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Peter T. Pugliese takes his pantyhose seriously.
In his research lab in Reading, the former country doctor has invented a new kind of pantyhose that he says reduces one of the most stubborn forms of body fat - cellulite.
There are other kinds of pantyhose that claim to slim the thighs, but his approach is more radical. While others aid circulation or massage the skin, his high-tech tights release a chemical that's absorbed by the body.
Call it fashion as alternative medicine.
A bit of a stretch? Others think so, including a past president of the American Academy of Dermatology.
But Pugliese, 74, believes he's on to something. With results from women who tried the hose and saw their thigh size shrink an inch in a month, and backing from a group of private investors, he's ready to jump in, reinforced feet first.
The plan is to test-market the pantyhose, first in Cleveland, within three months.
Word of the invention began to leak out early this month, in a brief announcement in Britain's New Scientist magazine. The tantalizing news was that Victoria's Secret had applied for the patent in Europe.
Could it be? The maker of the Miracle Bra was trying to answer the prayers of women who have cellulite - the dismay of "cottage cheese" thighs and "orange peel" derrieres?
But Pugliese's fling with Victoria's Secret was over before most people even knew about it. The outfit, best known for skimpy undergarments, decided to keep its focus on its current lines.
Pugliese and his new investors - he won't say who, for business reasons - expect to sell the new pantyhose for about $15 a pair. They might be sold in packages of 10, meaning an initial investment of $150.
That many are needed, he says, because less of the active ingredient is given off after a few days.
That ingredient is similar to chemicals in many anti-cellulite creams. They use a compound called theophylline, which is also used to treat asthma. Research has shown that it can help break up fat, Pugliese says. "There have been at least four published clinical studies that it works."
He uses a theophylline acetate complex, a version he says penetrates more easily than the most common kinds in creams.
Pantyhose as a chemical-delivery system may sound gimmicky, but it does have a logical footing, Pugliese says.
Cellulite isn't just fat. It's a special kind of lumpy, bumpy fat that's found mostly in women, even women of normal weight. That's why, except for surgery, cellulite has frustrated a host of strategies, from diet and exercise to bodywraps and flab-shaking machines.
Creams alone often fall short for several reasons, he says. For one thing, a lot stays on the person's hands or rubs off on clothing.
Also critical is timing. The body does its best job of drawing off stored fat when blood-sugar levels are low - between meals and during sleep. A cream might wear off before it could do the most good.
For pantyhose, that's no snag. As long as they're worn, the skin's normal acidity will trigger release of the chemical, creating a continuous assault.
About eight hours at a time seems to work, he says, adding that the hose can be washed in a mild detergent.
So far, he's tested the tights on 61 women, and about 80 percent were happy with the results, he says. "The first thing we look for is that the skin is softer and smoother."
While many women lost an inch in thigh circumference, Pugliese cautions that this isn't a weight-loss program. Sleeker skin is the goal.
It was a request by his wife, Joanna, more than two decades ago that got him thinking about research into skin-care products. At the time, Peter Pugliese, a native of Reading and a 1957 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania medical school, was in family practice.
"When she was 35, she asked what she could do to slow down aging and prevent wrinkles. . . . I began to look into it for her, and started to really get involved in cosmetic science."
He built a name for himself testing and developing cosmetics. Eventually, he created two research companies and sold them both. Today he runs another, Peter T. Pugliese M.D. & Associates.
He has about a half-dozen patents. Several others are pending, including the pantyhose one.
He's also written four books. Skin, Sex and Longevity: The Search for Happiness, published in 1998, explains professional skin care to lay people. He also teaches courses in advanced skin care at his Reading facility.
If this pantyhose works, of course, the market could be remarkable.
Roger Ceilley, past president of the American Academy of Dermatology, acknowledges that "if there were a major breakthrough, it would be pretty popular." But he's skeptical about Pugliese's idea. Though at least one study did show that a theophylline cream seemed to reduce cellulite, it's possible, he says, that the act of rubbing it in is what really smoothed the skin.
Besides, cellulite isn't superficial, he says. It has fibers that connect to deep layers of skin, sort of the way a button on a pillow creates a depression because of thread pulling the button down.
As for using pantyhose, he questions "whether it could deliver enough of the medicine."
Pugliese counters that his tests show the product works, and "we know the dose that's effective."
Another obstacle is competition.
In the last few years, more manufacturers have been marketing "graduated compression" hose. It tugs tightest near the ankles and slowly lessens its grip on its way to the waist. By easing blood's fight against gravity, it aids circulation, helping the wearer feel less tired.
Pugliese himself played a role in developing a line of graduated-compression hose for Hanes, a company spokesman acknowledges.
In Europe, some manufacturers say such a system can fight cellulite. For example, Oroblu, an Italian hosiery giant, came out with its Ex Cell line in 1997. It's available in major U.S. department stores.
It "camouflages cellulite" by smoothing it out, spokeswoman Dianne Miller says. Also, the special weave of the hose provides a massaging action, that, combined with improved circulation, could gradually thin the thighs.
In August, Aristoc will introduce in Britain a Slimline System that massages the skin with a "micro-encapsulated" ingredient.
Pantyhose is only part of Pugliese's campaign against cellulite. Another pending patent focuses on the causes, which he says are the effects of estrogen on connective tissue. "A more comprehensive program" is his dream.
"I can't even imagine retiring," he says, "because there are so many interesting things to do."
He adds: "The real joy of life is accomplishing things, making things. . . . I love science. What really drives me is the why of things, how things work."
Peter Mucha's e-mail address is pmucha@phillynews.com |
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©2006, 2007
Dr. Peter T. Pugliese
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