Cellulite is a glorified term for collections of fat that expand and push against the connective tissue of your skin, creating the infamous dimpled "cottage cheese" appearance.
Cellulite is the result of excess body fat that usually collects in the highest fat prone areas of your body, such as the buttocks, thighs and stomach -- all those places that are put on display when you're in a bathing suit. Because women generally have a higher amount of healthy and unhealthy body fat than men, women have a higher occurrence of cellulite. In fact, research indicates that up to 90 percent of women have some cellulite! But don't worry -- this summer you won't have hide that cottage cheese behind a sarong. Here are 15 surefire fixes for zapping this frustrating flab.
Roll Out the Fat
"Moving on a foam roller loosens and opens your muscle fascia [tight interwoven fibers] and causes more nutrient-rich blood to circulate through those fibers, which raises your resting metabolic rate and breaks up fatty tissues," said celebrity trainer Ashley Borden, who has coached Mandy Moore and Cristina Aguilera. Breaking up fat tissue and cellulite using this deep tissue-like massage keeps blood moving through fat and muscle fibers and begins to minimize the appearance of cellulite in specific areas. "To see a change," said Borden, "roll out these body parts for 20 minutes most days a week."
Try Toning Supplements
Pharmacist and dermatologist Dr. Howard Murad of Hermosa Beach, Calif., has a ground-breaking program that combines supplement packs with topical cellulite creams to repair uneven, lumpy skin in eight weeks. "The nutrients in my patented complex are guaranteed to encourage the appearance of firmer skin up to 78 percent while improving the texture of stretch marks by 47 percent," said Dr. Murad. The supplements contain essential fatty acids and cell energizers to promote energy production and prevent skin damage. Use daily with Murad Firm and Tone Serum; 6.75 fluid ounces for $77.
Hoist Heavier Weights
The average woman loses five pounds of muscle and replaces it with 10 to 15 pounds of fat every decade of adult life, said fitness expert Wayne Westcott. "Because fat is exceptionally soft, it doesn't keep skin taut like muscle does. It also takes up more space, so it bulges out," he explained. With the proper weight-lifting plan, you can reduce cellulite and make your lower body look smoother. "When we put 16 women ages 26 to 66 on a resistance program for eight weeks, all of them reported less cellulite in their lower bodies," said Westcott, research director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Mass. "Seventy percent reported a lot less." Must-do exercises include squats, lunges and leg presses.
Repair Surrounding Skin
Certain foods may reverse inflammation of connective tissues and boost collagen formation that can minimize the appearance of cellulite. Salmon, walnuts, almonds and olive oil are rich in essential fatty acids, which help repair epidermal layers. Soy products, such as soy milk and cheese, contain an element known as genistein. Genistein gives soy products their collagen-revving qualities, as well as blocking further breakdown of frail skin fibers, so eat up!
Shape Up with Galvanic Gels
The appearance of cellulite worsens as we age because skin becomes thinner and we lose collagen, which leads to less immune power but more inflammation. When enough collagen is destroyed to weaken the dermis, fat moves between the structural fibers and the dermal capillary networks. This loss of capillary network is due to engorged fat cells clumping together and inhibiting blood return. Nuskin's Galvanic Spa II Body Shaping Gel used with NuSkin's Galvanic Spa System II instrument delivers significant improvements. In a 30-day study, participants used topical creams as well as a galvanized metallic massager. Results showed 35 percent of participants experienced a one-inch reduction in thigh circumference with either the cream or the massager, and 73 percent of participants saw significant topical improvements when using both the cream and the massager.
Tap Your Inner Ballerina
Have you ever noticed that professional dancers have very little cellulite? "That's because they dance and tone their legs nearly every day of the week," said fitness expert Denise Austin, creator of the "Body Makeover Mix." Ballerinas have gorgeous legs and little lower-body flab, so perform some of the exercises they do every day -- or every other day -- and watch cellulite disappear! Austin recommends holding onto a ballet barre (or the back of a sturdy chair) to perform plie and leg lifts. Stand in ballet first position (with heels touching and legs turned out) and extend the right leg diagonally back, pulsing up and down 30 times at hip height. "My 15-minute cellulite segment in the Body Makeover Mix' zeroes in on these areas with very specific dancer's exercises," Austin said.
Drink More Water
To flush out stress hormones, detox your liver and other organs and rebalance estrogen production -- which may impact cellulite -- regular exercisers should drink eight to 10 glasses of water and green tea each day. "Mix water with lemon juice, which is a bile thinner and more efficiently helps your body metabolize fat stores," said trainer Jackie Warner, author of "This is Why You're Fat." Green tea contains chemicals that boost stress-relieving hormones and regulates appetite and cravings. "Green tea contains certain compounds that block fat storage, too," she said. Drink up!
Boost Overall Circulation
Cellulite can be made worse by age, weight gain or a sedentary lifestyle. Chances are if your mom or older sister has cellulite, you will too, especially if you spend most of the day sitting on your rear during long commutes and computer marathon sessions. "Add activity into your day to keep blood circulation moving, so take 10-minute stretch breaks at the top of every hour," said Warner, star of the new Bravo show "Thintervention." She also suggests that those looking to lose cellulite "take a daily multi-vitamin with adequate B-vitamins, which play important roles in energy production and fat loss."
Bump Up Your Cardio
Aim for 40 to 60 minutes six days a week, and choose repetitive activities that target the areas where you may have the most cellulite, said Austin, star of the DVD "Best Buns and Leg Shapers." "If you have cellulite on your thighs and and around the butt area, try biking or jogging. If you have cellulite on other areas, like the back of your arms or on your abs, try kayaking, rowing or boxing to reduce cellulite over time," said Austin. "Put it this way ... it can't hurt!"
Eat Your Way Firm
Bright fruits such as mango and papaya have antioxidants that are thought to prevent tissue damage, which may minimize the appearance of cellulite. Broccoli, peas and lima beans help fight inflammation of the connective tissue, as well. Darker berries, such as blueberries and blackberries, also help boost the antioxidant level in the body and stimulate the production of collagen which may lessen the appearance of cellulite.
Slather on Caffeine-Based Creams
The Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology reported that a Brazilian study showed that caffeine-based creams also minimized the appearance of cellulite. The study treated the lower bodies of 99 women with a topical cream consisting mostly of a caffeine solution, which the women used twice daily for 30 days. When researchers took their subjects' measurements at the end of the study, the slimming effect was clear: More than 80 percent of the women had a reduction in the circumference of their upper and lower thighs, and nearly 68 percent also reduced their hip measurements. Whether caffeine itself banishes cellulite is less clear. The researchers assessed cellulite changes with a hand-held imaging instrument that reveals microcirculation in fat tissue. As the research shows, you'll see results only as long as you use the cream.
Nibble Sulfur-Rich Foods
The quickest way to smooth out appearance of your skin is to amp up collagen production with sulfur-packed foods including green and black olives, cucumbers and celery. Vegetables that are rich in vitamin-A may also aid in boosting collagen production in the human body, so incorporate more raw carrots, cantaloupe and sweet potatoes into your weekly food plan.
Try Laser Mesotherapy
Because there is no guaranteed cure for cellulite, the most permanent treatments diminish the appearance by reducing the amount of fat within the fat chambers themselves. Mesotherapy involves injecting microscopic quantities of natural plant extracts, homeopathic agents, pharmaceutical agents and vitamins into the skin and will be customized per patient by a surgeon or dermatologist. Generally, the average patient requires 10 treatments, which help fat cells shrink and become less obvious. Patients will feel sting-like shots during the treatment and soreness afterward. A common side effect is bruising, but these more expensive mesotherapy treatments last much longer than creams. However, the benefits of these treatments will only last as long as you maintain a leaner weight.
Live in a Red Light District
Two simple and environmental aids can mask the appearance of cellulite on your body like a sleight of hand or a magician's wand! First, a darker, sunless tanner smeared on your bumpiest parts can camouflage the areas for several days. Second, according to Sheila Kelley, fitness instructor and owner of the S-Factor pole dancing studios in Los Angeles, "When we teach women to pole dance wearing lingerie, and we want them to feel and look their most confident, we use red light bulbs which hide cellulite and make your body look sexier and stronger," she said. Buy red light bulbs in any hardware store and place them in your bedroom, then try the S-Factor: Polework 101 workout on DVD.
Try a Simpler Surgery: Lipo-sculpture!
Cellulite affects overweight and thinner people, too, so sometimes the best option is a surgical procedure like liposuction or the less invasive liposculpture. According to a recent study by the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons, liposculpture has increased 215 percent in the last five years. Smaller cannulae are used to remove fat cells close to the skin. Some surgeons may use superficial liposuction to perform "ab etching," a procedure where certain areas of fat are removed, mainly in the lateral bands of the midsection muscles, which creates a "six pack" effect. Liposculpture eradicates cellulite, but your surgeon should come highly recommended since lipo-sculpture can damage underlying areas and may cause scarring.
Even some of the fittest celebrities have cellulite! Find out what activities they do to keep it at bay.
Fitness expert Nicole Dorsey Straff is a Los Angeles-based exercise physiologist and author, and frequently writes about diet, health and wellness.
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