Modern Evidence-Based Cellulite Treatment

For a long time it was thought that cellulite was due to toxic fat cells, as well as weight gain, and that to a degree it was hereditary.  Treatments were developed based on this understanding, involving diet, exercise, herbs and body wraps. Mostly they weren’t effective, although it is true that maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly can help. 

More recent research gives us a surprising new understanding of the physiology of cellulite. It is due to a malformation of connective tissue, not the fat cells at all. The connective tissue under your skin is a mesh of random fibers that contain fat cells and support the skin. In most people, the layer of connective tissue under the skin is laid down in a very random pattern, with fibers going in many different directions like the fibers in a sponge. In areas with cellulite, however, the fibers are perpendicular to the skin rather than random. The fibers pull the skin inward and the fat cells bulge outward between the fibers, creating a dimpled appearance on the surface.

Cellulite is due to this basic malformation of connective tissue, but is also aggravated by inflammation caused by weight gain, exposure to extreme heat and cold, over-exercise as well as lack of exercise, and poor nutrition. With this understanding of the cause of cellulite, scientists in the beauty industry have developed a process using a machine which therapists can roll over your skin to break up cellulite. It works by mechanically rolling the skin, pulling it outward and breaking down the perpendicular fibers of connective tissue. The connective tissue then heals with a smoother look. There is no pain involved, only a slight burning sensation. The process is expensive, however, and has to be repeated several times to produce the best results.

Fortunately, your massage therapist already has the tools to produce the same result: her hands. Skin rolling is a traditional massage technique that breaks down the connective tissue by pulling the skin away from deeper structures, just as the machine does. Additionally, your therapist can use specific deep tissue massage techniques to stretch each layer of connective tissue from that right under the skin to much deeper layers around your muscles. Your skin will be smoother and more supple, and your muscles more relaxed and pain-free. Your massage therapist can include cellulite work along with your regular massage, so that not only will your skin be smoother, but you will also be relaxed and refreshed.

Finally, improving cellulite requires maintaining a healthy weight with good nutrition and exercise. We talked about good nutrition in a recent post about a healthy way to detoxify. As for exercise, vary your workouts so that you include cardiovascular, strengthening, stretching, endurance and balance exercises. Focusing too much on only one kind of exercise is more likely to cause injury, creating inflammation and making the cellulite worse.

  

Cellulite: A Review of Its Physiology and Treatment
Anatomy and Physiology of Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue by In Vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy

Side-by-side Comparison of Areas With and Without Cellulite Depressions Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging