Cellulite is an equal opportunity beauty problem with no respect for class, wealth or fame. Everyone tries their best to erase the dimpled orange-peel skin that appears most commonly on the thighs, tummy and bottom.
French doctors invented the word cellulite in the 1920’s. Cynics correctly predicted that in the age of Coco Chanel, rapidly rising hemlines and the demise of corsets, the huge French cosmetics industry would soon cash in with miracle cures for this new complaint.
The War on Cellulite
Who’s fighting the war against cellulite? Who isn’t is the better question, since the problem affects celebrities like Nicole Kidman, royals like Princess Kate, supermodels like Janice Dickenson, and everyday Aussies who live for beach and bikini season.
Unfortunately, as you can see in these pictures, cellulite appears to be winning the war.
From left to right: Scarlett Johansson, Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga
Source: List Covery
What Causes Cellulite?
Cellulite is not caused by toxins, nor is it a result of a malfunctioning lymphatic system. It’s not a disease. Cellulite occurs when fatty deposits push against the connective tissue beneath the skin. The pressure creates a lumpy, mottled appearance. What’s surprising is that even slim people have problems with cellulite. Here’s why:
The amount of cellulite you have is believed to be largely determined by your genes and your gender. Generally speaking, women have more body fat than men, making them more susceptible to cellulite, especially around their thighs and bottoms. Additionally, a woman’s skin is thinner than a man’s, which makes cellulite more visible.
And finally, the distribution of connective tissue varies between the sexes.
Shamed into Caring About Cellulite
In 1973, salon owner Nicole Ronsard published a book titled Cellulite: Those Lumps, Bumps and Bulges You Couldn’t Lose Before. Nearly overnight, millions of American women went from believing their bodies were normal and healthy to suffering from an unsightly skin condition with a fancy French name. Before long the rest of the world followed suit.
Today’s media are filled with stories about the shame of cellulite, supporting millions of dollars spent by advertisers hawking their anti-cellulite cures and causing otherwise attractive women to suffer
- Lowered self-esteem
- Fear of embarrassment
- Avoidance or decreased enjoyment of certain activities
- Stress from continual efforts to cover up cellulite
Can Cellulite Be Cured?
The medical community agrees that cellulite is not a disease or medical condition that needs to be cured. It is simply the normal appearance of the female body. Why, then, is there so much attention focused on cellulite? The answer is money.
We can add cellulite to the growing list of natural feminine body changes that people with something to sell insist should be removed by any means necessary. The price is enormous, and the anti-cellulite market is a multi-billion dollar industry.
Cellulite Claims – Don’t You Believe Them
The discovery of cellulite nearly 100 years ago has given birth to a booming cottage industry of unscrupulous manufacturers promoting so-called magic cures that promise to remove cellulite. While a few beauty gadgets actually deliver on their promises, cellulite cures like “anti-cellulite knickers” made with aloe vera and caffeine owe their very existence to wishful thinking and clever marketing.
Today thousands of potions, lotions, treatments and regimens claim to remove cellulite. The sad fact is that nearly all of them are completely useless. Study after study has found that treatments designed to ‘stimulate blood supply’ or ‘invigorate’ the cellulite do not work.
Steam baths, herbal body wraps, evening primrose oils, soya lecithin and antioxidants may make you feel better and be good for you in other ways, but they will do nothing to reduce cellulite.
How to get rid of Cellulite Naturally
The chance of developing cellulite increases with age. There are, however, things you can do to minimise its effects, and none of them involve miracle cures, magic potions, or crazy gadgets or gimmicks. Healthy women who don’t smoke, who eat sensibly and exercise regularly may still develop cellulite, but it will be less pronounced.
And that, dear Reader, is as good as it gets.