Cellulite causes the skin on your thighs and buttocks to look dimpled and uneven, and it may make you embarrassed to wear a bathing suit or short skirt. This skin condition is common, particularly among women, but it is not medically dangerous, according to the Mayo Clinic. Topical treatments can minimize the appearance of your lumps and bumps when applied daily, but no creams or lotion will make this condition disappear completely.
Identification
Cellulite forms in the tissues or cords that connect your skin to the muscles lying beneath it. Fat cells lie within these tissues, and when the fat accumulates, it pushes up against your skin as the cords pull down. This tension causes the uneven and bumpy skin surface known as cellulite, and it can show up anywhere on your body where fat tends to accumulate. Stress and a lack of exercise put you at risk for getting cellulite, but it can also be caused by genetics and age, says the Mayo Clinic.
Function
Creams, gels and lotions designed to minimize cellulite contain caffeine to temporarily tighten your skin or a topical retinoid to refine your skin's surface and encourage the production of collagen. Dermatologist Ranella Hirsch tells "Allure" magazine that caffeine-based products lessen the look of your cellulite, but that the results only last for a few hours. Furthermore, creams that contain retinol penetrate your skin's outer layer to smooth it from within, but these results also vary and do not get rid of your cellulite completely.
Application
Wash your skin in the morning, dry off and then massage a gel or cream that contains caffeine onto the areas where you have cellulite. Massaging the product into your skin may increase blood flow and temporarily improve the look of dimpling skin, says the Mayo Clinic. Reapply the caffeine cream mid-day to maintain the tightness of your skin. At night, smooth on a retinol lotion using the same massage technique to help firm your skin and even out its texture while you sleep.
Considerations
Aging Skin Net states that some over-the-counter products can lessen the look of your cellulite, but that none will dissolve or remove cellulite from beneath your skin. The more expensive a product is does not necessarily make it more effective, and a dermatologist can help you determine which ingredients will work the best at minimizing your skin concerns.
Additional Tips
While nothing can prevent cellulite or remove it entirely, the Mayo Clinic states that losing weight through diet and exercise can improve your skin's appearance. Ridding your body of excess fat and strengthening your muscles can lessen the look of cellulite, and dimpling may appear less noticeable on people with lower body weights.
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