What causes cellulite, and how can you prevent or treat it at home? If you want to know if you have cellulite, check your thighs, buttocks, hips, stomach, and upper arms. If you notice a dimpling effect, you probably are a cellulite victim. The uneven skin tone you notice is a structural problem underneath your skin surface.
Although you can reduce its appearance with topical methods, the results are often temporary.
While no method may remove your cellulite forever, some dermatological treatments are more effective than any topical product. If you think you have cellulite, this detailed article explains its causes.
What is cellulite?
Cellulite is a skin condition that triggers dimples and lumps. The rippling effect may appear if you pinch your skin, stand up, or sit down. Cellulite forms when fat deposits push through the fibrous connective bands that attach your skin to the core muscles underneath the skin surface.
When these connective bands tighten unevenly, they cause the skin to pull downward while the subcutaneous fat layer pushes upwards.
This causes hollows and bumps on the skin surface. But what causes cellulite to be more common in females than males? Research suggests that women are about 90 per cent more susceptible to cellulite than men.
Symptoms and Grades of cellulite
Some people liken cellulite to orange peel or cottage cheese because of its dimpled and bumpy texture. These symptoms are easy to notice by observing your thighs, buttocks, hips, and stomach. Cellulite symptoms occur in certain grades. The symptoms and grades of cellulite include:
- Grade 1 – Some people have Grade 1 cellulite. It is the mildest form. Their skin surfaces look as if they have an orange peel texture. Grade 1 cellulite often triggers one to four superficial dimples. The skin might appear saggy as cellulite is just starting to form. Grade 1 cellulite looks at its worst when you sit down, as that is when mild dimpling occurs. When you stand up the skin looks firmer and smoother. Grade 1 cellulite might go away or stop being noticeable if you treat it early. If you ignore it, the condition might progress to Grade 2 cellulite.
- Grade 2 – A person with Grade 2 cellulite has a moderate problem. Grade 1 cellulite triggers about five to nine hollows of medium depth. Consequently, Grade 2 cellulite causes a cottage cheese appearance on the top skin layer. Unlike Grade 1, Grade 2 cellulite appears moderately saggy on the skin. Due to its moderate occurrence degree, Grade 2 cellulite looks equally bad when you stand up or sit down. Thus, you will notice it whether you are standing up or sitting down. Most people will see cellulite as a beauty flaw at this point. They will try to remove it or improve its appearance.
- Grade 3 – The Grade 3 cellulite is the worst of all the three cases. It gives the skin surface a mattress-like texture. If you have Grade 3 cellulite, your skin should have over ten dimples. Additionally, the Grade 3 cellulite eliminates the skin’s firmness and tightness, leaving it loose. The severe Grade 3 cellulite triggers deep hollows and large bumps. Thus, the skin appears to have ridges and valleys. Since Grade 3 cellulite causes severe superficial symptoms, it can make some people lose self-confidence. The severity of this condition might only respond to less invasive treatments. Topical products or home remedies might only trigger temporary changes.
What are the main causes of cellulite?
What causes cellulite? The exact cellulite cause remains unknown. However, dermatologists and plastic surgeons believe cellulite occurs when the subcutaneous fat deposits protrude into the fibrous connective bands. The connective bands and fat cells have a vertical structure in women. Thus, the fat cells push into these bands directly. Here are other possible causes:
Genetic Factors
Genetics could trigger cellulite, according to medical experts. Some people have higher odds of developing cellulite based on how their bodies distribute fat, muscles, and connective fibres under the skin surface. Generally, the distribution of these things in men is more advantageous as it prevents them from developing cellulite.
The criss-crossed structure of fat cells and fibrous connective bands lowers the odds of fat cells pushing into the latter. Even if women are more prone to cellulite than men, some develop it in more body parts than others. Again, the disparity in how cellulite develops and appears in various females could be because of their genes.
Hormonal Changes
Dermatologists believe hormones have a role to play in cellulite development. For instance, oestrogen levels tend to decrease as a woman approaches menopause. Their blood circulation to her connective bands beneath the skin surface decreases. Thus, low oxygen levels reaching the skin decrease its ability to make collagen.
Another theory is that as oestrogen levels drop, the fat cells enlarge. Lower collagen production and oversized fat cells all lead to skin puckering. Skincare doctors also feel that thyroid hormones, insulin, prolactin, and noradrenaline can instigate cellulite formation. However, more research is necessary to explain how these hormones might provoke cellulite development.
Diet and lifestyle factors
What are the main causes of cellulite, and can people stop it by altering their diets and lifestyles? Eating food that can stimulate collagen production is a good practice. On the other hand, you will increase your fat deposits if your diet contains more carbohydrates, less fiber, and more refined food choices.
If you are naturally predisposed to cellulite, your odds of developing it are higher if you have excess fat deposits underneath the skin. Research shows that bad lifestyle choices like smoking or inactivity can increase your risk of having cellulite. Working out can make your muscles larger and tighter. However, dramatic weight loss might worsen cellulite appearance.
Ageing
Cellulite knows no age limits. Some women develop it in their teenage or young adult years. That could be because some people, especially women, might carry genes that make them prone to cellulite growth. Perhaps the same hormones that trigger physical changes during puberty trigger skin blemishes like cellulite and stretch marks.
Although cellulite can develop early in life, physicians believe it begins after attaining the age of 25 years. From that point on, cellulite worsens. When you reach menopause, its appearance might drastically change for the worse because of the diminishing estrogen levels. Addressing cellulite when it forms might improve its appearance as you age.
Cellulite treatment and removal
Cellulite removal treatment is a crucial topic for most people, especially females. They want to know if there is a way to remove cellulite forever.
They improve cellulite appearance without altering its structural design. Nonetheless, the American Academy of Dermatology approves the following medical treatments:
Acoustic Wave Therapy (AWT)
Acoustic Wave Therapy, the brainchild of Storz Medical, is an instrumental cellulite treatment technique. It uses sound waves to arouse body tissues. AWT might generate radial or high-energy sound waves. Either of these triggers mechanical pulses that exert pressure on skin tissues that your dermatologist is targeting.
The resulting natural biological responses help activate the lymphatic system and increase blood circulation. Therefore, Acoustic Wave Therapy with special Storz Medical tools can break down the structure of cellulite. This consists of fibrous connective bands and a fat deposit layer.
Massage Therapy
What causes cellulite and can you remove it with massage therapy? Massage is a popular way to remove muscle tightness and fatigue. A therapist kneads, pinches, rolls, and squeezes your skin. This may help roll the fat deposits away from your fibrous connective bands. Kneading can enhance your lymphatic drainage and stretch your skin along with its cellulite lumps. Massage can improve the cellulite’s appearance over time by redistributing fat cells.
Radiofrequency (RF) Therapy
Radiofrequency therapy is another way to treat cellulite. A dermatologist uses infrared light and bipolar radio frequency energies to destroy fat cells underneath cellulite skin areas. These will generate heat and it will enter the skin and warm up the connective bands and fat deposits without bruising neighbouring tissues. It then shrinks the fat cells and arouses the skin tissue to generate collagen. As collagen growth increases, the skin will look firmer, tighter, and smoother, improving cellulite appearance.
Laser and Light Therapy
What causes cellulite and can laser therapy help reduce it? Laser therapy is a treatment entailing a small probe device. The dermatologist inserts it under your skin and then switches it on to release energy. This breaks up the fat cells and fibrous connective bands. Laser therapy facilitates collagen production, which improves the skin tightness and texture. Cellulite appearance on the skin will reduce after laser therapy.
Subscision
Subscision might help enhance how your cellulite looks. The doctor will insert a tiny needle into the affected skin area. The goal is to dislodge the fat cells from the connective fibres. After this, the skin looks flatter and firmer than when it has cellulite.
That is because the injected site begins to produce more collagen, which improves the skin’s appearance. Subscision is a less invasive treatment that dermatologists perform in an outpatient visit.
Ultrasound Therapy
Ultrasound therapy utilizes focused ultrasound therapy to penetrate deeper skin layers. It can go up to 4.5mm deep. Ultrasound therapy triggers more collagen manufacture at the treatment site, which improves how cellulite looks.
It does have durable effects such as enhancing skin texture and elasticity. Furthermore, ultrasound therapy increases blood circulation to treated tissues. This causes faster recovery and lasting results.
Microneedling
Microneedling treatment uses a tool consisting of many tiny needles. The doctor pricks your skin with it to stimulate collagen production and cellulite reduction. The injuries the device causes when it pricks the skin allow certain rejuvenating ingredients to reach the mesoderm skin layer.
Carboxytherapy
Another method of removing cellulite is carboxytherapy. The dermatologist performs this treatment by inserting carbon dioxide into your skin. The treatment has an almost similar effect of increasing collagen production. Carboxytherapy can reduce cellulite and trigger slight bruising in the process.
Endermologie
Still asking this: what causes cellulite? If you have cellulite, your dermatologist or plastic surgeon might suggest a method called endermologie. It is a deep massage procedure involving a vacuum device that can lift dimpling and sagging skin. While the FDA supports endermologie, more research is necessary to verify its effectiveness as a cellulite treatment.
Conclusion
What causes cellulite? Do I have cellulite? Hopefully, you can answer these questions after reading this detailed guide. Cellulite does not hurt, but it can trigger low self-esteem. Once you notice it on your skin, go to the best dermatologist or plastic surgeon in the UK. They will categorize your skin condition by grade and suggest the most effective treatment.
The top medical treatments include acoustic wave therapy (AWT), massage, ultrasound therapy, endermologie, subscision, carboxytherapy, microneedling, RF therapy, and laser and light therapy. Your physician will choose the best technique based on the severity of your condition, ability to pay, and health fitness level.
