So why let your thighs, bottom and tummy look like one?
Out of 100 women, only 5 (blessed ladies) are cellulite-free. For the rest of us, it is here, it shows, we cannot pretend it doesn't exist. Cellulite affects our life, our self-esteem, our social life. We need a radical solution. Diet? Massage? Exercise? Pills or maybe some injections? We really need something that works well and works fast.
The bad news is that there is no permanent solution to cellulite. After you have succeeded in making it disappear (with enormous efforts that I honestly respect and admire), it comes back quicker than you might think and the only thing that can (and will) work in your favor in this annoying battle is the thing you most fear: adopting a healthy life style. Before we go into details, let's see what is cellulite and why is it so present in our lives.
First of all, you should know that cellulite is a skin disease and has nothing to do with body fat. That's why even the skinniest of people can still have plenty of unaesthetic cellulite cells. There are 4 fundamental signs that indicate celulite:
In short, cellulite is a collection of fat, liquids and toxins accumulated in the cells placed in the subcutaneous layer of the skin because the body failed to eliminate them. These cells become extra large and push into the bands of connective tissue placed into the skin. This connective tissue gets harder, thicker and lumpy, thus giving your skin the dimpled, orange peel appearance.
Unlike fat, which covers the entire body in an even layer and serves as insulation and protection, cellulite covers only parts of our body and serves no purpose whatsoever.
So you know you have it, so does almost everyone else around you. What can you do to make it disappear? This is where we come back to that 'healthy lifestyle' theory that you probably hate already from all those women magazines and talk shows. In short, this is what you need to do to get rid of cellulite (not precisely in the following order).
Get under the shower and get yourself an overall scrub massage (thus exfoliating and washing away all dead cells). For a safe result, also use a special abrasive glove or sponge - it will stimulate microcirculation, helping your body eliminate toxins and excess fat.
There are several types of massage: the one that you do at home, with your bare hands and fists or with the help of a special wooden roll or plastic device, and the one performed in beauty salons and spas. The latest trend in professional cellulite treatment is a massage called 'vacuum therapy': the machine sucks your skin between two metal cylinders that press it so hard that they actually destroy fat cells under the skin. This technique removes around 75% of your cellulite after a few sessions. Another common anti-cellulite technique is algae, clay, paraffin and even chocolate packing.
Physical effort melts away fat, helps eliminate toxins, stimulates blood flow (think of how your blood veins are trapped between your enlarged fat cells), reduces stress hormones (which favor fat build-up).
And since cellulite is mostly present on the lower half of your body, choose a sport that will help you stimulate that exact half, like riding the bicycle, roller blades or doing aqua gym.
Your daily diet should include lots of fresh fruits, whole grain cereals, lean meat and fiber-rich vegetables. Everything that helps you maintain a lean figure will also help you fight cellulite. Avoid salt and sugar. Stop smoking and drinking coffee - these activities help accumulate toxins in your body and especially your skin.
Drink lots of water. Not soda, Coke or peach juice. Just plain water, 1.5-2 liters each day. That's the quantity the body needs to properly eliminate all toxins.
If you are perseverant enough, you might win the battle - but remember that the enemy can return at any time if you break any of the above rules.
Before we call it a day, I promised to tell you why men can sleep without worrying that cellulite will conquer their thighs and bottom. Their luck is in the way their conjunctive tissue looks like: well organized and tight; ours is a lot more irregular and discontinuous, thus allowing enlarged fat cells to break out of the line and make skin look lumpy. Another important thing is that their skin is a lot thicker in areas affected by cellulite, so the orange peel effect is almost impossible to be seen on a man's thigh.