Cellulite, the bane of some women’s lives, can make skin
look less attractive forcing some women into changing which clothes they choose
to buy and wear. Cellulite causes bumps or an “orange peel” look to the surface
of the skin. You will mostly find cellulite on the hips, thighs and legs,
however, it can also be found on the stomach, upper arms and breast area.
Cellulite is often accompanied by stretch marks. It’s also
associated with circulation problems, swelling and water retention (oedema).
None of which are desirable in any way. It is not harmful, and is sometimes
referred to as a cosmetic condition. Moreover, it is indicative of other
problems within the body and is certainly not a sign of healthy tissue.
Cellulite is not exclusive to people who are overweight,
plenty of slim ladies suffer from it too. Even Supermodels and Olympic athletes
have it.
What Causes
Cellulite?
The causes of cellulite are muscle.
multifaceted. Anatomically or
structurally, cellulite is caused by the fibrous connective cords, made of
collagen, that tether the skin to the underlying
As the fat cells swell, they push upwards, against the
tethered skin, and cause the lumpy or uneven look to the skin. Cellulite does
not appear overnight, it’s a long term effect and creeps up on you over years
not months. Weight gain and or body fat increases would have preceded the
cellulite formation.
One major problem in cellulite formation is the hormone
– Estrogen.
The Fat Cells Are
Broken
In a general sense the fat cells are not working properly. Toxins
are meant to be removed from your system by your liver. When your liver is
overwhelmed, it can’t do its job.
Then toxins in our food and environment are pushed back into
the bloodstream and then absorbed by the fat cell. Long term, high levels
of pesticides and other toxins mean the body will need to create additional fat
to absorb the toxins or “mop up the waste”.
These toxins find their way into the fat cells where they
can be stored for many years and cause oxidation/Inflammation (free
radical damage).
The toxins are stored in the cell membrane and the
membrane becomes tough and impermeable causing fat loss to be more difficult.
Constant exposure to all of the toxins in today’s world
makes your fat cells toxic, this soon becomes cellulite. Fat cells normally are
nice and smooth but once these harmful toxins enter the fat cells it becomes
misshaped, this is what the little bumps and lumps are on the outside of the skin are.
Exercise is also an important factor in determining whether
you will have cellulite or not. The more exercise you do the less chance
you have of getting cellulite.
There is also a lot of evidence to suggest that genetics are
very important in determining if you will get cellulite and more specifically
where. Have a look at your closest family members and if they have cellulite
there is a chance you could get it in the same place.
