If you’re a regular on social media sites like Instagram and Facebook, there’s a good chance you may have seen the targeted ads for a very unique pair of fitness leggings called “Shape Up Smart Leggings.” The ads usually feature a fitness model with a perfectly toned physique wearing the leggings at the gym or posing in front of a mirror as if she’s taking a selfie, while the tagline touts “advanced cellulite smart fabric.” Imagine that! A fabric that can reduce cellulite and tone your skin while you wear it! Why on earth isn’t all our clothing made of this miracle fabric?

Well, that’s a very good question. There’s also a very good answer. It’s because the claim that this fabric can reduce cellulite simply isn’t true.

The Shape Up Smart Leggings claim to work by using a “microencapsulation technique” that slowly dissolves “natural ingredients” onto your skin while you wear the leggings. These “natural ingredients” then supposedly reduce the cellulite on your body. According to the manufacturer, this is because these microencapsulated ingredients act as barriers to both liquids and solids, creating a “thin polymer coating.”

The manufacturer even cites a paper on its website, a study conducted in 2008 by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University called “The Development of Cosmetic Textiles Using Microencapsulation Technology.” However, the paper doesn’t actually say that it’s possible to reduce cellulite by wearing special pants. It does say, however, that it is possible to “revitalize the skin,” which appears to mean the fabric can release a substance that moisturizes the skin, such as lotion or aloe vera gel. Another patent held by Woolmark uses microencapsulation to release fragrance when worn, which sounds very nice, but won’t do a thing to reduce cellulite.

So, what’s the bottom line here? Simply put, you cannot reduce cellulite by wearing a special pair of pants. You also cannot reduce cellulite by brushing your skin, scrubbing your body with coffee grounds or applying “anti-cellulite” cream. You may be able to temporarily reduce the appearance of cellulite using many of these methods, but in order to truly get rid of cellulite, there are very few options available at this time.

VaserSHAPE
VaserSHAPE is an excellent method for temporarily reducing the appearance of cellulite on the hips, thighs and abdomen. VaserSHAPE is not a surgical procedure and can be done quickly and quite comfortably. In fact, most patients liken it to a hot stone massage. Though the results are not permanent, you can expect them to last for at least a year after your first treatment, and many patients report results lasting much longer, especially when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise. It may not be as simple as wearing a pair of pants, but it gets real results that allow you to wear whatever you want, whenever you want and without having to give your credit card information to a website that also sells a “lazy phone and food container” that promises to prop up your cell phone and hold your snacks so you can eat while watching the latest viral video in bed.

Bottom line, they’re OK-looking leggings, and for $39.99, they’re not a huge investment if you want to try them out and see what happens. But for that kind of money, you can probably find a cuter pair of leggings somewhere else and just be happy in them. Or you can use that money toward your VaserSHAPE treatment at Dr. Chau’s office, and instead of spending money on leggings, start looking at all the shorts you can wear this summer!