Cellulite is a dimpling of the skin due to the protrusion of subcutaneous fat into the dermis causing an undulation. That is basically a fancy way of describing those annoying little dimples that seem to show up on your thighs, and make you a bit uncomfortable in your bathing suit.

Despite what many think, cellulite is not necessarily related to being overweight. You can be average weight, and even underweight and still have cellulite. In fact, some studies have shown 85% to 98% of post pubescent females have at least some cellulite. It appears to be more common in Caucasian females than in Asian females, but all races show some signs of it. It is also a female problem, as it is very rare in men, and when it does appear it is usually the result of an unrelated medical problem.

It is important to note that there are some who would argue that cellulite is not even a problem. By definition it is just some of the normal fatty tissue that the female body is supposed to have anyway, that just gets a little out of place and wanders up to close to the skin. It is not going to hurt anything, and it has to be somewhere. The problems with cellulite are pretty much confined to appearance and self image. With that said, lets look at some ways to get rid of it.

Treatments for Cellulite

• Diet and Exercise. This would be a natural place for a first step. You should be eating a low fat diet and exercising anyway. It is healthy for you. A strict diet designed to reduce weight is not going to be overly effective. Remember the cellulite is not present because there is too much fatty tissue; it is there because it is in the wrong place. A balanced diet, drinking plenty of water, and a good exercise program designed to improve muscle tone can help reduce cellulite or eliminate it (Read the 7 ways to boost your metabolic rate and lose weight). Even if it doesn’t, it is a good idea anyway, and the improvement in your overall appearance might just compensate for a little dimpling anyway.

• Creams and Vitamins. There are quite a few creams on the market that claim to reduce cellulite. The ingredients that are most common in these creams have been shown to stimulate fat metabolism, but most recent studies have not identified any that are sure fire cellulite cures in everyone who uses them. The idea is good. Since the creams are topical, and reach into the layers of skin where the wandering fat is located, and cause the fat to burn itself up, it would make sense that your cellulite will go away. It is certainly worth a try, and there is no evidence that they do any harm either. Certain Vitamin A derivatives have been approved by the FDA and have been found to be effective in treating wrinkles (Tips on how to get rid of fine lines and wrinkles) and roughness of skin on test subjects. They are being considered for cellulite treatments also. Again, there is no one cream or lotion that is certain to cause an improvement in any individual, but they are not harmful either, and therefore worth at least a try.

• Body Wraps and Dietary Supplements. Body wrapping is a process where the body is brushed and massaged, and then covered with linens soaked in substances like herbal extracts, algae, and even mud. The treatment causes skin smoothing and softening, and also a great deal of stress relief and relaxation. Like diet and exercise, it does not promise to get rid of cellulite, but can help reduce it. It also leaves you feeling pretty good, even if the little dimples do remain. Also, at the same time, you can be taking any of a long list of dietary supplements to reduce the appearance of cellulite. Some examples are ginkgo biloba, sweet clover, oil of evening primrose, fish oil, and soy lecithin. These supplements all have some positive effects on the body. They boost metabolism, and improve circulation. They also break down fats. Again, all of these things are really good for you anyway, and a side effect is that they might just boost the metabolism and break down the fats that are causing the cellulite. This is not certain, but if they fail to accomplish that mission, at least you are going to be a little healthier.

• Surgery. Liposuction is often considered as an option to reduce cellulite. This is a surgical technique that can get rid of your cellulite by inserting what could be called, to avoid the technical term, a tiny vacuum cleaner hose under your skin, and sucking the excess fatty tissue out. There are a couple of problems associated with this. For one thing, the sucking takes place between the skin layer and the muscle, where excess fatty tissue is more likely to reside. A tunnel is sucked out of the fat layer, and when the tissue collapses to fill in the hole created, a change in body contour is realized. In other words, your thighs get thinner. Will this reduce cellulite? Plastic surgeons claim it does. However, some critics say that not only does it not reduce the appearance of cellulite, but it can actually make it worse. So, you are back to the same problem. No iron clad guarantee of success can be found here either. However, diet, exercise, creams, vitamins, and dietary supplements are all good for you anyway, so failure to address the problem at hand is offset by benefits in health and well being. It is not quite the same for an invasive surgical procedure. There are some serious risks associated with liposuction, as with any surgical procedure. If you are considering liposuction, make sure you speak to your regular physician first, before you talk to a plastic surgeon, in order to determine whether you are healthy enough to undergo this type of procedure.

To sum up your options, you have a lot of things that you can try, and if you are lucky, they might rid you of your cellulite. It is interesting to note that although the term cellulite was first coined in France over one hundred and fifty years ago, it was not used in the United States until the late 1960’s when it was first used in an article in Vogue Magazine. This fact seems to point out the true nature of this condition. It is actually a fairly normal part of the makeup of the female body, but it has issues related to appearance and thus to female self esteem. In the end, only the individual can decide how important those issues are to her, and how far she will go to “get rid” of them.

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