Friday, 28 March 2008

Cellulite - a brief overview

Around the world, women suffer with an unsightly condition known universally as cellulite; the lower half of the body is the most likely, but not exclusive, area that will be affected. It would be unfair to say this is a condition exclusive to overweight women because that couldn't be further from the truth; the cottage cheese appearance so familiar with this condition can affect slim women as well.


Cellulite forms just below the surface of the skin in the thighs and buttocks region, where areas of fat collect and force themselves against the tissue creating a puckered look to the surface of the skin. In reality, nobody knows the real reason why some people accumulate these fats and not others, but there are some factors that health experts are considering such as the structure of the fat cells or toxins that enter the body.


One thing is for certain though ad that is this problem increases with age which is partly due to the reduction of collagen and elastin in the system which is why we tend to have more lines as we get older. It is classified as a hormonal imbalance experienced by women and seldom appears on males as normally fat stored in the thighs and buttock is the same as fat stored all over the body so no difference is observed.


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.


As the reasons for the formation are still a mystery, no complete treatment has been devised to rid the condition from people who suffer with is badly even though there are many creams that claim to rid someone of it. A large number of cosmetic clinics are now offering a massage service which they say rids the cellulite but it in fact hides it by puffing up the skin in the areas affected.


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. The problem with liposuction is that it is not really the correct therapy for removing this type of fat but is for deeper fats, not those stuck in connective tissue, so it cannot claim to be a best treatment for cellulite.


Whilst the creams that claim to burn the fat deposits away may not be very successful, the latest generation is designed to hide the condition although once again this is a short term answer. 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.


Water too is useful as it has the effect of flushing out toxins that accumulate and are thought to be partly responsible for the cellulite; in addition to this smokers are urged to quit or reduce their smoking which is an effective way for toxins to enter the body.

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