- Body Care
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by JuliaLifting
Cellulite: everything you need to know
What is cellulite? What causes it? Is it possible to prevent it?
If cellulite bothers you or makes you feel uncomfortable about your appearance, let us tell you some very interesting things about it.
We’re sure that you have heard a lot of myths: it only appears in overweight people; it never disappears because it’s in the DNA; the worse your diet, the sooner it appears, etc.
But what really causes it to appear? When and why does it appear? Read on, because today, we’re going to tell you everything you want to know about it.
What is cellulite?
Cellulite is a problem that bothers many women. It’s a metabolic issue that causes skin irregularities, such as lumps, small depressions (orange-peel), aged skin, etc.
Cellulite settles in the hypodermis, the deepest layer of the skin, where adipocytes are located. These cells are in charge of storing fat, and when they are unbalanced, they increase in size and push the skin, creating the deformities that we call ‘orange-peel’.
In the beginning, cellulite has this orange-peel appearance and usually starts to form during puberty, but it isn’t always obvious at that age.
Between 85% and 98% of women have cellulite from adolescence; this appears first as orange-peel with a wrinkled appearance and later results in those skin deformities that we call cellulite.
Often, cellulite is associated with being overweight, but it isn’t always necessarily the case: it also appears in thin people.
It usually appears naturally, especially on the back of the thighs, buttocks, arms and abdomen, and in most women, it appears above all during periods of hormonal changes or pregnancy.
Causes of cellulite
Cellulite mainly appears due to overproduction of hormones (natural hormonal changes in women), poor circulation, genetics, a sedentary lifestyle, a poor diet or wearing tight-fitting clothes.
Types of cellulite
There are different types of cellulite:
• The best known is general cellulite (painless), which appears in 99% of women from puberty, which is when the most sudden hormonal changes occur. It usually appears in women with a poor diet or who are overweight.
• Localized cellulite: it appears in certain areas of the body: thighs, inner knees, abdomen, buttocks, hips and arms. Although cellulite appears in only 10% of men, this is usually the type that they have, especially in the upper body and abdomen.
• Hard cellulite:: the area that produces this type of cellulite usually becomes harder on touch than the rest of the body. This type of cellulite isn’t as visible with the naked eye. It appears when we push the skin, showing the irregularity that is typical of cellulite. It mainly appears in young women, athletes or dancers.
• Soft cellulite: this is the most common type and it usually appears in women over 35 that have a sedentary lifestyle or experience sudden weight changes. The area of skin is much softer than usual. The affected area of the body becomes gelatinous in nature, which is accompanied by discomfort.
• Edematose cellulite: this is one of the most severe kinds of cellulite, which is less common. Cell tissue becomes thicker and denser due to an accumulation of fats and toxins, which causes swelling, pain and heaviness in the affected area. This is the least common type of cellulite and it is usually accompanied by being overweight and suffering from liquid retention (lymphedema). Legs appear very swollen and can acquire the form of ‘columns’. It generally appears in women between 20 and 30 years old.
When various combinations of these types of cellulite appear, it is called mixed cellulite.
This is the most common form of cellulite on the female body, appearing differently in each area.
How is cellulite graded?
There are 4 different grades of cellulite:
• Grade 1: orange-peel hasn’t appeared yet, you have to press the area hard to see it.
• Grade 2: orange-peel appears when compressing the skin.
• Grade 3: orange-peel appears when standing.
• Grade 4: orange-peel is permanently visible.
The areas most affected by cellulite
The lower part of the body is most affected by these types of cellulite, especially the buttocks, abdomen and thighs.
These problems are increased in people who are overweight, resulting in this problem affecting the inner arms, lower back and ankles.
How to get rid of cellulite
Now that you know more about cellulite, how will you fight it?, (link post Blog)