Cellulite – facts and fiction

Do you think that exercise melts fat and cellulite at the same time? Do you think that drinking water helps reduce cellulite? Do you still think that being skinny means no cellulite? This article will try to tell you if what you though you knew about cellulite is actually true or false.

The truth about cellulite

What you need to know about the causes of cellulite, the evolution of cellulite and what may worsen or improve the appearance of your cellulite.

1. Cellulite is just fat

This one is false. It is true that cellulite is mostly composed of damaged fat and poor circulation and drainage leads to the appearance of cellulite. Just as cosmetic medicine practitioner, dr. Elizabeth Dancey says, women are more prone to develop cellulite than men are, do to their fat cells which have some supporting fibers that aren't so closely interconnected like the ones that men have.

Those fibers tighten their hold on fat cells do to an inactive lifestyle, this in turn creating that dimpling effect of cellulite. The idea is to be careful with weight gain because it does cause cellulite and, of course, even if I know what a deskjob means, at least try to have an active lifestyle.

2. Genes determine cellulite

True. Unfortunately, cellulite is hereditary, just as you may know that some families suffer from a string of diseases or are prone to develop certain conditions on a genetic line. So just as some families are susceptible to some conditions, the possibility of developing cellulite do to genetic causes is no different. Of course, a healthy diet and lifestyle, just as a hormonal balance, play an important role in this equation too.

So, you can influence whether you have cellulite or not, even if the ladies in your family have all suffered from the cottage cheese skin. So my advice to you is to be extremely careful with your lifestyle and take care of your skin through any mean possible.

3. Skinny people don't have cellulite

This is probably one of the most common myths about cellulite out there. Giving that almost 90% of women have cellulite, not all of them are overweight. Even skinny people can develop cellulite, even supermodels can have cellulite, there are a lot of factors that determine whether you'll get the cottage cheese looking skin or not.

Be careful not to yo-yo diet because that type of lifestyle is going to stretch your connective tissue from the skin, which in turn is going to make your cellulite worse. If you don't have weight issues, don't try to lose any more in order to reduce cellulite, because weight loss won't necessarily get rid of your cellulite situation.

4. As you get older, your cellulite gets worse

This one is true. As we age, we tend to exercise less, not care about our weight that much, not care about the quality of out skin so it becomes thinner (unlike us!) and the cellulite that started to develop during puberty due to the hormone called estrogen gets even worse as the years pass.

Getting older will mean decreased circulation, fat cells getting bigger, stretching of the supporting fibers, fluid getting trapped and the puckering effect of cellulite becoming more and more obvious.

The things you can do to prevent the aggravating of cellulite is to keep up a healthy lifestyle meaning: exercise regularly, eat healthy, massage constantly and avoid the toxins building up by eliminating alcohol, nicotine and excess caffeine.

5. Water improves cellulite

This one is another false one it seems, because drinking water will not fix your cellulite issue. Even if you might not know it, you might as well be dehydrated giving that water is primarily used by our internal vital organs, which need it the most and our external organ, the skin, may be in need of more because the internal system had used it all. You should aim to drink at least 1,5 liters of water daily in order to maintain a healthy lymphatic system, which will flush out the toxins and waste products from your body. Be careful not to drink too much water though, because swelling under the skin can make your cellulite even worse.

You can improve the appearance of your cellulite by brushing your body at least two times a week and massaging daily in order to ameliorate bad circulation and boost lymph drainage.

6. Exercise will help you get rid of your cellulite

Good news is that this one is true! Of course, don't imagine that it will help you eliminate cellulite to 100%, because even sports players have cellulite, but it will have a positive impact on your skin. Working out will improve circulation, will remove excess fluid, will tone tour muscles and all of these will give your skin a smoother look.

You are going to need at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five times a week to see the best results in your circulation and lymphatic drainage. You could go to dancing classes, do cycling, jump rope, jump squat, do leg curls, walk swiftly.

7. Eating healthy prevents cellulite

This one is partially true. A healthy diet is, well, healthy for your overall well-being and for the way you look, but it won't guarantee that you will no longer suffer from cellulite at all.

Essential fatty acids like Omega 3 and Omega 6, have anti-inflammatory properties and help reduce cells sticking together. Along with fatty acids, you're going to need to include in your diet coloured fruit and vegetable, like broccoli, bell peppers, blueberries, goji berries, leafy greens and many more, along with fatty fish, eliminating at the same time the junk food and artificial sweeteners.

8. Liposuction is the only sure way to get rid of cellulite

False. Not only is it not your only port of call for treating cellulite-affected area, with stubborn fat deposits, but it may not even remove the cottage cheese look after all. Liposuction is an invasive and traumatic procedure that could actually harm your blood circulation and lymphatic system from functioning the right way. Liposuction did leave mane women with less inches off their thighs but with more lumps and bumps than before.

There are a lot of other technologies that try to act as anti cellulite treatments, the one with ultrasounds for example seem a lot more appealing to break up fat deposits than going under the knife.