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RecruitingNCT05959681Updated Jul 25, 2023

Longitudinal Trial Assessing Cellulite in Women Wearing a New Compression Garment

An interventional study of Compression garment with Vari-pad microdots ink-printed on inside. in Cellulite, sponsored by The Whiteley Clinic. Recruiting at 1 site in United Kingdom. Open to female participants aged 18 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-07-25.

Sponsored by The Whiteley Clinic · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by Apr 2024, 2 years 7 months ago, but the record still lists the study as recruiting.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
60
Allocation
Not applicable
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
Female
01

Study summary

The investigators are investigating a compression garment that appears to reduce the appearance of Cellulite. The garment has both compression and patented ink-printed micro-dots ("Vari-pads"). These Vari-pads on the inner aspect of the garment are thought to increase the lymphatic return over compression alone.

In this study, volunteers with cellulite are asked to wear the garment, with only one side (left or right) having the active Vari-pads. The participants wear the garment for at least 8 hours per day. If, and when, the participants notice a difference between the sides (left and right sides), the participants will notify the investigators. At this point the participants will be invited to the trial centre for an assessment and to be swapped to a garment with Vari-pads on both sides.

Apart from this variable end-point, the participants will be reviewed routinely at 3 and 6 months. The trial ends at 6 months.

Read the detailed description

The product being tested is to be a retail (non-medical) garment. This garment is a pair of standard compression shorts with a pattern of small, raised pads ("Vari-pads") of different heights printed on the inner aspect. A previous trial has suggested that wearing this garment for over eight hours a day can reduce the appearance of cellulite. In addition, participants found these compression pants to be very comfortable.

In this proposed trial, the investigators wish to investigate whether the previously found subjective and objective improvement of the appearance of cellulite is due to the compression alone, or whether the Vari-pads on the inside of the product enhance the subjective or objective impression of cellulite. As such, the investigators have asked the manufacturer to produce 60 pairs of pants where the Vari-pads are printed onto the inner aspects as per usual on one side, but not on the other side. On this other side, there will be a dot of the same colour printed, but it will not be raised.

The participants will be asked to wear the apparel for eight hours or more a day, at times that the participants find most suitable.

If and when the participants notice a difference in the appearance of cellulite between the right and left side, the participants will notify the investigators. At this point the investigators will invite the participants to the trial centre for an assessment. The participants will be swapped into the normal garments which have Vari-pads on both sides. The participants will then wear these garments for the remainder of the trial.

02

Conditions studied

  • Cellulite

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Keywords

  • compression
03

In context

Cellulite

71 studies on the registry are indexed under Cellulite; 3 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 60 is above the median of 34 across 65 interventional studies indexed under Cellulite.

Browse Cellulite studies →

Lead sponsor

The Whiteley Clinic is the lead sponsor of 15 studies on the registry; 3 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
Female
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Biological females, over the age of 18 years old, who are able to walk normally and who have cellulite on their buttocks and/or upper thighs.

Due to having to produce special garments for this trial where only half of the garment has the Vari-pads, there will be for following restrictions:

Total number = 60.

Volunteers will be asked their sizes (Small, Medium, Large and Extra large) and will only be invited to attend if there are available places in that category.

Sizes:

  • Small = 10
  • Medium = 20
  • Large = 20
  • Extra large = 10

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Women under 18 years of age.
  • Women who are pregnant or who intend to get pregnant in the next 6 months.
  • Women with no discernible cellulite on initial examination.
  • Women undergoing any other treatment which aims to reduce the appearance of cellulite.
  • Women who are unable to complete at least 3 months of this trial.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
60 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Study Cohort

    A cohort of 60 biological females who volunteered to be part of the 6 months study.

    Device: Compression garment with Vari-pad microdots ink-printed on inside.

Interventions

  • DeviceCompression garment with Vari-pad microdots ink-printed on inside.

    Initially, participants wear a garment with Vari-pads on one side (left or right) only and swap to a garment with Vari-pads on both sides if / when the participants notice a difference between the sides. Wearing garment 8 hours per 24 hours.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Time to subjective improvement on side with Vari-pads

    Time to notice difference in cellulite between the sides when wearing garment with one side having Vari-pads.

    Time frame: 0-6 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. Quality of life changes

    Quality of life changes by Celluqol® questionnaire at 0, 3 and 6 months. The Celluqol tool gives a numerical outcome 8-40: From 8 to 16 points - cellulite does not affect quality of life From 16 to 24 points - cellulite slightly affects quality of life From 24 to 32 points - cellulite reasonably affects quality of life From 32 to 40 points - cellulite intensely affects quality of life

    Time frame: 0-6 months

  2. Objective clinical assessement of photographs by 2 blinded observers

    Changes in photographs 0,3,6 months as assessed by 2 blinded observers who are clinicans expereinced in cellulite assessment. Each photograph will be blinded by a numerical code and blinded assessment will be by scoring 0-10. 0 is the worst posisble cellulite and 10 being no cellulite visible at all.

    Time frame: 0-6 months

  3. Transcutaneous water content

    Changes in transcutaneous water measurements - this is a numerical meaurement direct from the device.

    Time frame: 0-6 months

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Arora G, Patil A, Hooshanginezhad Z, Fritz K, Salavastru C, Kassir M, Goldman MP, Gold MH, Adatto M, Grabbe S, Goldust M. Cellulite: Presentation and management. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2022 Apr;21(4):1393-1401. doi: 10.1111/jocd.14815. Epub 2022 Feb 14. PubMed 35104044 ↗
  • Kiely MJ, Poulsen A, Muschamp SD, Sallis C, Whiteley MS. Participant Reported Improvement in Cellulite by Vari-Pad Apparel and Objective Measurements - A "First Use" Pilot Study. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2023 Sep 20;16:2573-2583. doi: 10.2147/CCID.S426978. eCollection 2023. PubMed 37750084 ↗
  • Nurnberger F, Muller G. So-called cellulite: an invented disease. J Dermatol Surg Oncol. 1978 Mar;4(3):221-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1524-4725.1978.tb00416.x. PubMed 632386 ↗
  • Hexsel D, Weber MB, Taborda ML, Dal'Forno T, do Prado DZ. Celluqol® - a quality of life measurement for patients with cellulite. Surgical and Cosmetic Dermatology 2011 (Jan);3(2):96-101

Study documents

PDFs hosted by the registry, ClinicalTrials.gov.

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jul 25, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05959681
Lead sponsor
The Whiteley Clinic
Responsible party
Mark Whiteley (Medical Director of The Whiteley Clinic, The Whiteley Clinic) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jul 25, 2023
Start date
Aug 1, 2023 (estimated)
Primary completion
Apr 2024 (estimated)
Completion
Apr 2024 (estimated)
Last update
Jul 25, 2023

Study contacts

Mark S Whiteley, MS FRCS MBBS
Contact
mark@thewhiteleyclinic.co.uk
03300581850

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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