Cellulite. Scientific explanation pls. Will it go away?

I've see some great answers on here. Which really explain things properly. So will my cellulite go away with weight loss and exercise? I'm not convinced creams work so won't be trying them.
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Replies

  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    It might, it might not. Even "skinny" people can have cellulite. Is just a type of fat.
  • grassette
    grassette Posts: 976 Member
    You will probably have less of it.

    The way to treat it is through friction. You can get these pads that have small bumps, and if you massage your cellulite while in the shower, it is supposed to break down the clumps of fat---the cellulite cell is a bit different than the others---so that your body can dispose of it otherwise. I've only used it sporadically, so I can't say that it works or not. French women's magazines promote this a lot.

    It makes sense to me that if you aren't on a diet, and not burning the fat that you've stored, the body will only put it somewhere else.
  • SadFaerie
    SadFaerie Posts: 243 Member
    It's individual. Some women don't have it even at high body fat percentage, other have to get down to only having the essential body fat level to get rid of it. There's no telling. As for creams, I don't believe in miracles, but I think it's still good do use them for massaging the affected areas, and for that you can use any body cream, not necessarily anti cellulite one (myself, I'm using basic baby body olive, and once or twice a week I prepare my own body scrub, using ground coffee leftovers, kosher salt and olive). Moisturising your skin from the outside, along with physical stimulation, is going to keep it firmer, which may help reducing how your cellulite is showing.
  • Hi. What is the essential body fat level? How is it measured? :smile:
  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member
    http://breakingmuscle.com/womens-fitness/the-dirty-little-secret-of-the-female-athlete-cellulite

    It's a genetic predisposition as far as I'm concerned. You can't do anything specific to get rid of it.
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    You can see it especially when the connective tissue is tight and is forcing it up against your skin. The best way to make it less visible is to rub it as much as possible everyday. You don't need anything special, just lotion or an oil of your choice.
  • SStruthers13
    SStruthers13 Posts: 150 Member
    I was kinda chubby but never fat. I had cellulite on my thighs and butt end at 131 lbs. (I'm short) After I lost 15 lbs I noticed mine was gone. That was my experience.
  • FromHereOnOut
    FromHereOnOut Posts: 3,237 Member
    I don't have a scientific explanation, but from my experience (beware: graphic details ahead), when I grab my love handles and pull up on them, my cellulite improves. (<<feel free to try this at home in front of a mirror) Soooo, in my case, I think it is a combination of fat on the back of the thighs + gravity of the weight of other fat on my body pushing down on it. Solution? All around reduction in bodyfat and basically "tightening up", with strength training. That's my plan anyway. (Have you ever seen a fitness model or bodybuilder with cellulite?? I haven't. So I conclude: (-)BF and (+)Lean mass as needed for results)
  • nomeejerome
    nomeejerome Posts: 2,616 Member
    Reduction in body fat reduces the appearance of cellulite.
  • Meshell3786
    Meshell3786 Posts: 47 Member
    I started saving all my coffee grounds Haven't tried yet anyone else ever Try?!?.... http://www.livestrong.com/article/76614-warm-coffee-grounds-cellulite/
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    http://breakingmuscle.com/womens-fitness/the-dirty-little-secret-of-the-female-athlete-cellulite

    It's a genetic predisposition as far as I'm concerned. You can't do anything specific to get rid of it.

    I agree with this comment and the article is very informative and right on. However, with every thing said and done, I still hate my cellulite and nothing is going to change that, and I am not planning to advertise it to the word.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    I don't have a scientific explanation, but from my experience (beware: graphic details ahead), when I grab my love handles and pull up on them, my cellulite improves. (<<feel free to try this at home in front of a mirror) Soooo, in my case, I think it is a combination of fat on the back of the thighs + gravity of the weight of other fat on my body pushing down on it. Solution? All around reduction in bodyfat and basically "tightening up", with strength training. That's my plan anyway. (Have you ever seen a fitness model or bodybuilder with cellulite?? I haven't. So I conclude: (-)BF and (+)Lean mass as needed for results)

    Yes, they are many fitness model with cellulite, just photoshopped not to show it. Read the article (http://breakingmuscle.com/womens-fitness/the-dirty-little-secret-of-the-female-athlete-cellulite) posted by another member. It is very well written.
  • takerbrat
    takerbrat Posts: 81 Member
    I started saving all my coffee grounds Haven't tried yet anyone else ever Try?!?.... http://www.livestrong.com/article/76614-warm-coffee-grounds-cellulite/

    I just posted the following on another message board -

    In addition to the dry skin brushing you might also try a homemade coffee body scrub (coffee, sugar, oil of choice, cocoa powder and cinnamon). The full recipe and a photo is on my Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/TeamDontMessWithTheMommaPage

    If you want to learn more about dry skin brushing checkout my blog - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/takerbrat/view/two-detox-therapies-that-anyone-can-do-at-home-564953
  • FromHereOnOut
    FromHereOnOut Posts: 3,237 Member
    I don't have a scientific explanation, but from my experience (beware: graphic details ahead), when I grab my love handles and pull up on them, my cellulite improves. (<<feel free to try this at home in front of a mirror) Soooo, in my case, I think it is a combination of fat on the back of the thighs + gravity of the weight of other fat on my body pushing down on it. Solution? All around reduction in bodyfat and basically "tightening up", with strength training. That's my plan anyway. (Have you ever seen a fitness model or bodybuilder with cellulite?? I haven't. So I conclude: (-)BF and (+)Lean mass as needed for results)

    Yes, they are many fitness model with cellulite, just photoshopped not to show it. Read the article (http://breakingmuscle.com/womens-fitness/the-dirty-little-secret-of-the-female-athlete-cellulite) posted by another member. It is very well written.

    The author has very nice abs. Maybe she has focused on her abs. I think if she were to focus on workouts that LIFT the backside, then it would help.

    Have a look at this girl's transformation:

    http://keep-calm-stay-healthy.tumblr.com/post/50721123797/i-am-getting-many-questions-about-how-what-i-did
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    scientific explaination - i will try,

    skin is connected to something else (:/), underneath the subcutanious fat, by lots of little fibres. when the fat between these two planes becomes too much it bulges in an unsightly way - okay sorry, it wasn't very scientific.

    so, when you lose fat it gradually stops bulging and will eventually go away.

    massage and exfoliating will help the appearance a wee bit in the meantime. :)

    edit: i second the coffee - i use a homemade scrub occasionally with, coconut oil, almond oil, (cheapest i can find) filter coffee and sugar. (better than buying an expensive cream with a miniscule amount of caffeine that doesn't work)
  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member
    The author has very nice abs. Maybe she has focused on her abs. I think if she were to focus on workouts that LIFT the backside, then it would help.

    She worked a traditional bodybuilding lifting routine & now does CrossFit. She squats. It doesn't help. You cannot control cellulite. The author of that blog even says, "Keep in mind that your own progress will always differ from the progress of others. No two bodies are alike."
  • ctinawilson
    ctinawilson Posts: 127 Member
    You cannot get rid of cellulite by scrubbing or brushing your body.

    The reason these methods have a temporary positive effects is that they swell the tissue under the skin and therefore the cellulite is less visible. Body brushing is great for exfoliation, that's all.

    Cellulite is a layer of fat, covered by strings of tissue which appear as a lattice in women and more striped in men - that's why men's cellulite is less noticeable.

    The fat pushes against the lattice and creates the bumps.

    Yes, there is a relationship between higher body fat percentage and cellulite, however this does not mean it will disappear when you lose fat - women are designed to hold more weight around the areas that also happen to show cellulite, so even ladies with very low body fat %, may still hold cellulite on thighs / buttocks.

    I hope this helps - I was convinced I could get rid of cellulite and started shopping online for the 'best brush' i could find, that was when i came across videos / articles and blogs by a variety of people, some dermatologists / doctors, stating that the marketing behind these products is based on nothing but a temporary swell in your tissue.
  • emergencytennis
    emergencytennis Posts: 864 Member
    It might, it might not. Even "skinny" people can have cellulite. Is just a type of fat.

    Cellulite is not a type of fat.

    It is a description of the way fat accumulates.on some people. For the purposes of this thread some people means most women.

    Pods of fat become disconnected from each other as the skin's connective tissue deteriorates with age. The skin dimples between the fat lumps

    .

    Young smooth skin:


    connectivetissueconnectivetissueconnectivetissue
    ====fat==========fat==================
    connectivetissueconnectivetissueconnectivetissue




    Connective tissue deteriorates with age and breaks occur causes depressions or dimples in the skin:



    connectivetissue==========DIMPLE====connectivetissue===DIMPLE=======
    =========================fat========================fat =============
    connectivetissue==========DIMPLE===connectivetissue=====DIMPLE=connectivetissue
  • emergencytennis
    emergencytennis Posts: 864 Member
    Ah pox, my dimples didn't line up!
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    It might, it might not. Even "skinny" people can have cellulite. Is just a type of fat.

    Cellulite is not a type of fat.

    It is a description of the way fat accumulates.on some people. For the purposes of this thread some people means most women.

    Pods of fat become disconnected from each other as the skin's connective tissue deteriorates with age. The skin dimples between the fat lumps

    .


    this is wrong ^

    what the girl above you said is right - same as me, she just described it much, much better.

    granted it is not a type of fat - i'll give you that.
  • ST99000722
    ST99000722 Posts: 204 Member
    I don't know if mine will ever go away, but I'm a big fan of making it look better via sensible diet, massage / exfoliation & fake tan :smile:
  • emergencytennis
    emergencytennis Posts: 864 Member
    Pods of fat become disconnected from each other as the skin's connective tissue deteriorates with age. The skin dimples between the fat lumps.

    Are you sure this is wrong?
  • DVaughan1975
    DVaughan1975 Posts: 158 Member
    Ok...this is NOT scientific at all but hey...it's Friday so here goes....
    Everytime I think of where the fat on our body comes from, I am reminded of the movie Little Miss Sunshine when the little girl says "What does Ala Mode mean?" and the dad says "it means they put on ice cream on top of it and ice cream has fat in it so when you eat it it puts fat on your body". Ok...so those are not the exact words but you get the jist of the conversation. So there you go....lol. Honestly though, I weigh between 126-128 with a very healthy bmi and bf percentage. That being said, I still struggle with cellulite. For whatever reason, I can't get the proper form on squats so I just continue to do lunges, cardio, leg curls, donkey kicks, take classes, and TRY to keep the diet in check ( I stress the word TRY). Like someone above posted, if I pull up on my love handles or the area around my back it seems to smooth things out so I am hopeful with the proper diet and exercise it will help. Good topic :flowerforyou:
  • HappyStack
    HappyStack Posts: 802 Member
    For whatever reason, I can't get the proper form on squats[...]

    What's wrong with your form?

    Until I started putting almost the equivalent of my bodyweight on the bar when doing barbell squats, I could never really "sit back" into the squat, and so I always stopped "high" and almost good-morning'ed the weight back up. You need enough weight on the bar for *it* to be your centre of mass, so your shoulders can stay over the mid-foot when you squat down. This'll keep you balanced and allow you to sit deeper into "the hole".

    If the weight is too light, your trunk (i.e. your torso) remains your centre of mass and you'll always lean quite far forward to keep it over your mid-foot. This is fine if you can't yet squat a heavy enough weight, every rep with the lighter weight will get you closer to being able to squat with better form, don't give up just because you haven't perfected it as quickly as you thought - squatting, although probably one of the most natural things we can do for exercise, is exceptionally hard.

    Edit: Sorry for going off-topic, I'm just surprised when people say they can't squat, haha.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Ah pox, my dimples didn't line up!

    But I love that you typed all of that out! You get a gold star! ☆ (pretend it is gold, anyway...)
  • donthesitate
    donthesitate Posts: 255 Member
    I dont think age has much to do with it. Ive had cellulite a while now and im only 18. I wish I had taken before and after pics bcuz once I started eating at a deficit and weight training my cellulite is almost gone. Lowering body fat is key, it doesnt matter what the scale says or if you look skinny, you can still have a body fat percentage that is too high. Many women in my family have cellulite, even so I still improved mine significantly.
  • Cellulite is caused by fat deposits that sit along side with collagen fibers that are anchored to the muscle below. When the collagen pulls tight or the fatty areas grow larger, then the deposits may bulge out. Cellulite is related to the structures within the skin, so even slender women can possibly have some cellulite. If thin skin runs in your family, the cellulite you have will be more visible. :noway:

    Kim
    http://celluliteblaster.org/
  • I dont think age has much to do with it. Ive had cellulite a while now and im only 18. I wish I had taken before and after pics bcuz once I started eating at a deficit and weight training my cellulite is almost gone. Lowering body fat is key, it doesnt matter what the scale says or if you look skinny, you can still have a body fat percentage that is too high. Many women in my family have cellulite, even so I still improved mine significantly.

    She's perfectly right.. and has a picture to prove it!... congratulations on the sexy abs!! :) you rock!... I'm on my way there ;D. Anyways girls, besides lowering body fat, you will want to help your skin reshape it's connective tissue, which can be done in different methods. One good way is going to a Chiropractic, but that could be expensive, the other way is to exercise your muscles. If you lose body fat + get stronger muscles in that area, the muscles will stretch your skin enough to make it look perfect, the connective tissues will adapt to the new shape, and there goes your cellulite, forever. I'd recommend the program that works for me, Venus Factor, it's MAJOR on the muscle building aspect of exercise... you wont look like a body builder, don't worry :).. here's a link! http://tinyurl.com/nxe3h74
  • Not that looking like a body builder is bad :(... sorry if I offended anyone.. there's some great looking body builder girls here, and what I'd give to have their drive....
  • Anyone who tells you that cellulite is due completely to genetics has been fooled by media into think it is a condition which is not "curable." The only genetic factor involved is the fact that women will have more cellulite than men, due to their fat ratios in their bodies. There are 2 fat types in the body: alpha type fats and beta type fats. Alpha fats are stubborn and harder to burn. Beta are easier to burn. Women have a 9:1 alpha/beta ratio in the lower body! Whereas men have a 1:1 alpha/beta ratio. Cellulite is not a disease. It is a combination of body fat % that is too high, the wrong diet, and not enough muscle tissue. Cellulite is caused by a combination of enlarged fat cells (mostly the alpha type) and poor skin collagen & elastin fiber structures, which in most younger people is coming from poor circulation in those areas.

    The article written about "athletes" with cellulite is simply an example of failure to rid cellulite because she did not have the determination or skills enough to lower her body fat % or find a way to block alpha-2 fat receptors(which for this I personally use high dosages of L-caratine but Yohimbe will also work but is potentially dangerous). For each individual to lose their cellulite, they will need to hit a certain body fat %, and for some people this can be extremely low - even at bodybuilder level between 8-12% for women. The woman in this article obviously was not in that BMI range. Do not let failures out there discourage you. The fat that makes it look like women have "cellulite" is usually a stubborn fat and there are certain techniques that will cause our bodies to burn off this type of fat. Look up science articles on alpha-2 and beta-2 adrenoreceptors. You will also need to take into consideration increasing blood circulation (delivery of nutrients to the area, helps increase muscle mass) and increasing collagen production in the skin (especially imported to do as you are losing weight)

    About me: My previous weight was 180 lbs, and I'm 5'4. I have had cellulite (VERY bad) basically my whole life. I currently weight 120 lbs, and as I have had a 60-70% reduction in my cellulite appearance so far. My current bodyfat is 19%, and I believe based on my personal cellulite situation, it will almost completely disappear around 14-15% body fat, but it may be even lower than that. I will reach 103 lbs and then gain 10-12 pounds of muscle mass. This effect will 1. reduce the fat bulge making the cellulite. 2. The muscles will push up against the skin, making it tighter, firmer, and lifted. Also, as far as my credibility, I am a nutrition & sports science major who is pre-med so this stuff is basically my life.

    No one will tell you the real secret to cellulite loss is simple, but it requires LOTS of hardwork, and most people are not willing to have that type of true dedication. And also most people who actually are SUCCESSFUL in losing cellulite do not spend time posting or looking at cellulite boards online, and are also not very interested in revealing their secrets about how they accomplished it. I have seen people who have done it, and so can you if you want it bad enough ;)