Cellulite is the bane of many women’s lives.  With the condition effecting over 80% of women of all different shapes and sizes, you’ll be very lucky if you never have to deal with it in your lifetime.

Although it is possible for men to get cellulite, it is pretty unusual for them to suffer from it.  Between 90 – 98% of cases of cellulite tend to occur in women, as unfortunately we’re more genetically disposed to developing it.

It doesn’t matter how fat or how skinny you are you could still fall victim to developing cellulite, even the richest and most beautiful celebrities in the world aren’t immune to the annoying condition.

Before we can start discussing how to prevent or get rid of cellulite it’s important to have an understanding of what it is.

What is cellulite?

Cellulite is easily recognisable.  It most commonly occurs on the legs, thighs and bottom and gives the skin a bumpy and dimply appearance.  Cellulite is caused by the normal fat that is found all over your body.  When cellulite occurs it is because the fat in these areas has become enlarged and is pushing against the skin and the connective tissue which causes the dimpled appearance on the surface of the skin.

What causes cellulite?

There is no one thing that causes people to have cellulite, just because you have it doesn’t mean that you’re overweight, even very thin people can suffer from it.  Genetics can decide whether you’re predisposed to cellulite, if other women in your family have it then you are likely to get it too.  Eating a poor diet or one that is very high in fat can also cause you to have more cellulite, after all, cellulite is made from fat so it makes sense that if you reduce your body fat it should reduce the amount of cellulite that you have.  Cellulite can also be caused by changes in the levels of hormones in your body, smoking and wearing very tight underwear.

How to banish cellulite

There are a number of things that you can do to help to reduce the appearance of cellulite. 

Live a healthy lifestyle

The most basic one is to eat a healthy and balanced diet.  Try to avoid foods that are very high in fat, salt, sugar, sweeteners, additives and chemicals.

Toning up with regular exercise will help to reduce the amount of body fat that you have and tighten and firm your skin to reduce the appearance of cellulite.  Cellulite is most apparent in women with desk jobs who don’t get to move around much during the day, so make sure you take regular breaks and walk around throughout the day if this is you!

If you smoke give up smoking as studies have shown that cellulite is more prevalent in those that smoke.

Body brush

You can buy body brushes in most health and beauty stores.  Body brushing should be done for 5 to 10 minutes on a daily basis before you get into the shower to reduce the appearance of cellulite.  It may take up to a month before you start noticing the difference but regular body brushing can help to break down and release some of the fat that is causing your cellulite, and it also has other great benefits.  Use the brush to firmly brush from your ankles to the top of your body.  Brush in upward circular motions in the direction of your heart.

Seek professional help

At the Opera Clinic we provide natural, gentle, unobtrusive cellulite treatments that will help to reduce the appearance of cellulite and leave you feeling brilliant about your body again.