirculation Resulting from Vibration Therapy in Women with Cellulite. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(6).
2. Piotrowska A, Czerwińska-Ledwig O. Effect of local vibrotherapy in sitting or lying position in two time protocols on the cellulite grade and change of body circumferences in women with cellulite. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2022;21(5):2130–9.
3. Pilch W, Czerwińska-Ledwig O, Chitryniewicz-Rostek J, Nastałek M, Krȩzałek P, Jȩdrychowska D, et al. The Impact of Vibration Therapy Interventions on Skin Condition and Skin Temperature Changes in Young Women with Lipodystrophy: A Pilot Study. Evidence-based Complement Altern Med. 2019;2019.
4. Sadowski T, Bielfeldt S, Wilhelm KP, Sukopp S, Gordon C. Objective and subjective reduction of cellulite volume using a localized vibrational massage device in a 24-week randomized intra-individual single-blind regression study. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2020;42(3):277–88.
5. Piotrowska A, Czerwińska-Ledwig O. Effect of Three-Week Vibrotherapy on Selected Skin Parameters of Thighs and Buttocks in Women with Cellulite. Cosmetics. 2022;9(1).
6. Pilch W, Nastałek M, Piotrowska A, Czerwińska-Ledwig O, Zuziak R, Maciorowska A, et al. The effects of a 4-week vibrotherapy programme on the reduction of adipose tissue in young women with cellulite – a pilot study. Rehabil Med. 2018;22(4):18–24.
7. Cristovam DN, Botelho S, Andrade MF, Marques J, Sousa L. Whole-body vibration in the reduction of the cellulite. J Cosmet Laser Ther. 2019;21(5):278–85.
8. Robbins D, Yoganathan P, Goss-Sampson M. The influence of whole body vibration on the central and peripheral cardiovascular system. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging. 2014;34(5):364–9.
9. Games KE, Sefton JEM, Wilson AE. Whole-body vibration and blood flow and muscle oxygenation: A meta-analysis. J Athl Train. 2015;50(5):542–9.
10. Fuller JT, Thomson RL, Howe PRC, Buckley JD. Effect of vibration on muscle perfusion: A systematic review. Clin Physiol Funct Imaging. 2013;33(1):1–10.
11. Maloney-Hinds C, Petrofsky JS, Zimmerman G. The effect of 30 Hz vs. 50 Hz passive vibration and duration of vibration on skin blood flow in the arm. Med Sci Monit 2008;14(3):CR112-6.