Cellulite Treatment

Facts About Cellulite

It is one physical phenomenon that almost no woman is safe from: Cellulite. Studies show that about 90% of post-pubescent women are prone to getting cellulite. But as with every unfortunate physicality that comes our way, the best defense is a good offense. Common sense tells us that we lessen the chances of getting cellulite by knowing what it is, how it is caused, and doing what we can do avoid it through exercise and a good diet.

Literally, the word cellulite was derived from the French word for cell and the suffix "ite" meaning cell disease, and this literal translation already hints at what kind of condition it really is. Medically, cellulite is known as a form of localized lipodystrophy, which means misshapen fat that is found in one or several key areas of the body. If you are blessed enough to not know what this occurrence is, cellulite is the fatty deposits in the body characterized by wrinkled and dimply skin. It occurs mostly in mature women, commonly in the thigh and hip area, as well as the buttock and leg area. Do not be fooled however, a girl becomes prone to getting cellulite as soon as she goes through puberty, so one cannot be too early in preparing for this.

Cellulite appears in the subcutaneous level of the skin tissue. Although the common misconception is that cellulite is caused because of excess fat in the body, what is surprising to discover is that it has less to do with fat cells, and actually has more to do with the connective tissues that shape the fat and keep them in place. Fat cells are arranged in chambers surrounded by bands of connective tissue called septae. As water is retained by the body, fat cells held within the perimeters of this area expand this connective tissue. However, eventually this skin tissue contracts and hardens, and as a result the skin is pressured into a non-flexible length, while the surrounding tissue continues to expand due to the weight of the water gain. As a result the affected area becomes dimply, with some areas held down and others bulging out. This is why even though most fat deposits are lost through diet and exercise, the cellulite that particular body part accumulated remains, and is actually the last form of fat to be lost. This is generally because it occurs only when damaged fatty tissues accumulate.

Poor circulation is one of the most prevalent causes of cellulite. It is when these connective tissues shaping the fat are weakened due to the abnormal circulation of the blood that the damage primarily occurs. Poor circulation causes an upsurge of highly damaging free radicals in the tissues under the skin. Because of this, growth of thick fibers are triggered in the wrong place, and as a result fat is prevented from being properly absorbed by the blood. This blockage causes further swelling with the excess fluids and stretches the connective tissues thereby resulting in cellulite.

A downside to all this is discovering that lessening the amount of body fat you have might not result in the disappearance of unsightly cellulite. While in some women it reduces the appearance of cellulite on the surface, the root cause is not eliminated. In reality, what needs to be done is to eliminate the deformed tissues in order to maintain the proper circulation that the cells need.