Thursday, February 26, 2009

What is Cellulite and How Do You Remove 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. Although additional fat is normal in women, this is not just a condition that is exclusive to overweight women and the cottage cheese look can affect slim women as well.

Fat beneath the surface of the skin pushes against connective tissue causing it to give that dimpled look commonly known as cellulite. After many years of research, scientists still cannot determine the exact reason for its formation or why some are affected more than others but there may be some connection between toxins that enter the body and how certain fat cells store them.

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.

Currently there isn't one single treatment that can rid a person of this condition because the cause has remained elusive despite considerable research into the area. Where cellulite removal massage is offered at a clinic, all that is done is deep tissue massage which just masks the affect so it cannot be seen as readily.

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. - 16036

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