Cellulite 101

Cellulite refers to the dimpled exterior of the skin that occurs on thighs, buttocks, and hips. Cellulite is much more frequent in women than men. Cellulite is basically lumpy fat that occurs underneath the skin. It is obvious at the back of the thigh and causes an abnormal or unattractive appearance of skin.

Most women first notice cellulite at the back of thighs while looking in a mirror, but cellulite can also occur in many other places. All consumers should understand that cellulite is a benign cosmetic skin disorder and causes no harm. The disorder is very common in women. Current estimates indicate that more than ¾ of women over the age of 22 have cellulite deposition in the body. Women and men of all ethnicity and cultures develop cellulite. Like acne, no one is immune from cellulite.

The exact cause of cellulite is unknown but there are countless speculations- some based on folklore and others based on pure nonsense. Almost everything underneath the sky has been held responsible for cellulite. Cellulite has been observed in men and women of colors, cultures, race, and ages. The only strong correlation with cause of cellulite is the presence of female sex hormones. How and why these female sex hormones cause cellulite is unknown.

Many women seek cosmetic treatment because they find cellulite is unappealing. The lumps at the back of the thigh are not aesthetically pleasing.

So where should a female with cellulite seek help? There is an explosion of people claiming to have a cure for cellulite. Some of these people are health professionals, others are executives, there are non health care professionals, psychiatrists, therapists, alternative health care practitioners, nurses, manicurists, podiatrists and so on.

The internet is inundated with treatments for cellulite. Each week there is a new treatment for cellulite with bigger claims than the previous week. There are herbs, lotions, potions, creams, pastes, minerals, machines, lasers and of course, there is surgery- and all these treatments have one thing in common- how much money they can take away from you before you realize they are a scam!