Can You Avoid Cellulite?
Many women hate their lumpy, bumpy cellulite, but is there anything women can do to avoid it?
Dec 14, 2016
Jul 28, 2020
Your HealthSheryl Kraft, a freelance writer and breast cancer survivor, was born in Long Beach, New York. She currently lives in Connecticut with her husband Alan and dog Chloe, where her nest is empty of her two sons Jonathan. Sheryl writes articles and essays on breast cancer and contributes to a variety of publications and websites where she writes on general health and wellness issues. She earned her MFA in writing from Sarah Lawrence College in 2005.
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"It's aesthetically unacceptable."
"It's ugly."
"I want to get rid of it."
Cellulite is a scourge for many. If you suffer with it, you've likely uttered one of the above phrases (or perhaps something not fit for print!).
Cellulite affects mostly women. (Aren't we the lucky ones?) It develops when fat deposits push up on the skin, giving it that all-too-familiar dimpled, lumpy look.
It's estimated that 85 percent to 98 percent of all women over the age of 20 have cellulite, says dermatologist Tina B. West, MD, of the West Institute for skin, laser and body contouring in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
One reason women get more cellulite than men is the way their septae—the underlying bands connecting muscle to skin—are structured. In women, the septae run vertically, giving that underlying fat more room to push up against the skin, while the cords pull down. Voila! An uneven surface with dimpling and deep grooves.
Men, on the other hand, have the advantage of more plentiful and thicker bands that run in a crisscross pattern, making fat less likely to bulge out.
Cellulite is most apparent on the buttocks and thighs, though it can appear on the upper arms and abdomen—basically, in places where fat is stored.
This may not be what you want to hear or read, but here's the truth: You may not be able to avoid cellulite. You can try to minimize it with good healthy habits and other things, but if you're programmed to get it, you're going to get it.
Here's why:
Isn't there anything you can do?
Although you can't totally avoid developing cellulite, you can minimize your chances of getting it, and in some cases, minimize its appearance.