In dealing with weight issues, many people try everything they can to find the easy way out. Whether it is liposuction, gastric bypass, or miracle diet pills, two things those yearning to lose weight seldom think of trying are dieting and exercise. And the lengths to which they will go carry with them long-term effects that prove not to be the easy way out at all.

The slow-working nature of traditional dieting and exercising can often feel too frustrating for people suffering from eating disorders or simple lack of time. And while these options are and will always be the best ones for a person serious about losing weight, they are thankfully not the only worthwhile treatments available to you.

In beauty salons all over the world, a treatment growing in popularity is the body wrap. Those who swear by body wraps claim the procedure can tighten skin and eliminate toxins. They also claim body wraps are capable of treating eczema and can help you lose inches rapidly.

Here is what to expect if you wish to have this procedure performed:

Estheticians perform body wrap procedures, and they require access to your body for extensive measurements. It is not uncommon to find yourself wearing a shower cap and paper clothing as the esthetician measures multiple areas of your body. Common measurements needed are for the following areas:

• Upper chest
• Under your bustline
• Around your waist and buttocks
• Calves
• Forearms
• Thighs
• Wrists

After that, you can expect to be covered in mineral salt and a clay-based solution.

Salt and clay are used because they exfoliate your dead skin, bringing out waste tissue. Through this “detox” process, you can theoretically lose inches as your skin is tightened and firmed.

So you are probably wondering if any weight is lost. After all, it stands to reason that if you lose inches, you lose weight, right? Wrong. You weigh as much as you ever did, but through the process of detoxification, the body wrap compacts soft body tissues, sculpting you in a new light.

After you are wrapped up like a mummy, you are placed on a bed with a thermal blanket covering you. For an hour, expect to sweat out the toxins of your skin until it is time to be yanked back into the real world. There is an immediate shift from hot to cold as you are pulled from the bed and forced to stand up, enclosed in bandages that are both snug and drenched.

At this point, your bandages are removed, and the mud is wiped clean from your body. Do not shower the first night. Instead let the clay solution start working its magic. It will remain in your skin for around four days after the procedure.

So the question: does it work? Yes, it is not uncommon for a woman to lose 5 inches or more thanks to the process. Try it out for yourself and see, but make sure that your ultimate initiative remains with a healthy diet and exercise routine. This procedure, if nothing else, can give you an added boost for a healthier lifestyle.