Ways to Stop Cellulite

Cellulite results from fat under the skin pushing against the skin as collagen fibers connecting fat to the skin stretch, deteriorate or tighten, giving the skin an uneven, dimpled texture. Removing fat though liposuction can actually make the cellulite look worse, the University of Maryland Medical Center website reports. Some healthy habits and natural methods help to stop cellulite by stabilizing your weight and smoothing your skin.

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Yo-yo dieting -- the practice of dieting, regaining weight and dieting some more -- not only encourages the body to store fat, it reduces skin elasticity. The increasing amount of fat under the looser skin makes cellulite more pronounced. Losing weight if you're overweight, or maintaining your weight rather than gaining, will help stop cellulite. A healthy diet and regular exercise combined with a behavior change plan offers an effective means to achieve weight loss, Nutrition.gov advises.

Healthy Habits

A diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and fiber helps to stop cellulite. It's also important to drink enough water, eight glasses a day, as dehydration affects your skin. Quitting cigarettes, if you smoke, protects against cellulite. Cigarette smoking weakens collagen, the primary structural protein of connective tissue. The weakened connective fibers contribute to the orange peel texture of cellulite.

Exercise

Cellulite shows up primarily on the thighs and buttocks and may also show on the belly, hips, breasts and upper arms. There are no guarantees of preventing cellulite. Even slender women and some men may develop cellulite. Sticking to a program of regular exercise helps improve your body tone and skin. Exercise reduces the appearance of cellulite by improving muscle tone. Firm muscle pressing against the skin reduces dimpling. Keeping to a program of regular exercise helps to prevent weight gain and to maintain your skin's firmness.

Dry Brush Massage

Massaging cellulite in a circular motion with a soft body brush or loofah sponge -- a textured natural sea vegetable sponge available from bath product suppliers -- provides a healthy method for smoothing your skin. Dry brush massage loosens and detaches dead skin cells to give the skin a smoother look. Keeping the skin smooth helps minimize the appearance of cellulite. Dry skin emphasizes irregular texture in the skin. Dry brushing the skin toward the heart before bathing stimulates the skin. This technique is used for edema, an excessive build-up of fluid under the skin, the University of Maryland Medical Center reports.

Treatments

Massage, creams and body wraps may have temporary effects, but as of 2010, no technique effectively eliminates cellulite once it appears. The medical community sees cellulite as a normal condition, not as a disorder, the University of Maryland Medical Center website states. Using a moisturizer or natural oil such as castor oil or olive oil after bathing seals in moisture to maintain your skins softness and suppleness. Soft, well-hydrated skin doesn't show dimpling as much as dehydrated skin. Coconut oil moisturizing the skin, removes dead skin cells and repairs underlying tissues, Bruce Fife, a doctor of naturopathic medicine writes in his book, "The Healing Miracles of Coconut Oil." Although there isn't sufficient evidence to assess the effects of coconut oil on cellulite, coconut oil absorbs quickly and offers a natural skin care treatment.