Cellulite, fat that looks dimpled on the skin, is more common in women than men and is generally found in the hip and thigh area. Men have horizontal or crisscross connective tissue that holds the fat cells, whereas women's connective tissue looks more like a honeycomb, causing the fat to look more prominent. There is no way to completely eliminate cellulite, but MayoClinic.com notes that diet and exercise are most likely the best method of dealing with it and making it look better.
Diet
To reduce signs of cellulite, the American Council on Exercise or ACE recommends exercise with diet instead of diet alone, noting that diet without exercise generally causes you to lose muscle weight instead of fat. It also slows your metabolism, which will most likely cause you to gain back the weight you lose along with the cellulite. MedlinePlus says that a slow metabolism, a poor diet without vegetables, fruits or fiber, or following a fad diet can be factors in cellulite production.
Exercise
The ACE says exercise is likely to prevent you from getting cellulite -- or if you do develop it, it will probably tighten the fat so you don't have as much. The ACE recommends pairing a healthy eating plan with 20 minutes of aerobic exercise every day and 20 minutes of strength-training two to three times a week. If you only do aerobic exercise with no strength training, you probably will still have the cellulite. Strength training helps you build muscle, which better smooths the look of cellulite.
Considerations
Genetics play a role in cellulite by arranging the amount and location of your fat cells. Because of genetics, some people don't develop cellulite at all. Because genetics plays a role, you might not be able to completely eliminate cellulite through diet and exercise. MedlinePlus adds that you can even have cellulite if you're skinny, because it's fat just below the surface of the skin and is more noticeable than deeper fat.
Treatment
If diet and exercise don't reduce your cellulite, some types of treatment might be better options than others. The ACE advises against liposuction, body wraps and creams, saying they're ineffective because none of them can actually change the fat cells. Liposuction might even worsen the look of the cellulite. MayoClinic.com says lasers and radiofrequency systems used to reduce cellulite seem to reduce cellulite for about six months, and retinol cream can improve cellulite after using it for six months.
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