Chelsea Merritt has a new-found confidence.

The Bowling Green caterer feels so good about the way she looks that she’s beginning to pursue modeling.

It hasn’t always been that way, though, Merritt said.

“Cellulite has always been a concern with me,” she said.

One day she was receiving a massage from Dan Stelling, licensed massage therapist and owner of Tranquility Spot LLC, and he mentioned a body contouring treatment he was offering called Lypossage.

“It really has worked,” Merritt said. “I love it. I feel like it has really improved my body.”

Created and founded by Charles W. Wiltsie III, the Lypossage machine breaks up cellulite in two ways, Stelling said.

“As we get older, the breakdown of the dermal tissue (fat layer under the skin) allows fat cells to congregate, creating the appearance of cellulite,” he said. “The vibrating waves break apart these clumps and help to repair the dermis by removing toxins and increasing circulation, therefore contributing to smoother skin in addition to inch loss.”

Lypossage – which works at 60 vibrations per second and mimics percussion friction massage – cleanses the body of stagnant, stalled lymphatic fluid that helps to create lumps and bulges, Stelling said.

“The deeper Lypossage strokes break up adhesions (hardened fat cells) under the skin that can contribute to the dimpled, uneven appearance of cellulite,” he said. “Lypossage also tones the muscles, lifting and firming sagging tissue.”

Cellulite can appear on any body type, Stalling said.

“It’s all about hereditary and genes,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re thin or large.”

Stelling started doing Lypossage nearly two months ago. The treatment can be done on various parts of the body, including the thighs, stomach, back, arms, scalp, under the gluteal folds and right above the waistline.

“The side of legs is where I see the most inches lost,” he said. “We do it on the scalp and forehead for tension headaches.”

Although results often include inches lost on the body, Stelling stresses that Lypossage is not a weight loss plan.

“It’s just breaking down cellulite,” he said. “It’s more about the skin.”

While the treatment isn’t good for people with serious inflammation, a history of clots or who are pregnant, it is good for people with lymphedema and who have had a mastectomy, Stelling said.

“They’ve been doing this in Europe for 12 years. It’s noninvasive,” he said. “This is another option before plastic surgery. It’s best done in a series.”

Stelling recommends that clients begin by getting Lypossage two to three times a week. Eventually they drop to once a week, and then once a month for maintenance. Each session lasts 30 to 40 minutes and costs $125, or $1,000 for 10 sessions.

“You should be aggressive about it. In six to eight sessions, you’ll notice a difference in inch loss,” he said. “We measure people before the first session, in the middle of treatments and at the end of 10 sessions.”

Clients who have had Lypossage have been satisfied with the results. One is Dawn Johnson, who used to consider cellulite a serious matter.

“I lost 80 pounds several years ago,” the Bowling Green woman said. “The cellulite was awful. It was like concrete cottage cheese in my legs.”

So far, Johnson has done 10 sessions. She said she can see a big difference.

“I can still see the cellulite, but it’s not nearly as visible as it was before,” she said.

Johnson has also lost inches all over her body.

“I’ve lost four inches in my waistline. I can tell a difference in my pants. They’re looser – way more comfortable,” she said. “I can zip up some dressy boots that were tight around my legs before. I wore them to my brother’s wedding rehearsal and they were very comfortable.”

April Lee of Bowling Green has done seven treatments to help relieve symptoms of endometriosis and arthritis. She has noticed many changes in her body.

“It made the stretch marks on my pelvis, hips and abdomen go away. My skin is smoother,” she said. “I had jeans that didn’t fit, but now they’re so loose that they’re falling off.”

Merritt said she has lost two inches on her body and that her skin is smoother.

“I try to go every day,” she said. “I’ve gone about 10 times now. Usually 10 is where you start seeing a change.”

The clients agreed that the treatments aren’t painful.

“It feels really good,” Lee said. “It stimulates the tissue. It feels good if you have any pain.”

Johnson said Lypossage is relaxing.

“It’s like a hand-held massager on your legs,” she said.

Lypossage is different from a massage, Merritt said.

“When you first start, it’s a slow vibration,” she said. “I’ve fallen asleep.”

Merritt said she would recommend Lypossage to anyone.

“Don’t be scared of it. It really improves spots,” she said. “Lypossage gives you confidence.”

— For more information about Lypossage, call Tranquility Spot at 784-2499 or e-mail bg.lypossage@yahoo.com.