Cellulite patches are the same physiological application that patches for quitting smoking or for time release medication employ. The patch holds a certain amount of the compound to be released into your body and does so on a time-release basis. Nicotine patches release nicotine through the epidermis, as do pain medication patches – in order to keep the effect constant.
Cellulite patches are designed to have the same effect. The concept behind the product is that if cellulite creams are effective with one application, a patch that releases the same active ingredients over a period of time will be that much more effective. It seems like a reasonable theory, although getting results from a topical anti cellulite cream is a process of weeks rather than hours.
Most of the cellulite patches on the market have caffeine as their active ingredient. Caffeine acts to extract moisture from the cellulite skin and tighten it up on a temporary basis. The tightening effect reduces the visibility of cellulite by making the dimpling less pronounced. Cellulite patches probably do a more thorough job of it, keeping the skin tightened for a longer period.
The principal issue with cellulite patches is that they impact only the area that is immediately covered. There is no spreading effect out from the perimeter of the patch. If you have a substantial surface area on your body that needs cellulite treatment it’s going to require a lot of patches.
Several reviews of the Nivea cellulite patch praised it for its effectiveness, but the users found it difficult to keep a patch in place for eight hours. That required wearing tight clothing because the adhesive on the patch didn’t function well. Nevertheless for an intensive application of a cellulite solution, the patch is difficult to top.