It is familiar to 85-95% of women, among whom are supermodels and athletes, yogis and adherents of proper nutrition, fat and thin, girls, ladies, expectant mothers… This unpleasantness is called differently: almost affectionately - “orange peel”, scientifically - “gynoid lipodystrophy” or more commonly - “cellulite”.
In order to defeat this insidious enemy of women, you need to be knowledgeable in this matter - to know what cellulite is, and for what reasons it appears.
What is cellulite?
The modern world medical community has not come to a consensus regarding the painful nature of cellulite. Is it a disease if it is characteristic of most of the female population of the planet? Let it not be a disease, but a cosmetic defect that has such great significance in the era of open legs - undoubtedly.
Why does cellulite appear?
A certain layer of skin synthesizes fats, transforms them and introduces them into the circulatory system. This function is performed by special cells - adipocytes. As a result of certain factors, they grow, need new nutrition, accumulate waste products, and do not remove them.
As a result, the same thing happens to them as with obese people - the cells become larger, overgrown with connective (fibrous) tissue, which begins to protrude with the notorious bumps that spoil the appearance of women’s skin, especially on the hips and buttocks.
Stages of cellulite
Stage 1 of cellulite
“You don’t see it, but it’s there”. The skin still remains smooth, but inside it, the lymph flow is already impaired, so a woman may think that she has slightly gained weight or drunk too much water, which caused a feeling of swelling.
Stage 2 of cellulite
“Fat thickens”. The possibility of lymph outflow is blocked, it accumulates and squeezes the vessels, increasing intracellular edema. Oxygen does not enter the fat cells, and the deposits begin to connect into a network resembling honeycombs.
Stage 3 of cellulite
“Squeeze, and you will see”. “Honeycombs” of fibrous tissue capture islets of several cells. At first glance, cellulite is not yet visible, but if you gather the skin into a fold and squeeze it, the “orange peel” will appear in all its glory.
Stage 4 of cellulite
“Cellulite that feels very bad”. If the growth of connective fatty tissue has reached this level, the woman will experience not only aesthetic discomfort. In the areas of bumps, the skin shimmers with blue and is colder due to poor blood circulation. Cellulite affects nerve endings, pain is felt by itself, when pinching, rubbing, pressing.
Causes of cellulite
Why cellulite occurs is still not definitively proven today. Medical science can only highlight factors that have greater or lesser significance:
- increased levels of estrogens - female hormones, if they are in a state of imbalance, have a direct effect on the skin;
- racial, national, family factors - genetic predisposition. Thus, Europeans suffer from “orange peel” more often than Asians and dark-skinned people. If cellulite was present in the family in the mother and grandmother, the daughter and granddaughter are very likely to get acquainted with it.
- vascular problems - any violations of lymph outflow directly affect the slowdown of cellular metabolism;
- sharp changes in weight - weight gain is fraught with obesity, and rapid weight loss is the loss of collagen fibers that provide skin elasticity;
- stress, poor sleep are fraught with vascular spasms, problems with the endocrine system, and consequently, circulatory disorders;
- unbalanced diet - the diet should contain the necessary nutrients in certain proportions. A large amount of sugar with a minimum of fiber and protein will reduce the synthesis of connective tissue, contribute to the accumulation of toxins and subcutaneous fat;
- bad habits - snacks, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, all this suppresses the process of fat breakdown.
Cellulite treatment
Cellulite is difficult to treat, but it can be significantly reduced and even completely eliminated. The modern arsenal of effective methods of combating this insidious enemy of female beauty is quite large. These are procedures aimed at restoring blood and lymph microcirculation, as well as reducing the amount of subcutaneous fat:
- massages and self-massages (by hand, with special devices, a brush made of natural bristles);
- scrubs (coffee, salt);
- contrast douches;
- hardware therapy;
- diet correction;
- special exercises;
- yoga against cellulite.
Physical activity, which “breaks down” subcutaneous fat, should be aimed at forming a “filling” for the skin.
It should combine:
- cardio exercises - running, swimming, walking burn fat;
- gym workouts - fat cells are replaced by muscle tissue;
- yoga poses - stretching and twisting contribute to the general elimination of toxins, excess fluid, working out “hidden” places inaccessible to other types of physical activity.
In nutrition, the principle of balance and non-excess should be adhered to. Sweet and dairy products should be limited. The effectiveness of some products in the fight against cellulite has been proven, although they are not a panacea:
- berries (due to the content of resveratrol and pterostilbene);
- tomatoes, watermelons (useful substances - carotenoids);
- fatty fish (this fat is not dangerous, the body needs omega-3 fatty acids);
- citrus fruits (rutin, hesperidin, quercetin and ascorbic acid);
- cocoa (flavonoids);
- natural coffee (chlorogenic acid);
- turmeric (curcumin);
- chia, flax seeds;
- broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables (sulforaphane);
- hyaluronic acid.
Only a comprehensive approach can change the situation. But it should be remembered that with the return of the former lifestyle and the usual unbalanced diet, the “orange peel” can attack you again. Hurry up - with age, the amount of estrogen produced decreases, which leads to a decrease in skin elasticity and patency of blood vessels, which means that getting rid of cellulite manifestations will be more difficult.
nastia1988
Thank you very much for such a good article! I've visited many sites, and none of them suited me(( But here everything is clearly and clearly described the problem that needs to be worked on!! Now I will know how to deal with my cellulite. Thank you very much for such a good article! I've visited many sites, and none of them suited me(( But here everything is clearly and clearly described the problem that needs to be worked on!! Now I will know how to deal with my cellulite.
Petrova Oksana
Cellulite is an unpleasant thing, honey massage on problem areas and coffee scrub helped me well. All this can be done at home and the result will be visible in a couple of weeks. It is also important to drink enough water - it has a very good effect on the appearance of the skin. Cellulite is an unpleasant thing, honey massage on problem areas and coffee scrub helped me well. All this can be done at home and the result will be visible in a couple of weeks. It is also important to drink enough water - it has a very good effect on the appearance of the skin.
Olga
Yes, cellulite is such a scourge that is difficult to get rid of. I tried many methods, but I was only able to reduce it, with the help of honey massages and adding more vegetables to my diet. Maybe someone knows how to get rid of it forever? I read that yoga helps well, maybe someone knows effective exercises that can be done at home? Yes, cellulite is such a scourge that is difficult to get rid of. I tried many methods, but I was only able to reduce it, with the help of honey massages and adding more vegetables to my diet. Maybe someone knows how to get rid of it forever? I read that yoga helps well, maybe someone knows effective exercises that can be done at home?