Cellulite Removal: Every Woman’s Quest for Effective Treatment

Cellulite Removal: Every Woman’s Quest for Effective Treatment

Approximately 90 percent of women in Western nations have cellulite. Does that make you feel better about those cellulite dimples on your legs and butt? We didn’t think it would.

After all, almost every woman you talk to is trying to figure out how to get rid of cellulite. Or if they accept the fact they’re not going to be able to get rid of it completely, they’re trying to find the best treatments for cellulite.

Cellulite is a Relatively new Phenomenon

It may seem hard to believe, but people have only been wondering how to get rid of cellulites for about 40 or 50 years. Removal of cellulite wasn’t a major issue for most women before the middle of the 20th century, because problematic fat buildups in their thighs, legs or buttocks weren’t as common back then, according to the author of The Cellulite Cure, Dr. Lionel Bassoon

Understanding how to get rid of cellulite on thighs and the bum, or other areas of the lower body, is much easier when you understand exactly what cellulite is and why it forms. We’ll take a quick look at those questions first, and then we’ll get into the best way to remove cellulite – or at least, how to prevent it from developing.

What Is Cellulite and What Causes It?

Put simply, cellulite is fat that builds up beneath your skin. The fat and skin are attached by what are called septae. In women, the septae pull the skin straight down, so the more fat you have in that area, the more tension on the skin. That’s what creates the telltale skin dimples of cellulite: skin being pulled down by the fat sitting underneath it.

Women are also more prone to cellulite thighs and butts because of their estrogen and a surplus of alpha receptors in their thighs (both of which make fat), and because they have fewer beta receptors to break the fat down.

(Men naturally produce less cellulite because testosterone breaks down fat, because they have fewer alpha receptors and more beta receptors – and because their septae pull to the side, so you don’t see dimples from the cellulite they do have.)

With Cellulite Prevention is Better than Cure

That should give you an idea of the best way to get rid of cellulite on legs, thighs or buttocks, at least for women: don’t let that fat build up in the first place. Easier said than done, we know. But if it’s already there, the best ways to get rid of cellulite are just what you’d expect (and what you don’t want to hear), diet and exercise, since neglecting those are the major cause of cellulite in the first place. We’ll address those cellulite cures that really work a bit later on.

If you’re curious, women really start wondering “how can you get rid of cellulite?” in their late 20s. That’s when lower estrogen production decreases blood circulation in the legs, thighs and butt, which leads to less collagen in those areas. It’s also when fat cells tend to become larger. For those reasons, the bigger fat cells are more easily able to push through the natural layer of collagen and show themselves as cellulite, sometimes as severe cellulite. It’s why many of the message board posts asking “how do u get rid of cellulite?” are from women approaching 30.

Dr. Basson believes that the combination of unhealthy diets, less exercise, and (believe it or not) tighter underwear have all contributed to the soaring rates of cellulite in women over the last 50 years.

Other culprits are believed to be fad dieting, dehydration, hormonal changes and the thickness and color of your skin.

But the two main causes, poor diet and lack of exercise, explain why you can reduce cellulite on thighs, buttocks or other problem areas by taking better care of yourself. Eating right and exercising are really how to fight cellulite.

Cellulite Treatments that Work

But you don’t want to hear lectures. You want to know how to treat cellulite or how to “cure” cellulite for good.

The good news is that there are definitely cellulite treatments that work, and later in this article we’ll look at the best ways to reduce cellulite, as well as the best way to remove cellulite safely.

But first, we’ll briefly deal with two issues which cause confusion for many women.

Cellulite and Cellulitis

You’ll often hear people asking how to get rid of cellulitis – when they really are asking how to remove cellulite from thighs or buttocks. Cellulitis is not the same as cellulite. It is a relatively common, non-contagious infection of the skin and the tissues underneath it, caused by bacteria and usually seen in middle-aged and older people. Cellulitis is not a cellulite infection, even though it occurs in the same general area; it is treated with antibiotics.

The terms cellulitis and cellulite are not in any way interchangeable.

Is it Possible to Reduce Cellulite Fast?

Some of the most common search terms related to cellulite show that people are desperate to find out how to lose cellulite fast. Among the terms getting hundreds of searches are “fastest way to lose cellulite,” “fastest way to get rid of cellulite,” “how to get rid of cellulite on legs fast” and “how to get rid of cellulite on thighs fast.”

The problem is that most of these people are trying to find miracle creams for cellulite or similar products. But cellulite is fat, which doesn’t just disappear overnight. You can’t just take a supplement or lather on cream to get rid of cellulite, just as you can’t use cream to get rid of belly fat.

The only real way to reduce cellulite fast is through expensive cellulite removal treatments to actually take the fat out of your body – and we’ll discuss options like cellulite laser removal and surgery to remove cellulite later in this article.

We just want you to realize before we move on, though, that the best anti-cellulite treatment doesn’t necessarily mean that you can remove cellulite fast.

What you often can do with good cellulite creams or other “products to get rid of cellulite,” however, is reduce the unattractive appearance of cellulite on your thighs or other areas. And after all, isn’t that your real concern?

OK, it’s time to get down to the nuts and bolts, starting with a look at cellulite and exercise.

Exercise to Reduce Cellulite

What is the best way to get rid of cellulite? Exercise. The goal of exercises to get rid of cellulite on thighs and buttocks is to give a good workout to all of the muscles in the lower part of your body. This will cut down on the fat that’s stored there, while restoring some of the muscle tissue that’s been lost in those areas.

Some of the best cellulite reduction exercises are side-to-sides, all-fours kickbacks, lying inner-leg lifts, squat and side lifts, V-leg Pulls and one-legged lunges. You can see full, illustrated instructions for each cellulite reduction exercise at Prevention.com

Resistance Weight Training to Reduce Cellulite

Resistance weight training is another way you can exercise to reduce cellulite. Squats and lunges are ways of getting rid of cellulite on thighs and bum, while leg curls and leg presses are good for getting rid of cellulite on legs. Workout sessions three times a week may be the best way to lose cellulite permanently, along with diet and lifestyle changes.

There’s one other factor involved in preventing cellulite buildup or getting rid of cellulite on thighs which already exists: circulation. That’s why massage is often thought of as the best treatment for cellulite on thighs, and why some women pay big bucks for treatment with a handheld massage machine (Endermologie or Lipomassage), Synergie cellulite treatments (a lengthy, more complicated but similar process with a larger machine and a body stocking), lymphatic drainage cellulite treatment (a French massage technique which can be quite painful), or go for cellulite spa treatment programs which provide massages.

The easiest way to boost circulation, though, is with cardio exercise added to high-impact exercise or weight training. Any decrease in cellulite from massage is usually short-lived at best. (Oh, and not to nag, but smoking also contributes to “cellulite buttocks” and thighs, because it hurts circulation.)

So, how do you get rid of cellulite on your thighs or butt? Exercise is the best way to start. It may very well be the best cure for cellulite.

Cellulite and Diet

Since diet is one of the major components in whether a woman builds up unwanted stores of fat, including cellulite under the skin, eating properly is a big factor in how to get rid of cellulite on your legs, thighs and butt.

A great rundown of foods, considered the best thing for cellulite when it comes to diet, has been compiled by Glamour Magazine with the help of doctors.

Is there a Cellulite Reduction Diet?

Is changing what you eat how to remove cellulite from thighs and butts? Not completely, but it’s a crucial ingredient in all effective cellulite treatments. Is there such a thing as a cellulite reduction diet? Some have claimed to put those diets together, but they’re really just sensible eating plans focusing on the common sense ideas we’ve already highlighted.

If it’s easier for you to follow a well-constructed diet which purports to be the best thing for cellulite on legs or to remove cellulite from legs, just make sure it’s from a reputable source, and go for it.

Eating properly and exercising the right areas of your body are the best solution for cellulite issues.

Best Creams For Cellulite?

We earlier mentioned search engine terms, and it’s instructive to look at some of the most popular searches for different types of the best anti-cellulite products – because an enormous number of them focus on cream for cellulite removal. Many searchers are typing in phrases like “best cream for cellulite and stretch marks,” “cellulite creams that really work,” “best anti-cellulite creams,” and (whatever this means) “it works cellulite cream.”

Clearly, a huge group of people aren’t even asking “do cellulite creams really work?” They’ve skipped over that question and moved right on to their search for the best cellulite treatment or cellulite removal cream.

Do Cellulite Creams Even Work?

We’re going to take a big step back first, and ask the important question ourselves: do cellulite creams work?

Unfortunately, the answer is more complicated than just “yes” or “no.”

The Role of Retinol in Cellulite Creams

There are a few which are among the best products for cellulite. They all contain retinol, such as Revitol cellulite cream. Reviews by unbiased medical experts say that applying 0.3 percent retinol cream can reduce the appearance of cellulite – and the key word there is “appearance.” Even a good cellulite cream is not what gets rid of cellulite.

What retinol cream does is increase the amount of collagen in the skin, making the skin more elastic and about two millimeters thicker – so cellulite isn’t as obvious. When people say that a retinol product is the best anti-cellulite cream, that’s because it looks like the cellulite has gone away; it’s the same thing for anything called the best anti-cellulite oil.

The products would be better described as cellulite firming cream, and their claims should really read that they’re the best skin firming lotion for cellulite.

The Role of L-Carnitine in Cellulite Creams

A number of anti-cellulite cream products contain L-Carnitine, an important component in the fat-burning process. That leads many to believe that these products are the best cellulite treatment cream; reviews often tout L-Carnitine as a miracle ingredient.

However, doctors say the body makes plenty of the substance on its own, and there are no studies showing that a cream with L-Carninine is the best product for cellulite. It’s the same for other “best cellulite treatments” featuring vitamins, antioxidants, or herbal extracts; there’s no solid evidence they’re how to get rid of cellulite.

That does bring us to one other subject, though: anti-cellulite cream reviews. Lots of websites claim to have honest reviews, with glowing write-ups about the “top-rated cellulite cream,” the “best lotions for cellulite” or the “best cellulite scrub.”

Do your own research and add a healthy does of skepticism.

Groom+Style team for art of skin care have also done what we hope is a fair and impartial review of Top 5 Best Creams For Cellulite on the market.

Caffeine for Cellulite

We’ve told you that you should eat right, exercise, quit smoking – all the normal health advice – but coffee falls into a different category. Caffeine cream for cellulite (or caffeine lotion for cellulite) does much the same as retinol creams. It temporarily tightens the skin by shrinking some fat cells while boosting circulation, and is a common ingredient in the best cellulite treatments.

Once again, it’s not how to get rid of cellulite on the bum or legs, but caffeine cellulite cream or lotions with caffeine can improve the appearance of that bumpy skin you want to fix.

For better results, you can buy an anti-cellulite cream with caffeine and retinol both included as ingredients, or you can layer products with caffeine creams on top of the retinol ones. The cream or lotion with caffeine will show effects within a month, while the retinol will take longer.

Some doctors say this is a cellulite treatment that works, at least for the look of your skin. There are also those who simply apply coffee grounds topically, figuring that’s how to lose cellulite on thighs or legs. Despite the caffeine-cellulite connection though, there’s no medical evidence that putting coffee on yourself is how to get rid of cellulite on the back of thighs – or anywhere else.

Lasers and Machines to Cure Cellulite

It’s time to get high-tech and ask the question: “Do cellulite treatments work when they’re done with lasers in the doctor’s office?” If you have the budget for it, you’ll be happy to know that they do – some of the time.

One of the most effective laser cellulite treatments is an FDA-approved procedure known as Cellulaze, which cuts the septae that cause skin dimpling and then melts the fat underneath your skin. This cellulite removal laser treatment then heats the skin to encourage the growth of new collagen and elastin.

Laser Cellulite Treatments

Many who’ve received laser cellulite treatments rave about the results (although they have to wear tight shorts for a couple of weeks after laser treatment for cellulite, and are bruised for a few weeks). They start to see results in a month and see major changes within six months.

How drastic is the improvement with cellulite treatment by laser? Reports say it’s about 50% for those with mild cellulite, less for those with “intense” cellulite issues (who may need a second treatment or even liposuction to sculpt the rest of the area).

Ready for the sticker shock? Laser cellulite removal cost for a Cellulaze session goes for a minimum of $2500. Even so, for women who agonize daily over how to get rid of cellulite in legs or butt areas, laser for cellulite treatment may be worth the price.

You can read more about home laser devices such as the Project E Beauty New Lipo Laser System on Amazon.

Some physicians use a cellulite reduction machine of a different sort. One category of these machines uses energy from radio waves, while another type of anti-cellulite machine uses high-intensity sound waves. Some studies have shown treatment with an alternative cellulite removal machine to be moderately effective, although many experts say that results aren’t predictable.

Their opinion is that some patients will see some results some of the time with a cellulite treatment machine other than a laser. Cellulite treatment cost for these procedures can run anywhere from $1500 to $5000.

You can read more about these RF devices such as the Nova Microdermabrasion on Amazon.

Cellulite Removal Surgery – Caution

There are some questionable “cellulite removal surgery” procedures which include injections of fat to “even out skin texture” (which can lead to extremely bumpy skin) and cellulite liposuction (a mistake because liposuction is only effective on body fat, not cellulose).

The only benefit of these treatments are for the doctor, who collects the cellulite removal cost even if the procedure doesn’t really remove cellulite at all.

One other surgical warning: some doctors will perform cellulite procedures known as mesotherapy, which involve injecting a solution with vitamins, minerals, hormones and other substances under the skin. That’s not how to rid cellulite from your body if you’re worried about your health; it sometimes will bring about a slight decrease in cellulite but can cause swelling, rashes, infection, infection and bumpy looking skin.

Anti-Cellulite Treatment at Home

Those who would prefer natural treatment for cellulite will find there are a number of at-home cellulite treatments to try. The efficacy of these cellulite natural remedies has never been tested, since they’re simply methods that people have reported working for natural cellulite removal.

Cellulite removal at home may or may not help you with those aggravating skin dimples, but purchasing apple cider vinegar or tomato paste will be a lot cheaper than buying cellulite cream in New York, undergoing laser cellulite treatment in Toronto, or having massage cellulite treatment done in London – so if it intrigues you, there’s no harm in giving it a try.