Cellulite – the modern day female ‘curse’

A feature article by Matthew Pressman, Mar 29, 2008         

Cellulite is an unwanted cosmetic blight affecting most women’s thighs and backsides, but it is far more common than most believe. Almost every woman aged over 13 will exhibit some degree of cellulite, and it does not equate to being overweight, despite common myths to the contrary.

It is almost exclusively a female problem, as males tend to have thicker skin, more muscle, more body hair and less body fat than women. Because fat is stored deeper under the thicker skin and deposited in different areas of the body, it tends not to show in men. However, men can get cellulite but it tends to appear in the neck or on the abdomen, as opposed to the common hotspots for women; thighs and bottoms.

Cellulite is basically squeezed fat which shows as dimples through the skin. Although being overweight is not a cause of cellulite, there are other factors that may impact upon its development, such as:
• Hormones
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Smoking
• Rich foods
• Poor blood circulation


Hormones are considered a very important contributor and that is borne out by the fact that teenagers and pregnant women are more likely to develop cellulite.

But, if excessive cellulite is a problem what can woman do to rid themselves of the blight? Many experts say that it can be treated, but the results will soon fade. Many treatments exist for getting rid of cellulite: creams, adoption of a low fat diet, wearing coffee-filled tights, massage, laser treatment, the list is almost endless. There is even an urban myth circulating in the USA that holding a regular domestic vacuum cleaner against the cellulite will reduce it. As they say on dangerous TV shows: ‘don’t try that at home.’

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