Treatments

What is Cellulite?

Cellulite is a term used to describe pockets of fat which are trapped and cause dimpling in the skin just below
the skins surface. It generally appears on skin in the abdomen, lower limbs, and pelvic region. This dimpling is
irregular and patchy and is identified as an orange peel effect on the skins surface.
90% of post-adolescent women go on to develop cellulite at some time during their life although it is very hardly
ever seen in men. Women tend to get cellulite around knees, saddlebags and buttocks, because they have
three layers of fat in these areas [instead of just one]. Women also have three levels of fat in the stomach and
in the triceps areas.
Cellulite is often classified using three grades. Grade 1 classification sees no clinical symptoms, but a
microscopic examination of cells from the area detects underlying anatomical changes. Grade 2 cellulite
requires the skin to show pallor (pastiness), be lower temperature, and have decreased elasticity in addition to
anatomical changes noted by microscopic examinations. Grade 3 cellulite has visible roughness of the skin
(like an orange peel) along with all grade 2 signs. Cellulite occurs in both men and women, but it is much more
common in women because they are more likely to have particular types of fat and connective tissue.
Underneath the dermis and epidermis are three specific layers of fat. Cellulite tends to develop in the
subcutaneous fat layers. This layer of fat is unique in its structure compared to the other layers because its
fatty parts are structured into specific chambers by strands of linked tissue around it.

Hormones also help out with the storage of fat along with the body's metabolism in the subcutaneous fat layer.
Hormonal factors such as estrogens and folliculine also play a role in cellulite formation. Cellulite is for the most
part found in women during their hormonal changes such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause and also
whilst taking birth control pills. A woman's hormones are usually responsible for the regulation of their blood
flow, fat, connective tissue and lymphatic drainage.

The fat cells between the two reserve fat layers situated under the subcutaneous fat layer dissolve into a slack
network. A person's genetic makeup predicts their fat storage and metabolism in these layers which are
predisposed by diet, exercise and lifestyle.
The subcutaneous fat layer in a woman is organised into large upright chambers allowing fat to be stored. From
these fat-cell chambers, small projections of fat cells protrude into the dermis. This unevenness and irregularity
of the subcutaneous fat gives skin the 'bumpy' appearance we call cellulite. In men, these chambers are
organised into small slanting units. These store smaller fat quantities and are not as likely to form cellulite.