As I write this, all I can see out the glass doors from my vantage point in my kitchen is snow, snow and more snow. It’s hard to believe that warm weather – and shorts, bathing suits and short skirts – will be here soon. Spring is just a few weeks away and for many women – dare I say most women – that’s an intimidating prospect as the thought of baring thighs, stomachs and upper arms may be less than appealing. Let me backtrack. Years ago, when I was newly-married, there was a product on the market that promised to “reduce the appearance of” cellulite. I weighed about 100 pounds and didn’t have a dimple on me, but I bought the product anyway. As I recall, it was a molded plastic “sponge” into which you inserted a bar of soap that held the magical ingredients that would stop cellulite in its tracks. The instructions said to massage your thighs, butt, stomach, upper arms – anywhere cellulite appeared – in several directions for several minutes every single day. I followed the directions diligently, massaging the invisible cellulite on my thighs. The result? I never did notice a difference in my thighs but I developed a great set of biceps. That product, the name of which escapes me, was so widely promoted, it was sold everywhere from high end department stores to drugstores. It made millions for the manufacturers but did nothing for me. So what exactly is cellulite and, if you have it, can you get rid of it?
Cellulite – What Is It and Why Do I Have It?
Cellulite is fat, normal fat that lies beneath the skin. It’s been considered a special kind of fat; unique to women; especially skinny women and fat that can be massaged, pummeled, exercised and basically wished away. The fact is that cellulite is regular fat that makes the skin appear bumpy when it pushes against connective tissue. Cellulite, which usually appears on the thighs, butt, abdomen and upper arms is more common in women although men can have it too. It occurs in all ethnicities, although it tends to be less noticeable on darker skin, and it occurs at all ages although it becomes increasingly more common as we age. There seems to be a genetic component associated with cellulite so, if other women in your family have it, you may have a greater chance to have it too. Other contributing factors include a poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, thickness of your skin, dehydration, slow metabolism and hormone changes.
I Prefer to Eat My Cottage Cheese, Not Wear It. What Do I Do?
As you might imagine, the cellulite-burning industry is a multi-million dollar one. Treatments abound and there is no shortage of lotions and creams that promise to reduce the appearance of dimpled skin. But do they work? Let’s talk first about the lifestyle changes that do help to minimize the appearance of cellulite. If you’re overweight, an overall weight loss will help to reduce lumps, bumps and dimpled thighs as will staying hydrated which actually works to reduce excess fluid in tissues. We know that exercise does not help you spot reduce but it will firm up muscles that lie underneath skin to make it appear smoother. Avoiding salt, which causes fluid retention making cellulite appear worse and sugar which is stored as fat, may help reduce cellulite too. A technique as simple as applying a self-tanner will also help to reduce the appearance of dimpling.
Fine, But I Already Do That. What Else Is There?
Many procedures claim to reduce or eliminate cellulite. Laser treatments melt fat under the skin, stimulate collagen production and break up the fibrous bands of tissue that help to create the distinctive cottage cheese look of cellulite. While laser treatments offer a more permanent reduction of cellulite, massage may offer a temporary one by helping drain tissues of excess fluid. Got a big event coming up? Book a massage the day before.
Mesotherapy is a treatment during which vitamins, minerals, enzymes and amino acids are injected beneath the skin to break down fat and therefore improve the appearance of cellulite. The jury’s still out on whether or not mesotherapy works but it does carry some risks including infection and deeper dimpling. About a decade ago, Endermologie was the word on many people’s lips when they talked about reducing or eliminating cellulite. Endermologie treatments utilize rollers that apply a gentle suction to the skin that is said to increase blood flow and lymphatic drainage while eliminating excess fluid and fat cells. The debate as to whether or not Endermologie works rages on. Some people swear by it while others say it’s ineffective. Body wraps, which gained popularity in the 80s and 90s, are said to pull toxins out of the body and thereby reduce lumps, bumps, overall inches and the appearance of cellulite. Aestheticians who perform body wraps and health experts agree that results are temporary and body wraps do not target cellulite although some people claim to have had successful, albeit short-lived results.
Lotions, Potions and Creams, Oh My
This category grows annually and many well-known beauty companies have jumped on the cellulite-reducing bandwagon including Jergens, L’Oreal, L’Occitane, Nivea, Bliss and Almay. Caffeine is an ingredient found in many cellulite creams and, according to Dr. Oz, it does work by breaking down fat cells, dehydrating the area treated by the cream and temporarily tightening and firming the skin. Another ingredient touted as a cellulite destroyer is Aminophylline cream which, when topically applied, breaks down fat cells.
The Good News – and The Bad
Experts estimate that nine out of 10 women have cellulite and, as you probably already know, it was once considered a sign of beauty as evidenced by the dimpled derrieres of the women in Peter Paul Rubens’ paintings. Unfortunately, for now Rubenesque women are out of favor so the quest to quell cellulite continues. The bottom line? There really is no easy and permanent way to reduce cellulite. The lifestyle changes and some of the treatments and products mentioned in this post may help to reduce the appearance of cellulite. One to try that may work for you is Firm Me Up Anti-Cellulite Creme from UP Beauty. In clinical study findings released by the company, users experienced statistically significant improvement in the appearance of skin’s texture and smoothness after four weeks of use and in the appearance of cellulite after eight weeks of use. Study participants were asked not to change lifestyle habits and were asked not to use other skin treatment products during the term of the trial study. Firm Me Up retails for $89.00 for a five ounce tube and is available in select stores and online at http://www.UPBeautyOnline.com.
Here’s the fact: Most women have cellulite. Skinny women have it; overweight women have it. Models have it; celebrities have it. The latter also have teams of artists who photoshop their skin to perfection before any photograph is released to the public. Since we can’t photoshop real life, here’s a novel idea … If you hate your cellulite, try some of the lifestyle changes, techniques and products mentioned in this post to temporarily minimize its appearance – or, try to forget about it and don’t let it stop you from enjoying all the wonderful things about summer.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
What Makes Someone Attractive? Science Attempts to Answer
Are Aging Facial Bones Making You Look Older?
