There are a lot of factors that determine whether a person has cellulite and it’s level of severity.  A person’s sex, hormones, genetic makeup, age, amount of body fat, and their thickness of the skin are all factors.   While we know that they are related in some way, it is very difficult to pinpoint one of those factors as the main cause of cellulite; in most cases it is a combination of things.  Even certain diseases can have an effect on cellulite (such as Diabetes*).  Also, we all know that too much sun is bad for the skin, so if you want to be tan, go for spray tanning instead.

Scientifically speaking, what is actually occurring beneath the skin is that fat is being caught and stored in strands on the upper most layer of the skin by collagen fibers.  This fat is causing the top layer of skin to bend around these pockets of trapped fat, thus creating the lumpy and dimpled appearance of the skin.

The bad news is that these pockets of fat press on the collagen fibers, leaving little room for the natural lymphatic drainage system of the body.  This means that it is somewhat difficult to relieve that skin of the fats stored inside.  That part of the skin is less receptive to diet and exercise than other parts of the body are.  Basically, to get rid of cellulite through diet and exercise, you have to remove all the fat from your body, because the fat in that part of your skin is the last to disappear (be sure to read cellulite exercises for more information on this).  Cellulite removal is possible, but it is also very difficult.

While cellulite is considered unattractive or an “eyesore” in society today, there is nothing actually dangerous, or even unhealthy about cellulite.  Cellulite is even found in thin and healthy people who have found ways to achieve effective fast weight loss.  Likewise, someone who is overweight or leads an unhealthy lifestyle may have no signs of cellulite anywhere on their body!  While it is more likely that an overweight and unhealthy person would have cellulite, that is not always the case.

Because it is difficult to determine the cause of cellulite in different people, it is also difficult to determine the best cellulite reduction treatment; every person reacts differently to different types of methods.  However, a lot of people find that using a combination of methods is the best way to improve your condition.  Outside of diet and exercise, using a cellulite reduction cream is healthy for the skin and can temporarily improve the appearance (so far, cellulite lotion has not been demonstrated to have any lasting long-term effects).  If you are willing to spend the money, consistently using a cellulite cream is a way to manage the dimpling of your skin.  There are also cellulite treatment surgical procedures such as liposuction, Mesotherapy, lipodissolve (in the category of non surgical liposuction procedures), IPL laser treatment, and laser skin tightening that have varying effects on different people.

*If you have diabetes, you may want to check out the diabetic menu.