A curse to many women, cellulite is formed close to the skin surface, producing wrinkled fat cells intermixed with the connective tissue that gives that strange ‘orange peel’ effect witnessed by many; the affected areas are normally from the waist down. Do not be fooled into thinking that this is a condition purely confined to women who are overweight because most carry additional fat anyway; women who are naturally slim can also suffer with this unsightly problem.

A number of fats collect in the lower areas of skin and push against the connecting tissues forcing the skin to pucker or have a dimpled look which is called cellulite. Health experts have been trying to discover the cause for some time as it is not a condition that affects every woman but they believe it does have some connection to the way the fat cells are made and possibly how toxins enter and are stored within the body.

One thing is for certain though ad that is this problem increases with age which is partly due to the reduction of collagen and elastin in the system which is why we tend to have more lines as we get older. Women are more prone to hormonal imbalances as they age and the fat found in their thighs and buttocks where it forms is different to the fat in other areas, unlike men who rarely suffer with this condition.

Even women who do not appear to have cellulite may have it and sometimes this is visible when the skin is compressed as in the case of squatting or when it is pinched between the thumb and forefinger; however as most women suffer with at some stage it seems to be a perfectly normal condition. After a great deal of research, certain conditions do help with the formation and retention of the fat cells; the age of the person, their gender, how thick their skin is and the amount of extra fat they carry, all play a part.

Currently there isn’t one single treatment that can eliminate cellulite because the cause has remained elusive despite considerable research into the area. Massage has been found to help hide the indications of cellulite even though it cannot remove it; but is does reduce it’s visibility for a temporary period and is available from some beauty clinics.

Liposuction is sometimes used to remove fats generally from the body and can be attempted for this condition as well but the use of drugs injected into the cells to remove it is costly and out of reach for most women. The problem with liposuction is not really the correct therapy for removing this type of fat but is for deeper fats, not those stuck in connective tissue, so it cannot claim to be a best treatment for cellulite.

For people who are prone to the problem, there are no magic treatments for selective removal but there are now a number of cellulite reduction creams on the market which are designed to help hide the effect it brings. So far the best method is back to basics combining a healthy diet with exercise that gradually burns off the fat but not the connective tissue where it is found.

Many toxins that accumulate in the body can be flushed out with regular amounts of water which some believe is still an effective way to keep the body free of harmful substances including the toxins which help with the formation of cellulite.