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Cellulite The Ugly Truth

The term cellulite used in front of a woman often results in a response along the lines of disgust and dismay, as the appearance can be unsightly; predominantly accumulating in areas below the waist. This is not a situation purely confined to those who carry excess weight; this condition even affects slim women who have fewer fat cells.

You see as the collection of fats push against the connective tissue, it tends to cause the surface of the skin to dimple or pucker and visually look lumpy; giving you what is referred to as cellulite. The real cause of is unknown so is the reasons why some women are more prone to suffering with it than others but scientists believe that it could be due to the way the cells are structured beneath the skin of each individual.

This problem usually comes naturally with aging and similar to wrinkles that form in the face, it is actually the result of lower levels of collagen and elastin in the skin. Whilst many would disagree, this condition is often referred to a hormone imbalance problem as men almost never have this happen to them.

Often the cellulite goes unnoticed and it is only when a person's muscles are compressed or the skin is pinched that it can be seen and felt but women should not feel depressed about the problem as most suffer with it to a greater or lesser degree. Many factors can influence the buildup; ranging from the sex of the person to their age, genetic make-up, skin type and skin thickness, all have a part to play in its formation.

As the reasons for the formation are still a mystery, no complete treatment has been devised to rid the condition from people who suffer with is badly even though there are many creams that claim to rid someone of it. Massage has been found to help hide the indications of cellulite even though it cannot remove it; but is does reduce it's visibility for a temporary period and is available from some beauty clinics.

Perhaps the most drastic therapy is liposuction where fat is literally sucked from the body or the more expensive procedure of injecting certain chemicals in a process called mesotherapy. The problem with liposuction is not really the correct therapy for removing this type of fat but is for deeper fats, not those stuck in connective tissue, so it cannot claim to be a best treatment for cellulite.

A number of cosmetic manufacturers claim their creams are an effective method of removing the fat cells but it would seem these are just a method of masking the condition making it less visible and so far no definitive treatment exists. The most successful regimes so far are to adopt regular exercise, a good nutritious low-fat diet plan and reduce extra weight where possible.

Water too is useful as it has the effect of flushing out toxins that accumulate and are thought to be partly responsible for the cellulite; in addition to this smokers are urged to quit or reduce their smoking which is an effective way for toxins to enter the body.