What is Cellulite?

May 2017 | Reading time: 3 minutes

Are you vulnerable? What are its causes?

Cellulite doesn’t discriminate!  It can affect men and women of all sizes and ages. So what exactly is cellulite?

It’s the dimpled and bumpy skin that appears to have fat deposits under it. Cellulite appears when packets of body fat deposits underneath the skin get enlarged.

The underlying fat balloons thus increasing the demand for space under the skin. This exerts upward pressure on the connective tissue thus resulting in a bumpy skin.

It’s this pressure of fat on the top layers of the skin that pushes everything upwards creating a clearly dimpled surface. The expansion of multiple fat compartments leads to the popping up of multiple hills causing the cellulite to spread widely. According to dermatologists, cellulite can affect up to 90 percent of women.

Why is cellulite more common in women than men?

As much as it can affect both sexes, it seems to be more common in women than in men. The following are the reasons why cellulite is more likely to develop in women than in men:

• Thinner epidermis

Women, by nature, have thinner epidermis – the top-most layer of the skin.

A thin epidermis is more vulnerable to structural changes and dimpling. Thus women are more exposed to lumpiness and the disfiguration effects of cellulite.

Men, on the other hand, have a thicker epidermis. This gives the male skin the resilience to withstand dimpling and structural change. This is what protects men’s skin from it.

In short, men have a stronger outer layer that prevents the fat underneath from bulging through the surface. Women just do not enjoy the advantage of thick skin.

• Differences in skin structure

There are fundamental differences between the male and female skin. In women, fat cells sit inside, side-by-side, separate compartments which form columns underneath the surface of the skin.

Fattening in female fat cells causes the compartments to overflow with only the option for vertical expansion. The fat is pushed upwards putting massive pressure on the surface of the skin. This is what eventually results in the bumps and dimples known as cellulite.

On the contrary, male skin is made of a criss-cross pattern. Also, male fat containers are smaller. When they grow, they create one huge, solid block of fat no matter whether it pushes the epidermis up. That’s why even men with protruding beer bellies rarely show any signs of cellulite.

• Underwear

Most women tend to put on tight underwear. This restricts the flow of blood around the thighs and butt. It’s in these conditions that cellulite tends to thrive unfettered.It is, therefore, advisable that women stick to loose-fitting underwear, thongs, or going panty-less.

Causes of cellulite

The following are some of the causes:

• Hormones such as insulin, oestrogen, noradrenaline, prolactin, and thyroid hormones.
• Genes that determine gender, race, slow metabolism, and fat distribution all play a role in cellulite development.
• Diet consisting of fat, salt or carbohydrates and very little fibre is likely to increase the amount.
• Lifestyle factors such as smoking, lack of exercise, and sitting or standing in one position for long..
• Light clothing such as underwear also has an effect.

There is no need to worry if you already have some cellulite showing on your skin. This is because there are various treatment methods that should see your skin become smooth again.

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