Cellulite is a skin condition that gives the upper layers of the dermis a lumpy and dimpled appearance. This often shows in areas of the body where there are fat deposits under the skin like the thighs and buttocks. Being fat is not the main reason you can have cellulite because even slim people are susceptible to it. One thing is definite, cellulite appears more on women than in men.
The reasons for having cellulite cannot be totally blamed to being overweight or having excess fat. In fact, fat is beautiful as well as helpful. Fat in its normal and right amounts provide the healthy, plump appearance of your skin on certain body parts. Your cheeks will not have that cute, roundish appearance without fat and your behind will not have that sexually appealing roundness if it were not for the right amounts of fat. As a matter of fact, to improve the occurrence of cellulite fat injections are used as one of the therapeutic treatments.
So, if fat is not to blame then why do people get cellulite?
We can blame it on hormones and bad genes. The skin differs among the sexes and with our biological make-up. In general, the skin is composed of a fibrous layer of tissue that connects the outer layer of skin to the muscles underneath it. Among men, the connecting tissue is positioned in a continuous, smooth and diagonal or cross-hatched pattern. Among women, however, this connecting tissue runs vertically. Due to this, the septae or fibrous bands tend to tether to the skin at certain underlying points creating fat chambers that pushes upward on the skin while its bands are pulled downwards. This creates the bumpy, dimpled like cottage cheese appearance that occurs more often on women’s skin.
Poor skin quality brought on by poor health habits and old age contribute to the aggravation of cellulite appearance. The older people get, the less elastic their skin becomes and the body’s natural healing process is slower. The unhealthy lifestyle of smoking, not eating the right diet and not getting enough exercise can contribute to the progression and appearance of cellulite. When the skin lacks the proper nutrition and has poor blood circulation, it looses its natural ability to heal itself and in regaining its elasticity that it has lost as we age.
Going on weight loss or weight gain diets where your body experiences constant weight changes also contributes to worsening the appearance of cellulite. When you gain or lose weight, your skin tends to stretch and pull. This makes it lose its elasticity faster. Diet programs that cuts out the necessary nutrients that are essential for natural skin healing as well as causes hormonal changes are also great contributors to the aggravation of cellulite.
About the Author: Roslyn Rhymes has been working in the skin care industry for years. If you find this article helpful, you can visit one of her websites about cellulite creams.