Cellulite is a condition that is claimed to occur in 90% of women on the lower limbs, abdomen and pelvic region. Also, it is the condition all women would like to get rid of. Cellulite is also often called orange peel syndrome, cottage cheese skin and mattress skin.

What is cellulite?

So, the big question, what is cellulite? Cellulite is common in most women and medically is considered as a natural and normal condition. Cellulite is simply regular fat that has gone faulty. It is the combination of fat, water and toxic waste that our bodies do not like. Cellulite appears to be bumpy due to the fact that fat deposits are pushing through the connective tissues, which normally maintain the distribution of it evenly beneath the skin, leading to visual and characteristic changes in how the skin appears to our eye. Many strands of fibrous tissue that skin has connect to it to deeper tissue layers and also they separate compartments that contain fat cells deposits. When fat cells increase in size due to water retention or weight gain the connective tissue stretches. Eventually this stretched connective tissue will contract and harden holding the skin at a non-flexible length, but the compartments with fat cells will keep expanding because of water retention or weight gain. That is where the even structure will brake and some areas of the skin will be held down at the time of surrounding areas will keep expanding outwards producing a waffled appearance of the skin. The skin gets dimpled and uneven appearance.

The condition usually occurs around the hips, thighs and buttocks because that is where fat is usually stored in women’s bodies and also because it is very close to the surface of the skin.

Who gets cellulite?

Age

What Age do we get cellulite? Cellulite usually starts appearing on a body of a woman who is post pubescent. It can develop in a female as young as 17-18 years old, depending if the hormones in their body decide to behave erratically.

Usually women develop cellulite by their 30s, so if you are about your body, don’t be, because you are not alone. Cellulite appears mostly on the hips, buttocks and thighs – those are the places where fat usually accumulates on women bodies.

Size

There is a popular belief that only overweight women are the ones who suffer from the cellulite. It has proven to be far from the truth because cellulite affects up to 90% of women. So thin women cannot be assured to escape cellulite, as it is equally able to take over their bodies in the same fashion it does to women considered obese. The size of the woman does not matter when it comes to cellulite, women who are athletic or slim can have a very visible cellulite.

Race

The race does not usually play the role in cellulite appearance. Cellulite is an equal opportunity condition that affects women of all races across the globe. However it was noticed that cellulite is more common in white females than Asian females.

Cellulite in Men

Men and even obese men rarely get cellulite because of differences in the way fat, muscle, and connective tissue is distributed in their bodies. The fat storage compartments in the subdermal fat layers of a male body are arranged in considerably smaller, diagonal units. This arrangement allows storing smaller amounts of fat and this will less likely help with the development of cellulite.

It is the hormone deficiency that usually causes cellulite in men. This is often called an androgen deficient state and it appears in conditions such as hypogonadism and Klinefelter’s syndrome. Androgen deficiency is also seen in post-castration states and in men who are receiving estrogen therapy for prostate cancer. The cellulite becomes more severe as the androgen deficiency worsens in these males.

Causes

The causes of cellulite are poorly understood. Researchers have tried to determine the exact cause, but there is still no overall verdict out as to what causes the condition. The causes and may involve changes in metabolism and physiology such as gender specific dimorphic skin architecture, alteration of connective tissue structure, vascular changes, inflammatory processes, total body fat, age, and your genetics.

Hormonal Factors

There is no definitive answer what causes cellulite, but there appears to be a hormonal component to its presentation. Hormones are thought to play a dominant role in the formation of cellulite. Estrogen may be the important hormone to initiate and aggravate cellulite. However, there is no reliable clinical evidence to support such a claim. Other hormones including insulin, the catecholamine, adrenaline and noradrenalin, thyroid hormones, and prolactin also are all believed to participate in the development of cellulite.

Cellulite has partly been assigned to a drastic change of hormones and this usually occurs during puberty and pregnancy. Many women complained of cellulite being worse after they have had children.

Predisposing factors

Several genetic factors have been shown to affect the development of cellulite. Gender, race, biotype, a hormone receptor allele that determines the receptor number and sensitivity, distribution of subcutaneous fat, and predisposition to circulatory insufficiency have all been shown to contribute to cellulite.

Diet

Dieting has shown to have variable effects on improving or worsening the appearance of cellulite. Consumption of large amounts of foods containing toxins i.e. fried foods, alcohol, caffeine which overwhelms the body’s ability to eliminate them is declared to worsen the condition.

Lifestyle

It is very important to control lifestyle factors when fighting cellulite, because no treatment will help if you are not helping yourself by trying to go healthy. A high stress lifestyle will cause an increase in the level of catecholamine and mess with blood circulation, which has been associated with the evolution of cellulite. Lack of exercise will also cause poor blood circulation which will most definitely play its role in development of cellulite. Poor lymphatic drainage due to lack of activity of inadequate water intake may worsen the condition.