What's up Cellulite?

Cellulite sucks. We try everything from creams, to liposuctions (known to actually make the appearance worse), to whatever else promises us the elimination of celluite. So do any of them actually work? Are you ready for this- No. There has not been research supports their long-term effectiveness.

So what is cellulite? It is known as a condition that has areas of underlying fat deposits. If you really want to know the technical names adiposis edematosa, dermopanniculosis deformans, status protrusus cutis, and gynoid lipodystrophy. A bit much for me though, so I refer it mostly to cottage cheese skin, hail damage, or mattress phenomenon.


Ok, so let's take a look at the skin anatomy (look below).

Epidermis:outermost layer
Dermis: right under your epidermis. The dermis is filled with hair particles, blood vessels, sweat glands, nerves, and connective tissue.
Finally the three layers of subcutaneous(beneath the skin):
Uppermost: This is generally decscribed as fat cell chambers seperated by conncective tissue. From here you have tiny projections of fat cells that protrude into the dermis. This creates unevenness of this subcutaneous fat and thus gives the skin the bumpy appearance known as cellulite.

Cellulite tends to hit after puberty, and it generally affects women more than men.
Why is that? Well, women typically have more body fat than men, but mainly because the bands that connect the skin and muscles on both men and women are different. The bands are thicker on men, they have more of them and form a crisscross pattern whereas women's are vertical.  Since they are thicker, men's fat is keep in place.

Some theories of causes taken from medicalnews.com are as follows:

Hormonal factors - hormones likely play an important role in cellulite development. Many believe estrogen, insulin, noradrenaline, thyroid hormones, and prolactin are part of the cellulite production process.

Genetics - certain genes are required for cellulite development. Genes may predispose an individual to particular characteristics associated with cellulite, such as gender, race, slow metabolism, distribution of fat just underneath the skin, and circulatory insufficiency.

Diet - people who eat too much fat, carbs, or salt and too little fiber are likely to have greater amounts of cellulite.

Lifestyle factors - cellulite may be more prevalent in smokers, those who do not exercise, and those who sit or stand in one position for long periods of time.

Clothing - underwear with tight elastic across the buttocks (limiting blood flow) may contribute to the formation of cellulite. Think about THONGS ladies!! :D

So what can we do? Well, studies have shown that less body fat seems to equal in less cellulite. So, incoporate a well balanced healthy diet with aerobic exercise and strength training. Be consistent with this, and make it part of your lifestyle. Don't fall for those quick fixes. They never work!

Sources:http://www.drlenkravitz.com; livestrong.com