Herbal Body Wraps For Weight Loss

While nothing replaces cutting calories and hitting the gym to lose weight, there are complementary therapies that could help you reach your goal. One full body treatment to consider is an herbal body wrap. A popular spa indulgence, the treatment involves coating the skin with an herbal solution or pre-soaked strips of fabric and then wrapping the entire body with a cloth, plastic or other material to seal it in. Though body wraps are considered safe for most people, always talk to a health-care provider before engaging in any alternative therapies or treatments.

Ingredients

An herbal body wrap designed for weight loss might be called a "slimming" wrap on a spa menu. The difference between this type of wrap and one that is meant to pamper the skin, reduce pain or detox is in the ingredients used in the solution applied to the skin. Some herbal weight loss wraps might contain sea clay, sea salt, coffee, bentonite clay, alfalfa leaf, ground basil, chamomile flower, rose petal or aloe vera.

Claims

One specialty salon in Indianapolis, Indiana called Lady Di's guarantees that you will lose 6 inches after just one session or they give your money back. Owner Dianne Markin-Venn says the secret of her body wrap is a patented sea clay solution and special "wrapping process" that, according to her, reduces the appearance of cellulite, fades stretch marks and works as a poultice to pull out toxins and helps to break down fatty deposits between the muscle and adipose tissue. She believes this process produces inch loss that helps clients to fit into smaller sizes, but does not claim her body wraps cause weight loss unless it is from the reduction of water.

Physician's Opinion

While some salons and their clients do swear to claims that body wraps detox the body and promote weight loss, some physicians believe otherwise. Dr. Joel Schlessinger, president of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery, says there is a place for body wraps as a "feel good" treatment but believes they are "hocus-pocus" for weight loss and detoxification. And though body wraps may help with topical skin conditions and could even pull excess fluids from the body, some doctors feel that these results are merely temporary and do not represent true weight loss.

False Claims

The FTC has cracked down on salons that make "weight loss" and "inch loss" results claims that are not typical of their clients, as in the case of European Body Concepts, Inc. in 1995. The plaintiff was unsatisfied with the results that did not line up with the company's advertised claims that you could easily lose fat without diet and exercise. Additionally, the FTC had concerns about the company stating that body wraps are "safe" for everyone when they are not.

Warnings

If you have had surgery within the last eight months, have a heart condition or high blood pressure, you should not get a body wrap. Body wraps are also not recommended for children under 18, pregnant women and those who suffer from any chronic illness. Before receiving an herbal body wrap, get a list of all ingredients used in the treatment if you have allergies or skin sensitivities. If you have a skin rash, eczema or sunburn, wait until after your condition has cleared to get a body wrap.