For the right aim, yes: a firm mechanical massage over a course, for the appearance of cellulite on the thighs and buttocks or a smaller waist or thigh measurement, with no needles and no heat. It suits someone who will attend two or three sessions a week and maintain the result afterwards. The maker's own series show the kind of change to expect. For fat loss it is not the tool, and the doctor recommends a fat-reduction treatment at the consultation instead. The free consultation is with Dr Marie Duggan, GMC 7488383, at Endospheres Clinic, 8 Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2HF.
What the series measured, in one line each
The evidence is the maker's own, and we present it as that: twelve documents, nine patient series of 9 to 100 people, none randomised or sham-controlled, the longest follow-up two months. After twelve sessions, an author-built cellulite score fell by about half in a series of 16 women and by 37% in one of 20. Circumference fell by 1.2 to 6.3 centimetres across the series, the largest in 27 women with no comparison group. On the face, nine volunteers had skin roughness down 20.5% on imaging thirteen weeks after the first of five sessions. The scores and tapes were read at the end of the course, no later than two months. The does it work page lists each series with its numbers.
What makes it worth more, or less
- Adding a diet more than doubled the change. In the maker's own comparison of 30 women, the device alone took 1.4 centimetres off the abdomen and 1.2 off the thigh; with a diet, 3.2 and 2.9. If you want a smaller measurement, keep a diet alongside the course.
- Maintenance is part of the price. The maker says results can last up to six months with a healthy lifestyle, then two sessions a month for three or four months and one a month after that. In our experience the appearance returns over months without it. The how long it lasts page sets this out.
- It is a time commitment. Twelve or eighteen sessions of 45 minutes to an hour and a half, two or three a week, at least 48 hours apart. The sessions page explains the course.
- For scale, an independent trial of three ordinary massage techniques in 60 women found the thighs half a centimetre smaller in every group.
What it does not do
It does not destroy fat; it is not manual lymphatic drainage, and no study has yet measured lymph flow with it; nothing measures collagen or anything beyond two months. Endospheres is a mechanical massage method: a roller of 55 silicone spheres whose movement makes low-frequency vibration in the tissue. Its technical file classes it as an aesthetic massage appliance, and in the US it is registered as a class I massager with no clearance for cellulite. We say exactly what the series measured and no more.
What it feels like
A firm massage, with the operator adjusting the pressure with you in our practice. In the maker's series a third of nine women were sore afterwards as after the gym, and some reported slight tingling, squeezing and temporary redness; in our experience bruising is possible if you bruise easily. In our experience the skin can look pink and feel warm afterwards. The maker's protocol excludes pregnancy and breastfeeding and asks for at least 30 days after a hyaluronic acid filler; the doctor takes your history at the consultation.
The price
We set out the price of Endospheres in writing at a free consultation, and we price match any comparable written quote. Consultations and follow-up reviews are free whatever you decide. The price depends on the areas and the number of sessions, and the written plan shows both. Call Endospheres Clinic on 0207 043 8138 or use the form below. The full guide covers the rest.
