The bad news? There's not much you can do about cellulite. The good news? It won't kill you.
The dimpled, orange-peel appearance of cellulite is caused by fatty tissue protruding in an irregular pattern in the connective tissue beneath your skin. Yes, that's right: blobs of fat making their way to the surface.
Beneath your skin, fibrous strands of connective tissue span multiple layers of tissue, connecting your skin to deeper tissue layers of fat and muscle, creating compartments of fat cells.
Women's fat compartments are larger and more rectangular than men's, and their walls run perpendicular to the surface of the skin rather than diagonally, as men's do. Therefore, when the fascia (upper wall of connective tissue that covers and binds the layers of the tissue) is weakened and fat lobes push up into the dermis, the skin surface becomes uneven and dimply.
Furthermore, when the fat cells increase in size, the compartments bulge, exaggerating the dimpling appearance on your skin. Weight loss and exercise, and applications that cause the skin to swell can minimize the appearance of cellulite but none of these solutions affect the underlying cause.
The Cellulite Culprits
Factors that can increase the appearance of cellulite and/or your chances of developing it:
Lifestyle & Diet
Consuming foods containing an overabundance of toxins (fried food, alcohol, caffeine, sugar) overwhelms the body's ability to eliminate them. Lack of exercise, stress, and insufficient water intake can cause poor lymphatic flow and poor blood circulation, each of which has been associated with the increased appearance of cellulite.
Heredity & Genetics
Chances of developing cellulite can be traced from generation to generation, indicating genetic factors influencing the structure and composition of fat and dermal tissues may be at play.
Age
As the tone and condition of the skin declines with age, its ability to aid in the nutrition and regeneration process for underlying tissues also declines.
Hormones
Estrogen and progesterone levels dictate how much fat your body stores or releases. Recent studies have shown that estrogen weakens tissue capsules causing it to lose its ability to contain the fat mass and allowing fat lobes to protrude up to the dermis. Women typically store fat in cellulite-prone areas (thighs and buttocks) during pregnancy or while taking oral contraceptives.
Is There A Cure for Cellulite?
Weight Loss & Exercise
While larger fat cells generally create more pronounced dimpling, you can have cellulite whether you are overweight, normal, or thin - you either have these irregular patterns of connective tissue or your don't.
Cellulite Creams
Creams containing exfoliating agents such as Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA), agents such as Retinoids (which improve skin thickness and blood circulation to the skin), and even Xanthines (shown to stimulate fat metabolism during in vitro testing) have all failed to act as effective treatments for cellulite. Caffeine, the active ingredient in most cellulite creams, works to tighten blood vessels, which can temporarily produce a slightly smoother appearance, but ultimately it has no effect on the fatty deposits responsible for cellulite.
Body Wraps
While this treatment may be relaxing and may result in softened skin and temporary weight loss (as a result of fluid loss) body wraps do not reduce cellulite.
Endermologie
Some people claim Endermologie works cellulite miracle, but this deep-tissue massage (touted to break up the fatty deposits) is very expensive and time-consuming. Although Endermologie is FDA approved as a temporary approach to treating cellulite, most physicians dismiss it as bogus.
Liposuction
Liposuction involves the removal of fat from the reserve layers of fat, and is not typically performed on the subcutaneous layers of fat where cellulite originates. Liposuction is not advised as a treatment for cellulite since this already invasive procedure can result in severe bleeding, swelling, and even scarring when performed on subcutaneous layers.
Ionithermie
Ionithermie cellulite reduction is a complex detox treatment designed to minimize the appearance of cellulite, improve and smooth skin, firm and tone, detox, as well as slenderize and contour the treated area. It involves the use of biological compounds such as Gauarana, RNA, micronized algae and thermal clay, in combination with an electrical stimulus to stimulate and restore muscle and tissue. Multiple treatments (at up to $200 per session) are advised in order to zap the pesky dimples. It's by no means a miracle cure for cellulite, but may leave your skin feeling and looking firmer in the short term.
