Endospheres for the thighs in London

The thighs are where most of the maker's Endospheres series were done, for the appearance of cellulite: the front of the thigh in six of them, the backs and inner sides in one. The maker's own FAQ also names loose skin on the inner thighs. The roller of 55 silicone spheres is worked over each surface in slow passes, over a course the maker gives as twelve or eighteen sessions, two or three a week. The free consultation is with Dr Marie Duggan, GMC 7488383, at Endospheres Clinic, 8 Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2HF, with the price in writing.

What the maker's series measured

• Front of the thighs: two series scoring cellulite on an author-built scale, 16 women from 26.18 to 12.93 and 20 women from 27.55 to 17.65 after twelve sessions, about 51% and 37%.
• Backs and inner sides of the thighs: one series of nine women, measuring the skin layers on ultrasound.
• Thigh circumference, 30 women: 1.2 cm less in the 15 with the device alone after twelve sessions and 2.9 cm less in the 15 with a diet alongside.
• For scale: an independent trial of three massage techniques in 60 women found the thighs 0.5 cm smaller in every group; none of the maker's series is randomised, blinded or sham-controlled.

What it does and does not do

In the maker's series the cellulite score and the thigh measurement fell over a course; it does not destroy fat, and we make no claim that it builds collagen or changes the structure that causes cellulite. For a fat bulge on the outer thigh, the doctor recommends a fat-reduction treatment at the consultation. In our experience the appearance returns over months without maintenance, which the maker describes as two sessions a month for three or four months after the course, then one a month.

The session and after

In our practice you undress to the areas being treated and lie on the couch; the roller is passed over the front, back, inner and outer thigh in slow passes, and the operator adjusts the pressure with you. A session for both thighs runs within the maker's 45 minutes to an hour and a half. In our experience the skin can look pink and feel warm afterwards, some people are sore after a session like after a gym session, and the maker asks for at least 48 hours between sessions.

Who it suits

In our practice it suits an adult who wants a firm mechanical massage over a course for the appearance of cellulite on the thighs or a smaller thigh measurement. It suits someone who will attend two or three sessions a week and maintain the result. The maker's protocol excludes pregnancy and breastfeeding and asks for 30 days after fillers. The buttocks page covers the area treated with the thighs most often, and the full guide the rest.