Curious How to Get Rid of Cellulite? A Guide to Cellulite Treatments

"Cottage cheese fat" or "orange peel" thighs. You've heard all the names for cellulite, that dimpled, irregular, lumpy, bumpy appearance that women get on their thighs and other parts of their body. I have it. Some of you may have it. But how to get rid of cellulite? Unfortunately, although there are a few remedies that help some people, there is no procedure that can reduce cellulite on all people.

Cellulite is a nonmedical term to describe how superficial pockets of fat are constricted by the bands of connective tissue leading from muscles to the skin. The bands of connective tissue push the fat into lumps and bumps and pull the skin down into dimples. Cellulite can be made worse by weight gain, by formation of more tightly crossed connective tissue bands, or by formation of scar tissue after liposuction.

While there are some men who have cellulite, it is estimated that 90% of the female population have or will have cellulite. It is not something that only plagues the obese or overweight. It can affect skinny people, too, and has no prejudice. So throw everything out the window that you've heard about cellulite and listen up. Your skinny little cousin may have it, your average-weight friend who just had liposuction may have it, that overweight lady at the deli may have it, that muscular cardiofreak woman at the gym probably doesn't have it, but who needs her?

Pinch your thigh slightly and if you begin to see dents and bumps, you have cellulite. However, many of us don't even have to pinch our thighs to see it. For many of us we can just stand there, innocently, and cry at the sight of our dimpled backsides in the mirror.

If you are reading this because you are thinking that liposuction will cure your cellulite, think again. Liposuction does not usually improve the appearance of cellulite and does not help in cellulite removal or treatment.In some cases, it can make the appearance of cellulite worse or "cause" cellulite in patients who did not have it prior to their liposuction.

Don't Confuse "Normal" Fat With Cellulite

We all have fat and we need fat. Fat insulates our bodies and provides us with necessary energy stores.Fat is essential for healthy body function. Cellulite fat is simply no different physiologically than regular body fat.It is just a factor of the amount of fat you have, how it is distributed, and to what extent it is constricted by bands of connective tissue.

Lack of circulation, movement, and heredity play a big roll in how the connective tissue behaves. Ever notice that your cellulite and dense fatty areas are painful upon pressure? You can't squeeze it like looser fatty areas elsewhere. It's not as pliable. That is because of the compact nature of your fat cells in areas with cellulite and the firmness of the compartments made by the connective tissue.Unfortunately for us and fortunately for men, their connective tissue seems to "hold up" better and hold their fat in smoothly.

Well, How Do I Get Rid of Cellulite?

The sad truth is there is no definite cure for cellulite because there are a number of factors involved. Diet and exercise are a big factor in determining who gets it - as well as genetics (thank your parents for this one). I, for one, eat as healthy as I can, or at least I try to. I eat no sugar whatsoever, no bread, no potatoes, barely any carbohydrates unless they are whole grain or vegetables, and while maybe I don't exercise that much but I am no couch potato. Yet I am a victim of cellulite as well. I hate it! Hate it! Hate it!

Some physicians and aestheticians believe there are circulation and connective tissue issues involved in cellulite formation. Health food purveyors believe that "toxins" are a part of why cellulite appears. Some believe it is too much water that has "pooled" underneath the skin. Some believe it is from not drinking enough water. And still others believe it is a factor of all of these, heredity, lack of exercise, connective tissue disorders, and even perhaps from the sun reflecting off of Venus or a weather balloon that causes the shadows and dips that appear to be planted mercilessly on our thighs. That last explanation makes as much sense as the other ones.

But there are many treatments out there for cellulite. Some of them work some of the time and some of them just separate us from our money. Let's get down to it and see which procedures, remedies, and products are out there that may help some of us. The ratings are Recommended, Neutral, or Not recommended.

Recommended: Endermologie™ (also called LPG or liponic sculpting) originated in France in the early 1980s. It was introduced to the U.S. in 1996 and approved by the FDA as the only machine at that time to help temporarily rid the body of the appearance of cellulite and improve skin texture in general. The Endermologie machine is a patented vacuum device that creates suction to temporarily immobilize and lift your soft tissue while rollers create deep massage to the connective tissue and fat globules to improve the appearance of cellulite. Reportedly, the rollers stretch and loosen the fibrous bands and release the fat by releasing it from the grasp of the connective tissue. The machine literally sucks the skin up and rolls the skin out resulting in deep tissue massage.

An Endermologie session take about 30 to 45 minutes and has been described as feeling like a rigorous massage. Some patients who are new to it may experience discomfort as the initial dense fatty areas are loosened. However, the machines have several settings that can be adjusted to fit your comfort level. You are "required" to drink water during the course of your treatments. This allows your body to flush toxins and promotes hydration, which is essential for skin health.

Changes can usually be seen within four or five treatments, however many patients report significant results only after 8 to 10 and even up to 12 sessions. “Packages” of treatments are usually bought in sets of 8 to 10. Individual treatment sessions are more pricey (from $75 to $200 US) than packages bought in advance. Packages are usually the best economically but paying a lot up front for a procedure you may be skeptical of is a hard choice to make.

There are other machines which are available and are similar but are not the exact same as the Endermologie machine. These include ESC's Silhouette SilkLight® Subdermal Tissue Massage System. ESC claims to have improved on Endermologie's original design.

Endermologie results are not permanent. Patients must return for treatments between once a month or once every few months to keep the smooth appearance of their skin. So expect this to be a lifelong thing.

It doesn't work for everyone, but it does work for a lot of patients. I was a skeptic at first until a few people I know had really great results. Unfortunately, since it is not permanent many of us are not going to spend the money for the initial aggressive treatment phase and then maintain the result with costly maintenance treatments. I know people who have gotten and kept going and quite frankly they look too skinny now.

Bottom line, if you can afford it, go for it.

Recommended: RejuveSkin is a new and exciting treatment for skin contour irregularities caused by the connective tissue bands that cause cellulite. This procedure was invented by Dr. Stephen X. Giunta and involves special tools that sever the connective bands. The tools are inserted under the skin using 2 or 3 very small, specially placed incisions. This releases the skin from being pulled down irregularly, causing those unsightly bumps and dips.

This is surgery and can be performed under intravenous sedation with local anesthetic or under an oral sedative with local anesthesia. However, I have been told that no sedation is necessary.

If you would like to read more, see our RejuveSkin Treatment Section

Neutral/Recommended: Superficial Liposuction (also called liposculpture or liposuction Sculpture) is a controversial subject and a disaster in the hands of a surgeon who has no clue what he or she is doing. It seems wondrous in theory, but in real life can ruin your skin if not performed correctly.

Superficial liposuction was first introduced in 1989 and was originally meant to tighten loose skin in patients where laxity was an issue or large amounts of fat had previously stretched out the skin. In this technique, small cannulae with different tips are used to remove fat cells close to the skin and cause minor damage there causing contractions of the skin. Superficial liposuction has helped the appearance of cellulite in many cases but may not be safe, especially if your surgeon in not highly skilled in this technique.

The superficial fat layer is more dense with essential nerves and blood vessels. Permanent skin irregularities, including discolorations, visible blood vessels, and even necrosis (tissue death) are possible with superficial liposuction can occur and are unpredictable. The fact is that superficial liposuction and subdermal rasping and scoring can cause severe damage to the underlying area, excessive scar tissue formation, and irregular formation of blood vessels.

Some surgeons are big believers in it and some of these surgeons have excellent results. But not all surgeons know what they are doing when it comes to superficial liposuction.

Some surgeons use superficial liposuction to perform "ab etching,” a procedure where certain areas of fat are removed, mainly in areas above the lateral bands of fascia that section off the rectus abdominus muscle. This creates a more

pronounced "six pack" effect on the abdomen. Superficial liposuction is not only a procedure reserved specifically for abs, but is used in facial areas, submental (under chin) liposuction, the waist area, the flat area of the glutes and any other area that specific contouring is desired.

I know a few surgeons who are capable of giving spectacular results with ab etching procedure, but not all can. Please be very careful in your choice of surgeon for superficial liposuction and be sure all aspects of this procedure and its inherent risks are discussed at the consultation.

Neutral/Recommended: External Ultrasound Treatments (without aspiration) is an exciting concept. Unfortunately, only a small amount of fat can be removed. Ultrasound applied with a pad or paddle to the skin can liquefy fat cells below the skin. The body then begins to remove the fatty tissue through its regular waste removal system. Please see our Nonsurgical Fat Removal Section for more information.

Neutral/Recommended: Laser-Assisted Liposuction is most commonly used in conjunction with tumescent liposuction, but has been used for smaller fatty areas. The laser emulsifies the fat cells, but the fat is not sucked out afterward. The device is held over treatment areas for 12 minutes and then small incisions are used to drain the fluid and fat cells.

Neutral/Recommended: Laser Lipolisis (sometimes seen as laserlipolisis) is a newer procedure that is not done in the United States as yet. It is performed with tumescence and involves the insertion of a fiber optic laser through very small incisions. This laser light affects only the yellow tissue, which is the fat. Amounts of up to 500 ml of fat can be liquefied and then are absorbed and excreted as waste by the body. Larger volumes of fat can be liquefied and suction aspirated. This procedure has been reported to help with cellulite.

Not Recommended: Electromagnetic Treatments (cellular electrotherapy), also called tissue decongestion therapy, is based on the idea that electromagnetic fields can restore proper body function, "curing" complaints and disorders such ranging from fibromyalgia to cellulite. Somehow I doubt that. Magnets or a device that emits electromagnetic pulses are said to return proper electromagnetic charges to your cells so that they release "stagnant" or "bound" water. One company even claims that their product, "helps the synthesis of amino-acids and improves the metabolic function of cells and tissue". I personally won't be trying it but feel free. Caveat emptor.

Not Recommended: Body "Wraps" do not make you loose fat. They temporarily compress the tissues and cause you to lose water locally, but the water comes right back as soon as you drink a glass or two of fluid. Body wraps do nothing for you for long term, fat loss. Neither do mud, seaweed or herbal wraps. All you get is some localized edema loss and some cleaned out pores or a good exfoliation.

Not Recommended: Vinyl, Plastic, Latex and Neoprene Garments, and Wraps are designed or at least marketed to reduce mass and the appearance of cellulite. They claim the more you sweat the more you lose, but you are only losing water and temporarily at that. The tight garments temporarily compress tissue as well. You can't make fat and cellulite "disappear" by simply wearing a neoprene wrap around your body or a pair of plastic shorts. I have fallen for it too, in the past, so don't you make that mistake. My old roommate and I each had an entire purple and black plastic suit when we were younger that we'd wear as we exercised for an hour to the Jane Fonda Workout. We didn't lose anything but water.

Not Recommended: Cellulite Pills (such as Cellesene, CellaLean, CellaLose) have never been proven to affect any cellulite. In fact, some companies that make this stuff have been ordered to pay penalties and give out refunds. People continue to buy them and continue to be defrauded. Many contain caffeine or other stimulants. Even if you were to take a stimulant (which are dangerous by the way), you lose weight all over not in one areas. And the caffeine is a diuretic and will cause you to lose water, dehydrating you, which makes your cellulite look worse. I can't recommend them.