Thursday, February 26, 2009

What Causes Cellulite And How Do You Treat It?

By Dan da Silva

A curse to many women, cellulite is formed close to the skin surface and produces a number of wrinkled fat cells intermixed with the connective tissue and produces that strange orange peel' effect most of us have witnessed. Most women carry excess fat in thighs and buttocks, but this condition is not confined just to the overweight as it is in reality, a lumpy substance that looks more like cottage cheese that forms beneath the skin.

Fat beneath the surface of the skin pushes against connective tissue causing it to give that dimpled look commonly known as cellulite. Health experts have been trying to discover the cause for some time as it is not a condition that affects every woman but they believe it does have some connection to the way the fat cells are made and possibly how toxins enter and are stored within the body.

This problem usually comes naturally with aging and similar to wrinkles that form in the face, it is actually the result of lower levels of collagen and elastin in the skin. Women are more prone to hormonal imbalances as they age and the fat found in their thighs and buttocks where it forms is different to the fat in other areas, unlike men who rarely suffer with this condition.

Often the cellulite goes unnoticed and it is only when a person's muscles are compressed or the skin is pinched that it can be seen and felt but women should not feel depressed about the problem as most suffer with it to a greater or lesser degree. Just how much a person has will depend on a number of factors like, age, gender, genetics and even the thickness and type of skin they have will affect how easily it can be seen.

One thing for sure is that technology has not as yet devised a miracle potion or treatment that can eradicate it completely. One method that hides the cellulite quite well by puffing the skin is deep massage and an increasing number of clinics are now offering this therapy.

Perhaps the most drastic therapy is liposuction where fat is literally sucked from the body or the more expensive procedure of injecting certain chemicals in a process called mesotherapy. Only temporary relief can be gained from both these procedures and liposuction despite its success at removing deep fat from large areas of the body, is not designed for the fats close to the surface as in the case of cellulite.

There isn't one single therapy or treatment that can rid someone of these fat deposits and even special burning creams provide dubious results; however the most recent creams available seem to just hide the effects or offer a temporary fix. It can only really be reduced as part of an overall weight reduction program through adopting a healthy eating and living plan, together with increasing exercise, so that body fat is reduced rather than connective tissues.

In addition, increasing the intake of water will help cleanse the system and flush out damaging toxins plus smokers should stop smoking or at least reduce it which will also be beneficial as smoking impacts negatively on the capillaries in the skin and reducing stress will help reduce the amount of cellulite. - 15683

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