Causes
Cellulite is a permanent change in the fat that is stored under your skin. We all have some body fat - even skinny models - so we're all susceptible to cellulite as we get older. You can sometimes spot it on women who otherwise appear very youthful or slim.
In cellulite, the thin layer of tissue between the fat cells (often just a few cells thick) becomes more fibrous - like a scar. The fibrous areas start to pull together around the fat, causing the tiny dimples and irregularities typical of cellulite.
Hormonal factors
The formation of cellulite is closely linked to the effects of hormones in the body, especially the female sex hormones. When levels of hormones change dramatically - such as at puberty and during pregnancy - something causes cellulite to be laid down. Many women find the condition gets much worse after having children; yet another rarely mentioned burden of pregnancy!
Treatment
Nothing as simple or as superficial as a cream could possibly break down the process of fibrosis or reverse it. No herbal lotion or strange unguent can remedy the problem.
Massage is supposed to break down the fibrous bands, but there's little hard evidence to support this. If massage were to work, it would have to be extremely firm to have any effect.
Some new devices are trying to take the idea of massage one step further, for example by using a combination of lasers and massage to try to break down the cellulite. One device, which uses a combination of radio frequency energy and infrared light to heat up and release the fat (which is simultaneously smoothed over with a suction roller) has been given approval by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) in the US.
But approval by the FDA (which reviews all new medical treatments) is limited, only covering a temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite, not cure or permanent removal of the problem. The effects have only been shown in a small number of patients (leading some critics to question just how valid the statistics are) and the treatment is very expensive (amounting to hundreds of pounds) for a result that lasts just a few months.
The only treatment that might have a permanent effect is liposuction, which is a dramatic step to take. This works by sucking out the fat cells - removing the problem tissue altogether. Once gone, these cells aren't replaced, so the area should remain smooth, although your body may then have to store any added fat in other fat pockets, such as on your shoulders, which can end up distorting the shape of your body.
This article was last medically reviewed by Dr Trisha Macnair in August 2005.
First published in November 1997.
Cellulite News:
The Results are In: Dermitàge Cellulite Control Kit Produces Smooth Silhouettes and Soaring Sales (PRWeb) - Post Launch Numbers Prove Success on Many Levels (PRWeb Aug 20, 2008) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/08/prweb1192304.htm
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