Victoria’s Secret: Cellulite!
0In a few weeks we will all be turning in to that once a year, sexy-unattainable diva meets the girl next door to high-end fashion meets every day-intimate fantasy; the annual Victoria Secret Fashion Show will be showcased all across the world. Some of the most beautiful women from around the world will walk in sky tall stilettos and sexy, feminine lingerie with their jaw breaking magical angel wings in a dream like sequence. Most viewers will look at them with awe and admiration, however there will be a select few who will point out the ‘flaws’ on these incredible model’s physiques. They will laugh, grunt and shake their head in disgust at the ‘unsightly’ view of cellulite on the thighs or buttocks of the models. Which begs to question, how some of the most-toned and beautiful women are getting criticized for something so natural and part of a women’s body?
Cellulite will affect approximately eight out of ten women. It is the cottage cheese, textured appearance that occurs on areas of the body such as thighs, arms, buttocks and even abdomen. It is not something that is only prone to obese women, it affects skinny women, bikini models, bodybuilders, healthy women, gluten-free eating women, vegetarian women, women who flexible diet even supermodels.
Cellulite is caused by fibrous connective cords that tether the skin to the underlying muscle, with the fat lying between. As the fat cells accumulate, they push up against the skin, while the long, tough cords are pulling down (WebMD, 2013). In simple terms, cellulite is just normal fat beneath the skin. The fat appears bumpy because it pushes against connective tissue, causing the skin that is visible to pucker in appearance. There is no harm to the body caused by cellulite.
Men are less likely to have cellulite due to their connective tissues are structurally different, have more of a criss-cross pattern as opposed to women’s parallel l line pattern. Men’s skin is actually thicker so any unevenness in fat below the skin is less evident, and they store more fat viscerally to areas surrounding their internal organs than subcutaneously.
Risk Factors:
- Genetics
- Female
- Poor diet (high in bad fats, high in sugars)
- Fad dieting
- Slow Metabolism
- Hormonal changes
- Sedentary lifestyle (lack of physical activity)
- Dehydration
- Total body fat
- Thickness of skin
- Skin colour (if lighter skinned, cellulite will be more visible)
- Increasing age (as we age skin loses its elasticity)
Treatment Options
There is no definitive ‘cure’ for full removal of cellulite; some measure may only take away the appearance temporarily. Some of the treatment options available include: topical creams, weight loss, liposuction, massage, and lasers and radiofrequency systems.
Topical Creams
So far there is no concrete scientific proof that any creams on the market today will remove cellulite. Most of the creams have the ingredients Aminophylline, caffeine and theophyilline. The creams claim these ingredients will narrow blood vessels and force water from the skin and alleviate the orange peel appearance of skin. The creams also claim you must apply twice a day to affected areas for six month minimum which can be time consuming as well as costly.
Weight loss
Losing weight, through a healthy diet and regular exercise, is the most beneficial cellulite treatment. Losing pounds and strengthening muscles in your legs, thighs, buttocks and abdomen can improve the appearance of the dimpled skin. Although, the cellulite may be less noticeable after losing weight it won’t go away completely.
Liposuction
Liposuction is a plastic surgery procedure that removes fat from deep beneath the skin; it removes the fat beneath not cellulite which is just beneath the skin. Liposuction may actually worsen the appearance of cellulite by creating more depressions in the skin and in new areas that were not previously affected with cellulite.
Massage
Massage and body manipulation techniques are employed to enhance the removal of fluid in the dermis area. These techniques do not remove the cellulite, but may have a temporary effect in reducing the amount of ‘dimpling’ appearance.
Lasers and radiofrequency systems
Perhaps the most promising medical therapy is lasers and radiofrequency systems. One system uses combined negative tissue massage, radiofrequency and infrared light to treat cellulite. Another system delivers combined tissue massage with diode laser energy. A third system uses radiofrequency at deep and superficial levels simultaneously to treat cellulite. All three systems offer improvements to cellulite after a series of treatments. Results may last up to six months (WebMD, 2013).
As women, let’s just say it, “I have cellulite so what? Who cares” and as men know a real woman’s worth and beauty is more than the dimpled skin surface!
Gorretti Francisco
Nurse Practitioner
Certified Fitness Trainer
Published Bikini model
Health and Fitness expert
Follow her on instagram: gorrettifrancisco
Or twitter: Gorretti_F
