A LINGERIE chain in the US has filed a patent for pantyhose tights that it claims can treat cellulite 鈥� the unsightly 鈥渙range peel鈥� fatty deposits that some women develop beneath the skin of their thighs and buttocks.
The European patent (EP 955 043) was filed by Victoria鈥檚 Secret of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, a company that runs 800 stores in North America. But the company has refused to confirm whether or not it intends to launch a product using the technology. In fact, it has so far refused any comment whatsoever.
The patent covers a treatment for cellulite using 鈥渉ose material that is worn tightly on the skin鈥�. It says a compound called theophylline acetate (THA) 鈥� which has previously been administered orally to treat bronchial disorders such as asthma 鈥� is bonded to nylon with an organic polymer called PEI, which is usually used as an adhesive in inks and dyes. The THA is doped with silantriol, a silica-based compound which Victoria鈥檚 Secret says has been shown to 鈥渋ncrease the penetration of certain chemical compounds that are not easily passed into the skin鈥�.
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The PEI binds strongly to the THA and silantriol when the tights are not being worn. But when they are clinging tightly to human skin, sweat is released, the pH of the fabric rises, and friction with the skin generates heat. This breaks the ionic bonds with PEI, allowing THA and silantriol to permeate the skin. To work, the tights must be worn for at least three 8-hour days. Washing the tights with a light detergent does not affect the chemicals.
However, Victoria鈥檚 Secret does not explain how the chemicals remove cellulite. Susan Jebb, a scientist specialising in human nutrition at the Medical Research Council in Cambridge, has investigated many slimming aids, including creams for rubbing on cellulite. She is sceptical about claims that chemicals can help. 鈥淭he general view is that it is the massage that helps, not the cream,鈥� she told New Scientist. 鈥淏ut when women pay a lot for creams, they are more likely to use them.鈥�
In its patent, Victoria鈥檚 Secret reports that a dozen volunteers wore the tights for 30 days. The firm says measurements confirmed by ultrasound scans have shown a 2.5-centimetre reduction in the circumference of volunteers鈥� thighs. It claims volunteers鈥� thighs appeared smoother, with less fatty tissue on the hips. Formerly tight jeans, it reports, 鈥渇elt baggy and loose鈥�. But Jebb cautions: 鈥淪hort-term size reduction in the thighs tells nothing about the long-term reduction of body fat.鈥�
It鈥檚 not clear why Victoria鈥檚 Secret is so reluctant to discuss its plans for the technology. But if the tights do go on sale, they could finally settle the burning question: is it the chemical content of a slimming cream or massaging it in that accounts for any reduction in thigh size?