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Cellulite

September 16th, 2006 | Add a Comment

Cellulite is essentially excess body fat and body fluids that gets accumulated within several layers of skin, especially among women. This commonly happens in and around the thighs, stomach and the buttocks area.

Cellulite tends to appear more unattractive on women than men, however there are physiological reasons for this. If you examine a cross-section of a woman’s thigh, you’ll find the muscles are connected to the skin by fibers that trap fat. The fat bulges out in regions where the connections are absent, giving a wrinkled appearance to the skin. This does not occur in men, where the fibers are connected in a criss-cross pattern that doesn’t allow fat to accumulate or bulge.

Cellulite can be caused by several factors. These include genetic reasons, age, gender and hormonal imbalances. Cellulite deposits can also result from the excessive intake of fatty foods, especially among those men and women who rarely exercise.

Medical science has come up with several treatments to remove cellulite, thought these have had only limited successes. Three of the most common cellulite treatments are:

1. Liposuction: In this treatment, the excess body fat is removed through surgery.

2. Mesotherapy: This treatment is non-invasive. Drugs are injected into the body to dissolve the cellulite deposits, and ensure better circulation.

3. Ionothermie: This treatment is offered at beauty salons and uses small doses of electric current to remove cellulite.

All these treatments, however, are very hard on the pocket book, and can remove only a small percentage of the cellulite. Therefore, doctors most often recommend non-surgical or non-medicine based procedures. These recommendations include:

1. Undertaking a regular exercise routine such as swimming or cycling. Both these activities burn fat in the thigh regions, and help them look shapely.

2. Reducing your consumption of fatty foods and increasing your intake of fresh fruits and green vegetables.

3. Massaging the area gently to ensure better blood circulation and reduce the cellulite deposits.