ATLANTA , Georgia ( CNN ) -- In our constant battle of the bulge , a new weapon is gaining in popularity . Mineral body wraps are supposed to help you lose weight , but doctors are skeptical . The basic concept is simple : loss by bondage , or body wraps . Around for decades , body wraps were first made popular by Hollywood stars but have since become available to lesser-known mortals . These wraps come in a host of styles ; from minerals to mud , from moving to motionless . Their aim : better bodies . Their claim : less of you when you 're done . `` We do mineral body wraps that take off inches and we guarantee people will lose 6 to 20 inches on the first wrap or the next one is free , '' says Julie Tracey , co-owner of Atlanta 's Suddenly Slimmer salon . But Dr. Erica Brownfield , associate professor of medicine at Emory , is skeptical , at best . `` These results are going to be temporary and there is no scientific data to support what they 're claiming is actually going on , '' she said . In the land of wraps , measurements are key . You wear very little clothing for the body wrap -- a small top matched with a small bottom . These are preferably made from breathable fabric without buttons or zippers , which could get in the way and cause chafing or pinching . The next step is all about the numbers . The wrapper puts measuring tape around various parts of your body and draws marks in black -- sort of `` slash marks the spot . '' Typically , between a dozen and 20 spots are measured . And it 's the sum total of these spots that will tell you how many inches you 've lost when the treatment is over . Most providers will guarantee some inches lost from your first wrap but say you need a series of visits if you want to reduce by as much as , say , a clothing size , Tracey says . Health for Her : What 's it like to get a wrap ? » . And priced at $ 50 to $ 100 , a treatment like this is not a cheap quick fix . But how do they work ? The treatment `` draws out metabolic waste and impurities from the body that lets water flow through better , '' Tracey says . `` Retained water dilutes the metabolic waste and those go between the fat cells and spread things apart . '' `` With the compression of the bandages , because you are wrapped up real tight , we push those fat cells back together and that is what changes the shape . '' Aside from inches gone , body wraps claim to help with issues such as cellulite , skin tone and body shaping . Tracey , whose company has done almost 8,000 wraps , says the treatments also help with stretch marks , wrinkles and lines . But Brownfield and others in the medical field are n't quite buying it . `` Their claims say they are squeezing the fat cells closer together , '' Brownfield says , '' but I think it 's very important for people to realize that they 're not losing fat cells . '' `` Those fat cells , once you decompress them and take those wraps off , they 're going to go back to their usual shape and size . '' Brownfield is also concerned that , in some cases , these wraps could be a health hazard . `` Actually , depending on which wrap you use they can be harmful , they can dehydrate the body , '' she says , which can be dangerous for some people . She also cautions people to make sure they know what type of minerals and solutions are being used in the procedure . Allergic reactions are one concern , but also any type of open wound , contagious disease or rash might make a body wrap a bad idea . And finally , if you have any medical concerns , talk to a doctor before deciding if wrapping up is your best bet for shaping up .
Salons claim body wraps , which are gaining popularity , help you lose inches . Many kinds of materials are available for the treatment , which costs $ 50 to $ 100 . It could cause dehydration or allergic reactions , Dr. Erica Brownfield says . There is no scientific data to support the claims of body wraps , she says .