NATALYA WILSON tries a new cellulite-busting treatment that is said to iron out the flab.

THEY say there’s no gain without pain, and when it comes to getting rid of fat and cellulite, this old adage rings true, whether you try the conventional way or investigate other routes.

Burning the calories through rigorous exercise often leads to aching muscles, while at the more extreme end of the spectrum there are those who opt for forms of cosmetic surgery such as liposuction in the hope their fat will disappear. Either way, you can still be left with sagging skin and ‘orange peel’-like cellulite.

But there is a less painful way to ‘iron out’ your wobbly bits, as I found out when I went to try an endermologie treatment at Face Etc… Medispa in York.

This non-invasive treatment is designed to combat cellulite and tighten loose skin caused by ageing, dieting, pregnancy or menopause. It uses a machine that features powerful rollers and vacuum-like sucking adaptors that claim to leave skin smoother and firmer and help inch loss.

It can also help with the problem of fluid retention and can speed up metabolism as well as stimulate receptors in the body, helping fat to break down more easily in those stubborn and troublesome areas such as the bottom, thighs, ‘bingo wings’ and flabby tummies.

“Studies have shown that it does not dissolve fat but naturally metabolises it,” says senior therapist Suzi Heath, who has been trained in administering endermologie for four years.

The treatment can also be used on the face to firm up sagginess and fine lines, encouraging cellular regeneration and lymphatic drainage.

However, my problem areas, like many women and men, are my tummy and thighs. After a consultation, Suzi pinpointed exactly where I would need the machine to work its magic. She gave me a garment, which looked almost like a body sock, to put on. Every client gets one of these so that she can mark up the areas that need work and know exactly where they are throughout a course of treatments – she recommends a course of 14 sessions, two a week, over seven weeks, to achieve the best results, although she said that there are often visible results after one session.

“Every client differs, so if the treatment needs to be adapted to them, it can be, and I often re-evaluate after seven sessions,” Suzi says.

As I lay down, Suzi programmed the machine for 35 minutes and then used it to alternately roll and then suck up the skin around my stomach and thighs. At times, the treatment was quite relaxing, like a massage, but on certain areas it pinched rather uncomfortably.

Nevertheless, in this case, there was certainly some gain after a little pain, as my skin appeared smoother after just one treatment.

Supermodels such as Claudia Schiffer and Elle McPherson are said to be fans of this treatment – and if the model known as ‘The Body’ likes it, then who are we to argue?

• A course of 14 treatments cost £750 and a one-off treatment is £60. Visit faceetcmedispa.co.uk for more information