Cellulite: the ultimate body nemesis, especially during the summer when skirts and shorts are the go-to. While dimples on your cheeks are the epitome of cute, when it comes to thighs and bums, they’re suddenly much less desirable.
I spoke to Dr Sanjay Rajpara, consultant dermatologist, to get to the bottom (lol) of all our cellulite questions. But first, my standard body-love pep talk: your cellulite is fine and great and beautiful and you’re beautiful and just stop giving yourself such a hard time. Cool.
What is cellulite?
‘Cellulite, in layman’s terms, is the dimpled appearance of the skin. It’s commonly seen on lower legs, thighs and buttocks.’
What causes cellulite?
To put it really simply, cellulite occurs due to the structure of the skin. ‘The reason we see the dimpled appearance is not because of the fat itself, but because the lower surface of the skin is bound down to the facia and this goes through the fat and gives it the dimpled appearance.’
In other words, the pulling of the skin due to connective tissues, causes the uneven surface (the dreaded ‘dimples’). ‘It’s part of the normal structure, it’s not anything associated with any disease process or anything serious,’ says Dr Rajpara.
This means that, probably contrary to what you thought, it’s not to do with weight or how much body fat someone has. ‘It’s nothing to do with the amount of fat somebody has. It’s more obvious if someone is overweight because the excess weight in the form of fat tends to make the dimples look deeper.’
Are certain people more likely to get it?
‘People with a family history of cellulite have a higher chance of having it. But lifestyle factors such as diet and other things, don’t affect it.’
Do cellulite creams work?
I think, deep down, we all know the answer to this questions and it’s no. Don’t waste your hard earned cash. ‘Topical creams don’t help because they can’t penetrate the skin a sufficient amount to have any impact on where the cellulite is,’ Dr Rajpara explained.
How do you get rid of cellulite?
Unfortunately, there’s no magical cellulite cure, but there are some things you can do to help improve it.
‘Having optimal body weight helps. It doesn’t actually get rid of it, but it’s less obvious. Massage and exercise can help to reduce fluid in between the dimples so it drains away and appears slightly better. In terms of medical or cosmetics treatments, laser lipolysis is one of the newer things that can potentially improve the dimple appearance because of the technology,’ says Dr Rajpara.
With that in mind, try something like the Mio Skincare Body Brush, £15, which has massage nodules, as well as bristles, to help stimulate drainage.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.