The other day I was at the park with my little brother and I overheard these girls talking about cellulite and all the mad crazy things they do to try and get rid of it. All these creams and yoga moves and what not, and then it hit me
I dont' think they understand what cellulite is. How I'm sure most of you know, but I figured I would do a little explaining just in case.
Cellulite:
Cause: The build up of fat between your connective tissues
Effect: The dimple appearance
To begin I woud like to say that there is a difference between removing cellulite completely and reducing the appearance. Most treatments
will not remove cellulite from your body, however they can
reduce its appearance...which is really what we all want, right?
So with that said....
LETS BEGIN
Cellulite is a inflammatory condition that can be linked to many things, not just being overweight. Key factors in the growth of cellulite are decreased circulation and the deterioration of "supportive" collagen fibers. Most women have some form of cellulite somewhere on their bodies.
Layers of Skin:
Epidermis (outter layer of skin/flesh)
Dermis (blood vessels, nerves, connective tissue etc)
Subcutaneous (beneath the skin fat, there are three layers of this total)
Where the problem starts:
Subcutaneous
The subcutaneous layer can basically be described as standing fat-cell chambers which is then seperated by
connective tissue. Cellulite forms when these fat-cell chambers leak small bits of fat into the
dermis.
Ok so now your wondering,
if our skin is all the same, how come men don't get cellulite?.
Pause. Men
can get cellulite, its just a lot harder for them. Remember those connective tissues? The connective tissue in a woman runs
vertically (the fat bubbles up between tissue which gives us cellulite), men on the other hand, have different tissue. Their tissue crosses, like an
X therefore it is a lot harder for the fat to bubble up. Men also also have a thicker epidermis and dermis, also those lucky bastards have a thinner first layer of fat.
Cellulite Q&A
Q.Why is cellulite most commonly found in the thighs and butt?
A. Basically? This is where most woman tend to store fat, therefore there is more room for cellulite.
Q.If I lose a lot of weight, will my cellulite go away?
A. Sorry dear, you WILL NOT lose all of your cellulite just because you lost weight. This is because the fat-cell chambers beneath your skin do not change due to weight loss. However, you can successfully reduce the
appearance of your cellulite with progressive weight loss, fad diets will not help.
Q.Can Lipo. help reduce cellulite?
A. In some cases it may, however there is also a high probability that it may
worsen cellulites appearance.
Q.Will topical creams help reduce cellulite?
A. Many biochemicals found in cellulite creams (Caffeine, Theophyilline, and Aminophylline) can help speed up your bodies natural ability to breakdown built up/stored fat. But that cream you bought has a lot of work ahead of it. The challenge facing any cream is that it must
first penetrate the skin and dermis, then it must reach the target fat tissue, then it has to be absorbed by the tissue. For this to be effective, these creams would have to have a sufficient concentration (in the fat layer mind you) for an extended length of time inorder to work properly, which explains why it doesn't always work. These creams may successfully
shrink your thighs, but they don't always
improve cellulite.
Q. Will massage help minimize my cellulite?
A. Massage will help remove excess fluid in your dermis area, however it will not completely
remove cellulite, but it may, it just might help with the
appearance of cellulite on your thighs, butt, etc.
Cellulite 101
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