Cellulite

Author: Dr. Oreste Di Mattei Di Matteo

Date: 21/11/2019

There is no doubt thatcellulite is one of the problems that most affects women: this aesthetic flaw, in fact, concerns very high percentages of the female population, according to some statistics up to 90% of the female population, and for this reason there are a great many products and treatments dedicated to combatting it.

Cellulite, body weight and fat
Even before delving into what cellulite really is, it is useful to highlight that putting the presence of cellulite in direct relation to the amount of body fat, or in any case with a person's weight, is not correct.

Of course, it is likely that a woman of optimal weight does not have such a problem, rather than a woman who, on the contrary, is overweight, but there are many women who are absolutely their ideal weight and who, in spite of this, have cellulite, in the same way that women with more fulsome shapes have perfectly smooth and firm skin.

What is cellulite?
So what is cellulite? As just mentioned, cellulite is only partially due to the amount of body fat, and there does not necessarily have to be a relationship between fat and cellulite. 
The defect of cellulite, which leads to the appearance of the unsightly "orange peel" skin, is mainly linked to the fact that the skin cannot drain liquids optimally, together with microcirculation not being perfect. 
In fact, experts say that cellulite is basically due to a condition of venous and lymphatic stasis of the skin tissue.

Cellulite: the causes
The causes of cellulite can be varied, just as there are many treatments that can be taken guaranteeing top level results. A woman's genetic predisposition has an influence, even if only minor, on the onset of cellulite, but in the vast majority of cases this aesthetic problem is due to a far from healthy lifestyle.
Among the major causes of cellulite related to an unhealthy lifestyle, are:

  • poor nutrition
  • alcohol and smoking
  • poor hydration

Cellulite and lifestyle
It is much more likely, in fact, that a woman who is affected by cellulite will be one who:

  • does not practise sports regularly
  • has a sedentary lifestyle
  • does not walk as often and as intensively as she should

Cellulite and poor nutrition
At the same time, nutrition has a very important influence:

  • follow a healthy, balanced diet
  • suited to your particular nutritional needs
  • your particular caloric requirements

This can certainly help women to better avoid the onset of this problem, in the same way that those who do not respect good eating habits are certainly more exposed to the possibility of cellulite.

Cellulite, smoking and alcohol
Smoking and alcohol consumption are bad habits for women who want to avoid cellulite; moreover, it is nothing new that these are detrimental to both health and beauty, and in this regard their effects are very negative.

Cellulite and hydration
Proper hydration is very important to prevent the onset of orange peel skin, it is definitely beneficial for women to:

  • drink adequate amounts of water throughout the day, especially in the warmer months 
  • consume the right amounts of seasonal fruit and vegetables
  • also provide optimal skin hydration "from the outside", using creams and other quality cosmetic products.

Cellulite: the types
There are many types of cellulite, and this skin imperfection presents itself in different ways from woman to woman.
First of all, it should be noted that cellulite develops in 3 phases, namely:

  • oedematous
  • fibrous
  • sclerotic

Oedematous: the skin becomes rougher, less pleasant to the touch, even though it is not affected by obvious aesthetic defects.

Fibrous: cellulite begins to affect the adipose tissue and the unwanted "orange peel" effect begins to appear

Sclerotic: the skin has all the typical characteristics of cellulite, thus proving uneven to the touch, presenting discolouration, stretch marks, increases in volume at a localised level, and on some occasions also leading to unpleasant feelings of discomfort to the touch.

How cellulite presents itself
At the same time, depending on the type of tone characterising the tissue affected by the problem, cellulite can be distinguished into:

  • Hard
  • Soft
  • Mixed
  • Lymphoedematous cellulite which presents swelling and oedema and, for this reason, it is certainly the most complex to treat

Treatments for cellulite
There are many treatments for cellulite. Cellulite can be tackled with:

  • massages – useful for stimulating microcirculation at the surface level
  • creams
  • cosmetics
  • nutritional supplements
  • natural products to be used topically, such as seaweed mud.

At the same time, aesthetic medicine has in recent years developed many interesting solutions to combat cellulite, for example:

  • cavitation
  • carboxytherapy
  • radiofrequency
  • laser therapy

Cellulite: prevention
Cellulite is a problem that can occur in very different forms, and at the same time can be combated in many ways.
Basically, there is no doubt that it is very important to:

  • follow a healthy lifestyle
  • eat a balanced diet
  • do exercise
  • avoid smoking and alcohol

If you don't follow these simple rules, it is very unlikely that you will ever see good results.

Cellulite and aesthetic medicine
In addition to treatments based on the use of natural elements, or specific cosmetic products, to overcome cellulite there is no lack of state-of-the-art aesthetic medicine solutions that can ensure truly significant results, with quick and painless treatments that can also be combined with each other. 

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