Goodbye to orange peel skin: The Scala knickers that claim to reduce cellulite
These knickers, which go on sale at John Lewis today, claim to melt away cellulite by warming the skin.
Women who wore the Scala Bio-Fir knickers for a month said they saw a 'significant reduction' in dimpled skin.
The fabric of the £25 pants contains crystals which warm up when they come in contact with the skin.
The heat is said to improve the circulation in the thighs, bottom and stomach, encouraging fat cells to 'melt' into a liquid.
This is then excreted from the body by the liver.
Hopefully, this warming action does not make the knickers uncomfortably hot.
Helen Spencer, lingerie buyer at John Lewis, said: 'Between 80 and 90 percent of women have cellulite somewhere on their body which is why there is such a huge market for potions and lotions in the category.
'We are approached very regularly with products promising the kind of results women want, but which haven't stood up to scrutiny.
'This is where Scala's range is different - it does exactly what it says on the tin.
'The technology is held within the fabric of the product so the anti-cellulite properties remain intact for the lifetime of the garment, withstanding countless washes.'
The store tested the underwear on 50 women who wore the knickers for at least six hours a day for 30 days.
Four-fifths said their cellulite was reduced, accordingto independent expert Dr Luis Augusto Lupato Conrado from the Vale do Paraiba University, Brazil, who monitored the research.
A spokesman for John Lewis said that the effects last up to a year, possibly longer, provided that wearers follow a healthy diet and did regular exercise.
If the cellulite does return, women are advised to wear the underwear for another 30 days.
It remains to be seen whether the pants will prove as effective as their makers claim. Last month an anticellulite cream promising to give women a 'nine-minute bottom lift' was criticised by a British scientist.
The remarkable claims made for the £68 Adonia LegTone serum were described as 'gibberish'.
The science: Crystals in the fabric of the knickers emit infrared rays that increase metabolism of the cells and blood flow in the skin, melting the fat into liquid