Cellulite
If you have the dreaded cellulite, you are not alone. It is said to affect up to 90% of women. But what is it?
Cellulite is used to describe the lumpy, irregular fat deposits often found around the hips, buttocks and thigh area. The dimpling appearance has been identified with 'orange peel’
The dimpling effect of cellulite is caused by the way fat is stored under the skin. Fat cells are held in pockets, which are divided up by connective tissue made of collagen. Over time, the collagen hardens and contracts, pulling the skin inward. At the same time, the fat cells expand, pushing some of the skin outward. The two processes working at the same time lead to the dimpling effect commonly known as cellulite.
Female hormones are implicated in the development of cellulite and this along with differences in how the fat is stored is the reason cellulite is virtually never seen in men.
Regular exercise and well balanced diets do not always reverse or prevent its formation, although an unhealthy lifestyle will make the overall appearance worse over time due to poor nutrition, weight gain and lack of sufficient water intake.
With age there is a loss in the thickness and tone of the connective tissue in the superficial fat layer and the skin which can make the overall appearance much worse.
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