The Truth About Cellulite

Around 90 percent of the population suffer from dreaded cellulite and although we read about miracle cures, how much of what we read is actually true? We ask expert Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi, Medical Director of lmaclinic.com, about the most common myths surrounding cellulite.

Thinner women don’t get cellulite - Whether your body type is athletic, slender or curvy, all are susceptible to cellulite. It’s the sun damage, fluctuation of hormones, weight and age that enhance the dimples on skin, not the body type. 

Only older generations can get cellulite - Cellulite can affect any age, but with time our skin’s elasticity depletes and the cellulite becomes more visible. 

Miracle creams reduce cellulite - The only creams  proven to have worked have been expensive and tend not to show results until after several months. They are usually enriched with caffeines and are sadly only a temporary fix. 

It’s just excess fat - Actually cellulite has much more to do with the layers and structure of our skin than fat. Between the skin and our muscles is a protective layer of fat. When factors such as age and weight gain occur the tissues holding these layers together begin to weaken, which creates the dimply affect we see. 

Men don’t suffer from cellulite - In fact, men can suffer from cellulite, but it’s far more common in women. The tissues connecting the skin layers and muscles hiding the fats are much stronger in men, and where the female hormone oestrogen produces fats, male testosterone burns it. 

Cardio is the best way to reduce cellulite - Though running is a great way to achieve weight loss, the best way to reduce the appearance of cellulite is with strength and weight training. 

The clothing you wear has an impact - There are a lot of clothes out there marketed to make you think they will help reduce the cellulite, like tight fit leggings for running. It has been shown that wearing tighter clothing can even make the cellulite dimples more prominent. 

Weight loss reduces its appearance - Not necessarily. Cellulite is not affected by the amount of fat in the body but rather by the connecting tissues between the muscles and the skin layers.

If you want to eradicate cellulite you need to target it specifically. The good news is that an increasing number of experts agree that cellulite can be reduced by rebalancing your body’s system. By enabling the body to detoxify it will help break down fatty deposits more efficiently.

Help to cleanse your body of the toxins that cause cellulite by increasing your intake of:

• Raw foods. Try eating at least half your food raw by snacking on fruit, vegetables and salads.
• Sweet peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, parsley and citrus fruits are all excellent cellulite fighters as they contain bioflavanoids, which help strengthen capillaries and so prevent the orange peel effect.
• Whole grain foods, such as brown rice and granary bread.
• Herbal teas and lots of water.

Try to avoid or cut down:

• Salt. Too much salt upsets the body’s regulation of fluids. Drinking water helps your body to flush out toxins. But too much salt makes your body retain the water you consume - and therefore toxins.
• All convenience foods, including tinned and frozen foods.
• Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. Try organic, caffeine-free tea or coffee and have no more than two cups per day. Restrict your alcohol intake to a glass of red wine every other night.
• Dairy and wheat products.
• Fatty foods such as red meats and full fat dairy products.
• Refined carbohydrates, such as white flour, bread and rice.

But the real causes of cellulite are factors outside your control. Cellulite is a structural problem in cells beneath the skin. New treatments are constantly being introduced. Here we review two of the most effective.

Cellulaze is the minimally invasive answer to your cellulite woes. The Cellulaze laser is designed to diminish lumpy pockets of fat, release areas of skin depression and increase elasticity and thickness of the skin. Unlike many cosmetic treatments, you only usually require one treatment! It works by tackling the three major causes of cellulite by stretching the skin’s natural thickness for a smoother, firmer, more youthful look. Leaving you full of confidence and ready to hit the beach. www.lmaclinic.com

3D-Lipo gives you several options to target and treat stubborn areas of both fat and cellulite. These are Cavitation and Cryolipolysis for fat blasting inch loss, Radio Frequency for skin tightening and 3D Dermology for specific cellulite reduction. A course of six to eight treatments is recommended.  Pro.Skin, Newcastle www.proskinclinics.com