Cellulite is a common health and beauty problem suffered by more than 80% of women. Women tend to have cellulite than men. In fact, only 10% of men having cellulite, a significantly lower percentage compared to women. Most commonly, cellulite is visible on certain body parts, such as hips, thighs, abdomen, and buttocks. Cellulite can happen to any women, even the slender and fit ones. In other words, cellulite does not necessarily happen to overweight women.
What is cellulite and how does it occur?
Cellulite is a skin condition in which the skin possesses certain areas with fat deposits, which gives it dimpled look. Cellulite genes are brought by chromosome X, making women more susceptible than men. Since it is triggered by underlying fat deposits, cellulite will be more noticeable in buttocks, thighs, and arms. Every woman is potential of developing cellulite, especially the ones which have passed their puberty.
Cellulite occurrence depends mostly on skin structure. In a poor skin structure—the unpliable skin structure, fiber might split and the connective tissues are damaged. The fat deposits then bulge up to the epidermis layer of the skin, causing dimple look. Therefore, cellulite usually occurs on the areas in which fat mostly lies.
There are a lot of theories about the main cause of cellulite. One of the oldest theory is that cellulite is caused by toxins. This theory has been long believed and is used by medication manufacturers to produce toxin eliminating creams which are said to eliminate cellulite.
Is cellulite caused by toxins?
Logically, this is a really interesting theory. Some health or beauty disturbances have been proved caused by toxins. Yet, is cellulite really caused by toxins? There are various things which might induce the formation of cellulite in our body. However, toxin is believed not one of them. Cellulite is more of a genetic skin problem which can possibly be transmitted over generations. The long wives tale that cellulite is caused by toxins thus, cannot be granted. Physiologically, cellulite is caused by the unique characteristic of someone’s skin structure. This skin structure—with the gen lies in chromosome X will determine someone’s susceptibility of cellulite development.
How about the toxins? Don’t they have something to do with cellulite? They do. Only they do not cause the skin problem. Instead, these toxins which are possibly trapped beneath your skin tissues can make your existing cellulite worse. Fibers are equipped with pores. Fibers bulging up to the epidermis have these microscopic holes for excreting sweat and toxins. When the toxins trapped beneath the skin squish out through these holes, your existing cellulite will appear lumpier and seem uneven. Hence, toxins may not cause the appearance of cellulite, yet they make cellulite even worse.
Similarly, aging also makes cellulite worse. When you get older, your body produces less estrogen. Estrogen is the hormone which regulates blood circulation through the vessels. Less estrogen leads to poorer blood circulation. Hence, collagen production which is induced by proper blood flow is decreasing. This will come to connective tissues breakdown and create lumpy affected areas. Now, can you imagine what happen when you get older while having trapped toxins beneath your skin with cellulite?
How do we manage toxin secretion?
Through metabolism, our body absorbs the nutrients needed for health and excretes excessed toxins through sweats, urine, and feces. In order to make this toxin secretion go properly, we need to control our diets. Consuming high-fiber dietary might help our body to absorbs nutrients well and excrete the excess well. Keeping our body hydrated is also another way to prevent toxins from staying beneath our skin. Hydration helps our body create proper blood circulation which has a sufficient role in toxin secretion. Drinking 8 glasses of water might seem cliché, yet this is proven to be one of the simplest method for keeping your body healthy.
Other than controlling your fiber and water intake, you need to exercise in order to let your body excrete toxins properly. When you exercise, your body will excrete the toxins through sweat. This also let your blood flow properly, so that at the same time you also prevent your connective tissues from developing unwanted cellulite.