Throwback Thursday - The Redusaway
While looking online for vintage vibrators, as is my habit, I found one that I've never seen before. It's the Redusaway Massager from Ward Green Company electrical. This is similar to the roller type massagers of the time, but it's so absolutely adorable, I can't stand it! It looks like a telephone, or an iron, or some combination of the two.
I can only find pictures of it and listings for them o auction sites. haven't found any other information about it. It appears that the rollers are made of ceramic. One listing claims it's from the 1950's. From the name, I'm guessing it was marketed as weight loss tool.
We might find this hilarious now, since vibrators are openly marketed as sex toys, and right very similar kinds of units are marketed as cellulite reducers now. While looking for information on this toy, I stumbled across this page. Which lists a number of massagers that are supposedly good at reducing cellulite. The site says that 'Recent studies suggest that a regular cellulite massage can help in the fight against cellulite'. Yet there are no citations or links to those studies. All of the units shown are vibrators of some types. They are great for massages, for stimulating circulation, for helping sore muscles - mainly because of the increased circulation - but I've never seen any credible study that shows they reduce cellulite or stimulate weight loss.
The only way I can think that these items might help with weight loss is if you love using them so much, you forego eating so that you can spend more time with your massager.
I don't really care if the Redusaway actually helps one reduce. It vibrates! And I'm sure it was a pretty strong vibration. And it's adorable. And if someone found it and you were embarrassed to tell the truth, you could easily pass it off as a steam roller for your clothes.
I'm thinking seriously about picking one up.