Orange Peel, Mattress Skin, Cottage Cheese, Bubble Wrap are just a few of the words used to describe cellulite; the bumpy appearance some women and men exhibit especially in the abdomen and upper thighs.
Looking on Google, the search term ‘cellulite’ is an annual favourite, especially in the months leading up to summer. Despite the apparent widespread acceptance as a real phenomenon, it is not actually an acknowledged term in medicine. Which in their (the medical orthodoxy) defence, is actually closer to the truth than marketers would have you believe. At one end of the scale the medical establishment, if asked, will inform you that ‘cellulite’ is simply body-fat. At the other end of the scale the marketers, of endless products and treatments, will have you believe that cellulite is a discrete type of tissue that can only be removed by use of this newly discovered secret and proprietary mechanism. The ‘discreteness’, of course, is different in each case depending on what and how the product or treatment they hope to sell you works. The truth, as you’ll see, lies somewhere in between these two; but very much closer to the orthodox medical end of the spectrum.
The term ‘cellulite’ was coined in the 1920’s but didn’t really become a household term until the 1970’s when cosmetic companies got hold of it and used it in combination with the twin darlings of marketing ‘vanity’ and ‘fear’, to sell dubious crèmes and lotions, that cost pennies to make and that sold at a premium. As we’ll see, although the application of these crèmes does temporarily (hours) reduce the appearance (not the real structure) of cellulite, use of these crèmes may actually hasten its development.
Body-fat ‘is’ a major player in cellulite, the medical establishment are absolutely correct on that, but, that’s not where the story ends. Cellulite is not simply caused by body-fat alone, it’s a combination of specific local structures caused by the interplay of energetics, hormones and other physiological factors that all contribute to this condition. In simple terms it’s excessively full fat cells protruding through the mesh of connective tissue in the skin above.
Before we get into the details of the conditions that contribute to cellulite (in successive posts) or the current ‘treatments’ purported as cures (next post), I just want to quickly cover a very important point to help you navigate the disingenuous market-place to save you from being hoodwinked. Because of the physiological conditions that contribute to cellulite it takes at least 6 months of daily interventions to change. Anyone claiming to remove cellulite in a few treatments is not quite telling you the truth, whether intentionally or just through their own ignorance. And because of these specific physiological conditions, no degree of external (or internal, as you’ll see in the next post) prodding, poking, lasering, suction or wrapping will amount to anything permanent.
Cellulite is relatively simple to fix, but it does take a few lifestyle changes to do it properly. A saying I always bear in mind when considering my actions is ‘If you haven’t got the time to do it right, when will you find the time to do it over’.
Do it right, once.
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