What is cellulite?
Cellulite is also known as orange-peel skin due to its appearance and affects 80 to 90 percent of women. Cellulite is a term for the formation of lumps and dimples in the skin. Common names for cellulite are orange-peel skin, cottage-cheese skin, hail damage, and the mattress phenomenon. Cellulite can affect both men and women, but it is more common in females, due to the different distributions of fat, muscle, and connective tissue.
Anyone can get it, and most have at some point in their life. Cellulite is as normal as anything. There is a lot of focus on preventing it or trying to get rid of it, especially among women. It shouldn't be something to worry about as it is so common, yet many of us become obsessed with the idea that it is unsightly, ugly, or means that you’re fat. This is definitely not the case! Women of all shapes and sizes, even "skinny" or fit, can have cellulite in places. I know I have it, and I don't care!
Cellulite appears around and under my bum, and I won't let it get me down. It is completely normal! Most of the time it occurs around the hips thighs and bum and is caused by fat deposits under the skin pushing up towards the surface, creating an uneven or dimpled appearance. The appearance of cellulite is mostly genetic but can be managed by your lifestyle.
Firstly, there are a few things that might affect the appearance of cellulite: Your metabolism - a slow metabolism increases the amount or severity of cellulite. Being physically active - If you are not exercising regularly, your cellulite might increase.
Being dehydrated - If you are not drinking enough water, your skin will become dehydrated and depleted and can make cellulite more visible. Fad diets - A restricted diet might not provide you with the nutrients you need to keep your body and skin healthy. In addition, some fad diets can also provide you with too much sodium and unhealthy fats. High body fat - Although cellulite also occurs in women who are considered ‘thin’, a reduction in total body fat often reduces the appearance of cellulite. If you are pregnant or have had a baby - pregnancy changes the hormone levels in our bodies, and can, therefore, affect the fat distribution in our bodies.
If you are older - With age, our hormones change and also the amount of collagen we produce. This might result in increased appearance of cellulite. Our bodies are constantly changing, meaning you may experience different levels of cellulite throughout your life – so don’t stress too much about it! Some things are out of our control, like our genetics and our age, but if you are interested in reducing the appearance of cellulite, there are some things you can try.
Here are my tips to help reduce the appearance of cellulite:
1. Get physical
Being physically active will help reduce the appearance of cellulite by improving your circulation and firming up the skin. And as a bonus, incorporating weight training like my Emily Skye FIT workouts will increase muscle tone and give you the appearance of lean definition (rather than cellulite).
2. Reduce your total body fat
Cellulite is fat deposits under your skin, and although this type of fat is not harmful to your health, many women don’t like the look of it. The best way to reduce the appearance of cellulite is to reduce the amount of total fat on your body.
3. Hydrate
Hydration is really important for improving circulation, and keeps your skin healthy and plump. If you are dehydrated your cellulite might appear to be worse, so make sure to keep your h20 intake up!
4. Eat a healthy, balanced diet
Instead of following the latest fad diet, implement healthy lasting changes to your eating habits. Include vegetables, fruit, fibre, lean protein and healthy fats. I make sure to include plenty of these on all of my meal plans, to keep your body healthy and happy. A good diet rich in nutrients will get your bod working the way it should, promoting the production of collagen and cell regeneration.
5. Massage
One promising remedy is massage. This can be done at home or with the help of a professional massage therapist.
Massage may reduce cellulite by improving lymphatic drainage. It can also help stretch your skin tissue. This may help stretch out cellulite dimples, too.
Massage creams offer the same benefits, but the key component is the massaging process. You can’t apply a cream and expect the cellulite to go away by itself.
Also, know that just one massage won’t help when it comes to cellulite. You need to repeat the process consistently to achieve and maintain your desired results.