Cellulite. God help us, girls, practically none of us are immune. Apparently 9 out of every 10 women will have it at some point in their life. But what causes it and what can we do about it?
What is cellulite?
Cellulite is just deposits of fat that push against the connective tissue beneath a person's skin, which causes the surface of the skin to dimple or pucker and look lumpy.
Several factors influence whether a person has cellulite and how much they have. Your genes, your gender, the amount of fat on your body, your age, and the thickness of your skin all come into play. Unfortunately, female hormones including oestrogen have a role to play in cellulite's formation, which is why us girls suffer more. It also means that after you've had babies, you're even more likely to have it.
The bad news about cellulite...
There aren't any miracle products, treatments, or medicines that can make it go away. Some fancy salon treatments that promise to get rid of cellulite simply cause your skin to puff up through deep massaging, temporarily reducing the appearance of cellulite.
Treatments like liposuction and mesotherapy (injection of drugs into cellulite) are either expensive, or dangerous or may produce only temporary improvement. Many doctors even warn that liposuction is not an effective treatment for cellulite because liposuction is designed to remove deep fat instead of cellulite, which is close to the skin.
So what's the good news about cellulite?
If you, like me, are cursed with the dreaded orange peel, here's what to do.
Lose weight
Stands to reason, less fat, less cellulite. You can be skinny and still have it, but let's face it, you'll have less!
Drink lots and lots of water
Being adequately hydrated helps your body eliminate toxins.
Stay calm
Stress hormones contribute to the formation of cellulite. Try a relaxation or yoga class.
Exercise
Improving your circulation will help your body deal with the fatty deposits, and of course if you exercise your muscle tone will improve and you will lose weight, all of which will help.
Dry skin brushing
Get yourself a good brush (The Body Shop does them for under $30), and brush your whole body in long, sweeping strokes, from toes to chin. Aim towards your heart. This will help stimulate your circulation and support your lymph glands to eliminate excess fluid which can make you look lumpier.
Have regular lymphatic drainage massages
These will also help your lymph glands eliminate excess fluid.
Eliminate processed foods and added salt from your diet
Salt causes you to retain water which... well, you get the picture! You'd be amazed how much salt and fat is in pre-packed and processed foods. Stick to brown rice, steamed veggies and lean fish and meat. I like to season my meals with fresh herbs and lemon or lime juice. Yummy.
Juniper berry essential oil
I've made myself a massage oil containing juniper berry, which is a diuretic and stimulates the circulation. You add six drops to 10ml of a carrier oil such as almond oil, and massage into your thighs and tummy daily. Here's the full recipe.
Go to a naturopath for a herbal treatment containing horse chestnut and gotu kola
Both are thought to have powerful anti-cellulite properties. I haven't yet found a skin treatment containing these from a supplier I trust but I'm still looking!
Ditch the coffee and alcohol - or have them only as treats
Both will contribute to those dimply thighs! I've changed to decaf and I'm keeping my alcohol consumption to weekends only.
Love yourself, cellulite and all!
And one last thing... a few dimples on your thighs do not a make you a freak. Most women have cellulite and there's more to life than obsessing over it. So put your bikini on and hit the beach with pride. As Body Shop founder Anita Roddick said, 'There are millions of women who don't look like supermodels, and only eight who do.'