While cellulite is not a serious medical condition, the dimples that appear on areas of the body where excess fat deposits reside can be embarrassing. Cellulite is more common in women than men, and eight out of 10 women have some form of it. This is partly because women's bodies tend to distribute fat to the thighs and buttocks, two of the most common areas for cellulite to accumulate. While many companies claim their creams and massage devices will make cellulite disappear, there is no scientific research to support this. Exercising and maintaining muscle tone and skin health can go a long way in improving the appearance of cellulite.
Structure of Cellulite
Cellulite is actually fat cells layered between your muscle and the very top layer of your skin, also known as your epidermis, that become enlarged. These fat cells are surrounded by very tough, fibrous rope-like cords that pull them down, creating the dimpled, rippled effect on the outside of your skin. Common areas for cellulite include the thighs, hips, abdomen and buttocks.
Cellulite and Exercise
Since cellulite deals with the internal structuring of your body's fat and muscle layers, there is no way to stop it from forming. But there are a few ways to help with its outer appearance. Regular exercise will help keep your body's fat stores to a minimum, preventing excess accumulation under the skin. Keeping your muscles toned and strong will also help provide your skin with a taut outer appearance, minimizing the look of sagging skin and dimpling, especially in the thigh and buttocks region. However, while exercise can greatly improve the appearance of cellulite, it will not make it completely disappear.
Genetics
Genetics is actually the largest indicator as to whether or not you will experience the appearance of cellulite in your lifetime, but weight gain can make cellulite much more visible. Lean individuals can experience cellulite as well, especially if they don't have a lot of muscle tone and elasticity to their skin. In fact, lack of skin elasticity is what also makes aging a large contributor to cellulite.
Other Risk Factors
It is important to note that besides genetics, age and lack of exercise, there are a couple of other contributing factors to cellulite: leading a stressful lifestyle and taking hormonal contraceptives. Stress releases many hormones, the most common being cortisol, but it also triggers a great deal of the hormone catecholamine, which is linked to the appearance of cellulite. Hormonal contraceptives increase the production of estrogen, and an increase in estrogen leads to a host of reactions in the body, including the appearance of cellulite. Fibroblasts are cylinder-shaped cells present in connective tissue, and when an increase in estrogen is produced, these fibroblasts act on the body's collagen, breaking it down and causing fat cells to float toward the surface of the skin. As the fat cells break free from the collagen strands, they actually enlarge in size, causing the outer layer of epidermis to have the appearance of dimples, or cellulite.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Cellulite Definition
- "Fitness: The Complete Guide"; Dr. Frederick Hatfield; 2009
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