Getting Rid of Cellulite Is Tough. But Here ’s What Works Best

It was of course the French—the keenest observers and arbiters of aesthetics—who first studied, named and attempted to develop treatments for cellulite. The term “cellulite” initially appeared in a French medical dictionary back in the 1870s, and the condition was described as an inflammation of cellular tissue. Fast forward 150 years, and dermatologists today know better—though they still don’t know everything. For example, they know that cellulite is not a sign of inflammation or any other type of medical concern. It’s a completely harmless and purely cosmetic condition that affects up to 98% of women, and usually shows up in their thighs, buttocks or upper arms. But its underlying causes are still debated by experts who study it. “No one knows exactly what causes cellulite, but it’s clearly related to estrogen presence in the skin,” says Dr. David Goldberg, a clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine. Goldberg says cellulite is mostly unknown in men, apart from those taking estrogen therapies for conditions like prostate cancer or those who have conditions that raise their levels of the female sex hormone. But exactly how estrogen leads to the formation of cellulite is a mystery. One thing researchers know for sure is that cellulite starts well beneath the skin’s surface. “Cellulite is a disorder of the subcutaneous tissue, not of the skin,” says Dr. Andre...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Exercise/Fitness Source Type: news