What is Cellulite?
FEATURED on so many magazine covers as a curse to be obliterated, what is cellulite?
A whole industry has grown up and around ways to banish cellulite, but it is a perfectly normal part of a woman’s body and has no health implications at all.
Simply put, cellulite is the dimpling of skin around parts of the thighs, upper arms, buttocks, or abdomen and is a purely cosmetic issue.
It mainly affects women, though some men can have it as well, and is due to natural fatty tissues finding their way through the septae – fibrous bands which join your muscle to your skin.
As we age, skin thins naturally, and the dimpled effect becomes more noticeable – as it does with sun-damaged skin and loose skin as well.
But nearly every woman will experience cellulite as they grow older, and even some men – though much less so as there is a difference in how the fatty tissue is structured and stored in male and female bodies, meaning it is less likely to breach the fibrous bands.
It is not fully known why some people are more prone to cellulite than others though gender is a definite factor, genetics and lifestyle are thought to play a part as well as hormonal and vascular issues.
One thing cellulite is not though is simply fat, and the common idea that losing weight will solve the problem is not true – cellulite can be a part of any woman’s body regardless of their size.
While exercise can help some people’s cellulite by toning muscles, for others it can even exacerbate the look if it leads to looser skin.
The dislike of cellulite is a relatively new fashion phenomenon coming from France in the early years of the last century and perpetuated by glossy fashion and lifestyle magazines, yet historically it has featured in many works of art including sculpture and paintings celebrating the female body.
Cellulite can be barely noticeable in some people or even vary depending on the position the body is in. It usually starts to appear as puckered skin after puberty but is a completely natural part of a female body as the fibrous bands that pull on the skin are an important part of the human form.
The fashion industry promises all sorts of solutions to cellulite, but many are not what they may seem to promise. There are no creams or lotions to remove cellulite, though some may have an impact on the skin itself, as caffeine may help break down fat, and products containing retinol can help thicken the skin’s top layer.
Cellulite removal itself requires extensive work on collagen, fat, and connective tissue remodeling – and is not guaranteed to be permanent as new fibrous bands can become visible over time. There are a wide variety of options for this each with its own plus and minus points to consider – and a range of costs to match.
