Cellulite Facts

Cellulite is a condition that is found in both men and women of various ages; however, it seems to be most common in women. Cellulite occurs when the skin of your lower legs, abdomen and pelvic region become dimpled after you have passed puberty. You may have heard cellulite called other names such as orange-peel syndrome or cottage-cheese skin, maybe even hail damage.
Cellulite occurs when a person gains weight and the fat cells expand. The fat cells tend to bulge up towards the surface of the skin. Keep in mind that men not only have less fat on their thighs but the outer skin on a man’s body is thicker and slows what is happening to surplus fat. Much to our surprise, cellulite is not caused by being overweight but can be caused by a poor diet or changes in your metabolism and physiology. Other causes are from disorders such as that of water metabolism, also abnormal hyper-polymerization of connective tissue, as well as chronic venous insufficiency.
Other contributing factors to cellulite include hormones and genetic factors. Diet has been proven to affect the development of cellulite in the body. Large intakes of fat, carbohydrates, or not enough fiber all contribute to cellulite. Even your lifestyle contributes to cellulite: Smokers, people who don’t get enough exercise, and people who are standing or sitting in a certain position for long periods of time or suffer with a high level of stress.
Did you know what you choose to wear can affect the amounts of cellulite in your body? The underwear you choose can contribute to cellulite. If you wear tight elastic underwear, it limits your blood flow, allowing cellulite to form. Clothing such as thongs, boxers, or sleeping naked will aid in reducing the problems underwear can cause in developing cellulite.
There are three grades of cellulite. The first grade is when you show no clinical symptoms. With grade 2, your skin shows lower temperatures and decreased muscular contraction, however cellulite is not visible on the skin. With grade 3, the cellulite is visible on the skin and thin granulations are detected in the deep levels of your skin.
The good news is while there are no proven therapies, a good diet and controlling stress and anxiety are very beneficial in preventing and reducing cellulite in your body. You do have the options of cosmetic creams, cosmetic lasers, and other cosmetic procedures such as mesotheropy. Some people even try liposuction; however, this has not been proven to reduce cellulite.