Dealing With Cellulite

Medium stiff brushes and loofahs are great exfoliants and are also ideal for improving circulation and drainage. Be gentle and stop using them if your skin is irritated.

Cellulite is the dimpling of the fatty tissue under the skin and anyone can have it, no matter how over or underweight you are. Some experts believe it’s a result of genetic, circulatory and metabolic factors, and say there are ways to at least improve its appearance. Others say it’s purely an accumulation of fat and no amount of body brushing or expensive potions will disperse it. Another line of thinking is that it’s a build-up of fat and toxins like lymphatic fluids, acidic waste and water, due to bad habits such as a sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, alcohol and smoking. This school of thought advocates massage or some other form of stimulation to flush out the nasty stuff.

The most accepted explanation is that cellulite is a woman’s condition that’s related to oestrogen, the female hormone, which kicks in at puberty and creates curves by enlarging the fat cells, especially on the hips and thighs. The appearance of cellulite is caused by the way a woman’s fat cells are packaged underneath the skin: standing chambers of fat separated by fibrous membranes. As we age, the connective tissue between these chambers thickens, causing a mattress-like effect. As the skin thins and fat deposits increase, so the ‘mattress’ is more exposed. Although it’s difficult to get rid of cellulite completely, there are four types of treatments that have shown varying degrees of success.

• Creams and lotions are being produced in the thousands, with all sorts of claims to reduce and remove cellulite. The ingredients in these creams, such as caffeine, avocado oil, seaweed and yeast extracts, may work temporarily to some extent, but they would need to be used continually for a permanent effect. A number of women report an improvement in cellulite using over-the-counter creams, but at the same time, many do not. Most of them do help to improve the texture and tone of the surface of the skin.

• Mechanical massage like Endermologie, a suction massage treatment, has been shown to minimize cellulite. It works by pulling the skin upwards into a set of rollers under a low-pressure vacuum. This is thought to stretch the vertical connective tissue fibres, resulting in a smoother appearance of the skin.

• Manual massages such as lymphatic drainage can also help.

• Diet, it seems, does not have a direct impact on the formation of cellulite, although crash dieting is a sure way to aggravate cellulite. Every time you restrict calories your body stores fat and reduces muscle and the less muscle you have, the worse your cellulite will be. When you start eating again, it’s more likely your body will gain the weight back as inactive fat, rather than active muscle. A balanced diet and six small meals a daY is recommended for general health benefits. Eat the smallest meal in the evening when your metabolism and ability to burn calories is at its lowest. Minimize intake of fatty and refined foods, sugar, dairy, alcohol, caffeine and red meat.

Exercise can also play a role in reducing the appearance of cellulite as it improves your circulation, which in turn burns fat and helps strengthen the connective tissue structure under the skin. The effects of exercise, however, will vary from person to person.

Dry body brushing is one of the cheapest and most effective methods of stimulating circulation, which is essential for normal body functioning. If your circulation is impaired, insufficient oxygen and nutrients are delivered to the cells, toxins are not removed efficiently and lymph fluid is not drained correctly. All this encourages fat and toxin build-up. When body brushing, brush firmly towards the heart, but be careful if you have any problem skin conditions.

Why don’t men get cellulite?

There are a few reasons why women are the unlucky recipients of the orange peel effect. Firstly, the basis of cellulite is believed to be the female hormone, oestrogen. Secondly, fat is distributed differently in men and women. In women, it’s stored mainly in the buttocks and thighs –where cellulite is generally located -and in men in the belly. Thirdly, men and women’s fat sacs are packed differently in the skin. A woman’s fat cells are instanding chambers with the connective ‘ropes’ pointing up towards the hand, lie horizontally. The connective tissue is also horizontal and there fore doesn’t show on the surface.

Vein Removal

Spider veins are small, dilated blood vessels that appear red or blue under the skin. Until recently, most spider leg veins were treated with sclelight rotherapy, which involves injecting a solution directly into the vein, caus ing it to close up and disappear with in a few weeks. Though a successful treatment, side effects include skin ulceration, the formation of very fine blood vessels that appear as pink patches, brown staining of the skin, and, rarely, blood clots or allergies to the solution. Laser technology now allows dermatologists to zap these veins with good results. Several ses sions of 10 to 15 minutes each at one to two month intervals are needed in order for the damaged blood vessels to be cleared away by the body’s immune system. Varicose veins are much thicker than spider veins and have a purplish tinge. They usually occur on the legs and are caused by a malfunction of the vein’s valves, which can be stretched during pregnancy, or as a result of obesity, blood clots or even a genetic defect. If the valve can’t close normally, the blood flows backwomen wards and pools in the vein. There are various ways of treating varicose veins. A saline solution can be injected to restrict expansion of the vein, the vein can be closed at the valve or, in severe cases, the vein can be removed completely. New proce dures include a laser fibre that is inserted like a catheter directly into the damaged vein; the laser energy heats and seals the vein from within. balAnother treatment option uses radio frequency technology to destroy the vein by heating it from within.

Vitamin E is a perennial skincare favourite and many swear by its healing properties, particularly with regards to preventing and treating stretch marks.

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