Photo: Geomangio / Flickr

What happens with cellulite is that fat cells start to harden due to poor elimination and oxygenation. They begin to work inefficiently, overstocking fat and not releasing fat stores back into the body. Add weak collagen fibres and skin and you have a serious case of cellulite. Dr Elisabeth Dancey gives the run down on cellulite in her book The Cellulite Solution. She says that varicose veins, bruising and spider veins often occur concurrently with cellulite. How to deal with cellulite is the ongoing question.

Why cellulite ends up looking like it does

There are two kinds of fat. One is used as a ready supply of energy and the other is stored over the long term in case of lean times. Men’s long-term fat storage happens around the pelvis but women’s fat is stored around the buttocks and thighs. In the case of women, the fat is secured by fibrous bands because the fat is stored ‘outside’ of the body.

The four stages of cellulite

In the pre-cellulite stage, healing of cuts and bruises is slow and there is some water retention in the form of swollen ankles and feet (when it is hot or after a long day). This is due to poor blood or lymphatic circulation as well as unbalanced progesterone and oestrogen.

In the next stage, the skin looks like orange-peel if it is pinched. A breakdown of collagen and elastin means easy bruising and possibly broken veins. By stage three, the retention of fluid means that the orange-peel effect is visible on the skin. The skin is cold and appears lumpy. There are visible broken veins too.

By the fourth stage, the fibres have secured significant areas of fat which form lumps. There are hot and cold sections on the tissue.

Prevention

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. Eat a balanced diet and drink a litre of water a day as well as green tea and citrus fruit, which can help prevent water retention. Ensure you’re getting protein in your diet as protein in the blood allows for better water circulation. Low-impact regular physical exercise can also help.

Body care and cellulite treatments are worth investigating if you have cellulite.

Tags: beauty tips, weight loss