What is a cellulite?
Cellulite is a collection of fatty tissue that protrudes from under the skin. It is most often seen on the buttocks, thighs and lower abdomen. Due to cellulite, the skin looks lumpy, folded, with small pits, somewhat reminiscent of cottage cheese or orange peel.
Although it may look ugly, cellulite is not a health hazard, it is purely a cosmetic problem. According to statistics, about 80-90% of women face it, so cellulite is often called normal adipose tissue. Men are more fortunate – only 10% develop such a problem.
Why does a cellulite occur?
It is formed when the connective tissue that attaches the skin to the muscles is stretched unevenly. To understand, imagine a sausage wrapped in a rope (or as it is also called a sausage in a net). The rope is connective tissue (they are also fibrous) strands, and the sausage, which is slightly pushed out between the strands, is adipose tissue. The adipose tissue protruding from under the fibrous bands in the form of small tubercles on the skin is cellulite.
Why is cellulite more common in women than in men?
There are two explanations for this. Firstly, the anatomical structure of the cords – in women they are attached from the skin to the muscles in parallel, while in men they cross over. More adipose tissue is placed between parallel strands, which is why women have more expressive buttocks and hips. Secondly, the high level of female sex hormones – estrogen. Therefore, cellulite often occurs when women produce a lot of estrogen, usually during adolescence or pregnancy.
What other factors contribute to the development of cellulite?
- Excess weight makes cellulite more visible. However, it can be even in trained or thin people.
- With age, the skin loses its elasticity, so in older people cellulite is more noticeable.
- There is also a family pattern of inheritance: if parents had bright cellulite, then children are likely to encounter it too, so most likely the main cause of cellulite is genetics.
Is it possible to get rid of a cellulite?
It’s worth warning right away: no matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to completely get rid of cellulite. But there are ways to reduce its manifestations.
First, exercise. They will strengthen the tone of the muscles, which will smooth and improve the appearance of the skin. But in order to achieve the effect, you need to do it regularly, and the result will be visible not earlier than in 2-3 months. Secondly, the normalization of body weight, if there is excess weight. Thirdly, a cream containing 0.3% retinol, which must be applied 1 or 2 times a day.
If a cellulite is pronounced or causes severe inconvenience, then you can seek medical help. Of the more or less proven methods, the following are used:
- Ablative laser and radiofrequency therapy. Influencing with heat from a laser or radio frequency radiation, the fibrous cords that stretched the adipose tissue are destroyed, as a result, the appearance of cellulite on the skin is reduced.
- Cryolipolysis. The procedure reduces subcutaneous fat using a device that uses vacuum suction to lift tissue and bring it into contact with cooling plates.
- Acoustic wave therapy. The doctor applies the gel to the affected skin and operates a small handheld device that sends out sound waves to break up the cellulite.
- Operation. Your doctor may suggest one of a variety of surgical procedures to physically separate the fibrous bands under the skin (subcision) to smooth the skin.
All these techniques are expensive, they do not help immediately (certainly not after the 1st procedure) and cellulite will not be completely removed.
Therefore, it is better to learn to love your body and play sports.