What is cellulite and what is its cause?Cellulite is a condition that is found in 80-90% of all women. It describes the deposition fat tissue under the skin of the upper thighs, the belly, hips, and buttocks that lead to a dimpled, uneven, orange-peel or cottage cheese-like appearance of the skin. Hormones like the female hormone estrogen are considered to play a dominant role in the development of cellulite. Stress hormones can also play a role. Genetics can contribute to the susceptibility to cellulite as well.
There are numerous treatments advertised to get rid of cellulite, but scientific evidence of their efficacy is often inconclusive and treatments that work for one person might not work for the other. Best results are often seen when medical treatments for cellulite are combined with lifestyle changes.
Lifestyle
Since cellulite is caused by fat deposition under the skin, one cellulite treatment that actually works in reducing cellulite is getting rid of excess fat through a weight loss program. While this might not lead to a complete resolution of the condition, it is a good place to start, if you want to get rid of cellulite.
Exercising, especially when using exercises targeting the affected areas works in several ways as a cellulite treatment: it helps you keep or achieve a healthy weight, it tones the muscles in the affected areas, which will also improve the skin tone, and it might help you relieve stress and lower the levels of stress hormones in your body that can contribute to cellulite. Exercising also increases blood and lymph flow in the body and thus helps to get rid of edema that can worsen the appearance of areas affected by cellulite.
Keeping well hydrated during exercising and also in general can also improve the appearance of the skin and help you in your efforts to get rid of cellulite. If these methods don’t lead to the success you wished for, or you are looking for cellulite treatments that give you faster results there are plenty of other ways to get rid of cellulite.
Lymph drainage
Lymphedema can worsen the appearance of your skin in general and especially in areas affected by cellulite. A lymph drainage massage therapy can certainly get rid of this edema, additionally it increases the blood flow to the area and thus can jump start the metabolism, especially when combined with exercise. However, it will not remove the fat deposits that are the main cause of cellulite and therefore is of limited effect, if used alone in your fight to get rid of cellulite.
Lipomassage/ Endermologie
A lipomassage especially the ones delivered with the specialized Endermologie machines is a specialized massage that uses rollers and suction in an attempt to redistribute fat deposits under the skin to give a smoother appearance. It can give good results as a cellulite treatment for people who are fairly young (between 30 and 45 years of age) and physically active. People, who are more than 30 lbs overweight, who don’t exercise, and who are older than 45, usually do not benefit from this treatment form.
Herbal supplements
Many herbal supplements are advertised as ways to get rid of cellulite. Most of these are appetite controllers or other forms of weight loss supplements. Effects of these as cellulite treatments are usually only seen when they are combined with a calorie-reduced diet and weight loss.
Other herbal supplements are vitamin and mineral supplements that aim at improving your nutritional status. There is no doubt about that, if your body receives the appropriate amount of vitamins and minerals, your skin will look younger and firmer. So if your diet is not as balanced as it should be, vitamin and mineral supplements e.g. in form of a daily multivitamin might help improving your skin tone.
Cellulite creams
Cellulite creams mainly work on firming and hydrating the skin which in creases the elasticity and can improve the appearance of the skin. Depending on the ingredients some also increase blood flow to the treated area. They might therefore be a great adjunct therapy in combination with other cellulite treatments. Many companies that produce cellulite creams claim that they also reduce fat deposits and cite scientific studies that are supposed to show that. Nevertheless, references of the publications of the studies in peer-reviewed journals are never given, so that the consumer is unable to verify these claims. But do you believe that a cream can help you loose weight and get rid of fat deposits?
Body wraps
Body wraps are usually applied in a spa, or at home and consist of plastic or rubber garments worn around the waist. Some of the body wraps cover the waist, hips and thighs, and others can cover a large area of the body. As a cellulite treatment, creams or lotions are sometimes applied before the body wrap to help with getting rid of cellulite. Some spas use herbal body wraps for their treatments. These additions can sooth the skin and/or increase the circulation in the wrapped area.
A body wrap in a spa can be very relaxing and this by itself can have a positive effect on cellulite as it will reduce stress hormones that can contribute to the condition. It increases blood circulation and can therefore have a similar positive effect as massage therapy and endermologie. Body wrap proponents, however, claim that it will help you loose inches in the affected areas during the short time of the treatment. While this might be true due to profuse sweating, the loss is mainly water and therefore only temporary. It will soon be replaced by eating and drinking.
Liposuction
Liposuction is surgical removal of fat tissue. It is a great and fast way to get rid of unsightly fat cushions. However, as a treatment for cellulite it might not as good as you would think at first. Cellulite is caused by fat deposited in the uppermost layer directly under the skin. Liposuction does not remove fat from these areas, and therefore might not work to get rid of cellulite. As a matter of fact, since liposuction can leave the skin loose, especially, if a large amount of fat is removed or if the patient is older, it can worsen the appearance of the cellulite after the treatment.
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