Summer beckons and with it short, fashionable clothes. Unfortunately, the joy of it is often clouded, because on the thighs and buttocks show unsightly dents in many women – the cellulite. Nine out of ten people over 30 are affected by “orange peel skin“. Cellulite or cellulitis is not a disease, but a cosmetic problem – often little comfort for the women affected.
Cellulite can be fought
But even for those affected, there is a way to melt the unwanted fat deposits. However, it requires discipline and perseverance to strengthen the weak connective tissue and build muscle.
Regular exercise and a healthy diet plan can reduce cellulite. Additional massages and proper skin care will help prevent the development of more dimples.
Special connective tissue structure in women
The dimples that are perceived as unsightly develop almost exclusively in women. This is due to the specific structure of the female connective tissue and the structure of the skin: The female epidermis and dermis are thinner than in men, and the fat cells in the subcutis are thicker and only loosely interconnected by the connective tissue.
Mother Nature thus ensures that women can flexibly adjust to the changed situation during pregnancy – the growing belly, the loosening of the pelvis for the birth. This is also the reason that in many women cellulite appears for the first time after pregnancy.
Origin of cellulite
Cellulite develops when too many fat molecules are stored in the fat cells. The cells enlarge, push through to the top and become visible from the outside as dimples. The enlarged cells also compress the neighboring blood and lymph vessels. As a result, the tissue fluid backs up and the supply to the cells is impaired. Waste products are no longer removed and are deposited in the tissue.
The following factors promote the development of cellulite:
- Estrogens, the female sex hormones promote the formation of fat cells and water retention, the tissue becomes even softer – a disadvantage when taking birth control pills.
- Stress also inflates fat cells and promotes cellulite.
- Smoking also promotes cellulite, because the nicotine consumption weakens the connective tissue.
What helps against cellulite?
Since cellulite originates in the lower layers of the skin, the problem at an advanced stage can not be solved with the superficial application of creams and ointments. Only the combination of proper nutrition, skin care, massage and exercise helps in the fight against cellulite.
