Cellulite is a growing business. Just last year there were 40 new cellulite treatment creams that entered the market and the turnover in the industry as a whole topped $50 million in the US market alone. These numbers are evidence of a large unmet desire from women to get rid of their cellulite.
But what exactly is it?
According to Wikipedia, cellulite as a term was coined in the 1920s but it wasn’t until the 1960s that it began to gain acceptance. Before then the lumpy and uneven skin that appears on women’s legs, stomach and hips went seemingly unnoticed and was silently documented in paintings by Paul Rubens (1577-1640) and photographs by Arthur Albert Allen (1916-1930). The sudden preoccupation with cellulite most likely reflects a modern focus on women’s bodies that started in the 1960s which idealized a skinny and fat free image.
So what causes the bumpy, unattractive appearance on the thighs, stomach and hips? Cellulite is essentially caused by fibrous bands underneath the skin that pulls the skin downwards and fat pockets that are filled with fluid. This causes an uneven appearance on the surface of the skin.
The causes of the cellulite condition are varied. The main one is genetics. So, if your mother had bad cellulite chances are you will too. Hormonal factors are another major cause and estrogen is the main culprit because it causes humans to accumulate more fat (men who are undergoing estrogen therapy for prostate cancer are more likely to develop the condition).
Age is also a main cause. As women age, the skin and connective tissue begins to breakdown and become looser. This makes it easier for the fat to protrude upwards through the skin. Poor diet and lifestyle habits can quicken the ageing of the skin and cause fluid retention in the fat pockets.
Finally, believe it or not, what underwear you have can also impact on your cellulite. According to Dr. Lionel Bissoon, author of “The Cellulite Cure”, women should wear undergarments that don’t restrict blood flow to the buttocks. Apparently elastic found in panties and that sits around the hips can stop the circulation and cause dimples in the buttocks. He recommends that you choose elastic free underwear.
But what exactly is it?
According to Wikipedia, cellulite as a term was coined in the 1920s but it wasn’t until the 1960s that it began to gain acceptance. Before then the lumpy and uneven skin that appears on women’s legs, stomach and hips went seemingly unnoticed and was silently documented in paintings by Paul Rubens (1577-1640) and photographs by Arthur Albert Allen (1916-1930). The sudden preoccupation with cellulite most likely reflects a modern focus on women’s bodies that started in the 1960s which idealized a skinny and fat free image.
The condition mostly always affects women with only about 10 percent of men having it. This is because women have three layers of fat in the areas mostly likely to be affected by cellulite while men only have one. They also have thinner skin than men. The result is that women are 7 times more likely to have the condition and 90 percent will have it at some stage of their life. In fact, it does not discriminate among women – it affects overweight and skinny women equally and also those from all racial backgrounds
The causes of the cellulite condition are varied. The main one is genetics. So, if your mother had bad cellulite chances are you will too. Hormonal factors are another major cause and estrogen is the main culprit because it causes humans to accumulate more fat (men who are undergoing estrogen therapy for prostate cancer are more likely to develop the condition).
Age is also a main cause. As women age, the skin and connective tissue begins to breakdown and become looser. This makes it easier for the fat to protrude upwards through the skin. Poor diet and lifestyle habits can quicken the ageing of the skin and cause fluid retention in the fat pockets.
Finally, believe it or not, what underwear you have can also impact on your cellulite. According to Dr. Lionel Bissoon, author of “The Cellulite Cure”, women should wear undergarments that don’t restrict blood flow to the buttocks. Apparently elastic found in panties and that sits around the hips can stop the circulation and cause dimples in the buttocks. He recommends that you choose elastic free underwear.
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