Cellulite is fat situated directly under the skin. It is concentrated in pockets, givint it a lumpy, cottage-cheese like appearance. It is commonly found on the thighs, buttocks and hip and sometimes on the legs, arms, breasts and stomach. It is much more common in women but men have it, too. Cellulite is not a health problem and according to the University Of Maryland Medical Center, is very normal. Cellulite is often an inherited trait and can occur on people of healthy weights, but being overweight, smoking, eating a poor diet, and not getting exercise can worsen cellulite. Cellulite development can be classified into four stages on the Nurnberger-Muller scale (stages zero through three) and different tests can determine which stage you belong to.
Step 1
Perform the pinch test to determine where you may have cellulite. Pinch a hunk of skin on your outer thighs, buttocks, hips or anywhere else you are concerned about getting or having cellulite. Examine the pinched skin for lumps and bumps. If your skin looks smooth when it is un-pinched and looks bumpy when pinched, this is an area that is susceptible to cellulite.
Step 2
Consider what stage you are in. Stage zero means you see no visible cellulite (dimply skin) when you are either lying down or standing up. There are no bumps when you do the pinch test--only wrinkles and folds. You do not have cellulite.
Step 3
Check if you are in stage one. You will see no cellulite or dimply skin when you stand up or lay down. However, the pinch test reveals a bumpy appearance. This is good because you don't currently have visible cellulite but are susceptible to it as you age, especially if your relatives have cellulite. Incorporate healthy habits into your life to keep cellulite at bay.
Step 4
Stand up in front of a mirror without your clothes. Check your body for signs of dimpling. If you see these dimples, or a cottage cheese-like texture in your skin, it is cellulite. If you the lumps disappear when you lay down, you are in stage two. Work on decreasing cellulite and preventing it from getting worse by eliminating unhealthy habits (smoking, poor diet) and exercising and drinking a lot of water.
Step 5
Examine your body to see if you have cellulite when you are both standing and lying down. This is stage three. You probably are genetically predisposed to have cellulite. Incorporate a healthy lifestyle, learn tricks to hide or camouflage excessive cellulite and learn to love your body. Remember, cellulite is normal and it is estimated that about 90 percent of women have it.
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