My countdown has begun – there are just four weeks to the annual family holiday. The beach may be English, but among the South Coast yummy mummies in fashionable West Wittering, West Sussex, the pressure to look good in swimwear is no less fierce than if we were in St Tropez.
So how can I turn my white, scruffy legs into taut golden limbs worthy of promenading the beach? Let alone tame the tummy and lose a stone…
After frantic research, here are 10 new ways to get bikini-ready. My body is now a work in progress – but with all this help, it could just be enough.
See you on the beach.
Home Liposuction
Who hasn’t prayed for a machine that could melt away love handles o muffin tops?
A full liposuction cosmetic surgery costs thousands of pounds and requires a recovery period of months. But the new Evita Slimsonic “body wellness system” promises to do the same thing within the comfort of your home and at a fraction of the cost. Using ultrasound, massage and heat therapy, it claims to reduce spot fat and smooth contours. It works by targeting intense heat to shrink the fat cells that lie under the skin, melting the fat inside.
At the same time, massage stimulates muscles, and encourages lymphatic drainage to improve the skin’s appearance.
Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi, medical director at London Medical & Aesthetic Clinic, says the methodology is sound, but the level of heat needed to work would be unbearable.
“The skin is tough,” he explains. “By the time you were using enough heat, you would risk burning it.”
The machine doesn’t produce enough heat to burn, and settings can be adjusted for comfort. The makers say Slimsonic requires daily use for about four weeks. The jury is still out on whether my curves are being tamed.