Is Cellulite Driving You Crazy?

Contrary to popular belief (and media), cellulite is actually the norm, not the exception. Skin that has cellulite is dimpled or bumpy in appearance and usually appears on buttock, hips, and thighs; it occurs more often in women than men which makes it even more of a buzz word.

Women are generally more worried about their appearance and more susceptible to messages sent by the media about the way they look. Aside from media, some plastic surgeons create hullabaloo in women about cellulite because of various procedures that they will perform. The last, but most obvious, entity that affects how cellulite is seen is manufacturers of various products which claim to get rid of cellulite.

As I said, cellulite is more common than not in women. This is due to the way that three things are dispersed in and beneath womens skin (which it different from that in men); these things are connective tissue, fat, and muscle. Hormones and genetics also affect the development of cellulite: both the tendency for having and the amount of it which appears.

This means that families with a history of cellulite are apt to produce people with cellulite. There are far more families which are genetically susceptible to this manifestation than there are who are not.

Quite often you see dietary supplements that make claims concerning the reduction of cellulite. They base these claims on other claims that their ingredients give you better circulation, higher metabolism and that they will break down fats within the body. The ingredients that they make these claims about are herbal supplements which are generally not required to have specific clinical studies done by objective third parties.

In other words, companies make claims and have no scientific proof to back these claims. Even with clinical trials, there could only be a correlation established. This means that while there seems to be a link, this link cannot be proven. This is because there are no definitive ways to determine metabolic levels, circulation, and rate (and percentage) of the breakdown of body fat.

In other words, be careful about what you purchase in dietary supplements and the claims they make. Research the ingredients as much as you can and research these through companies other than the one who is marketing the product.

If you find that many companies are making different claims about a certain ingredient, you have to realize that there is no way that all of the claims can be true. Be leery in those cases; likewise, if you find that a certain ingredient seems to have many claims about one benefit, you have a better chance that the ingredient actually does what it claims.

Always read the ingredient list very carefully. One ingredient that is particularly harmful to a number of people is iodine. One of the most commonly seen food and most deadly allergies is the allergy to shellfish. This is often due to an allergy to iodine which is common in many shellfish.

Iodine is often an ingredient in products which claim to reduce cellulite. Additionally, iodine can cause health issues in people with thyroid conditions. It is wise to take any dietary supplements you are considering to your doctor prior to taking them due to possible allergies, health related issues, or prescription interaction issues.

One way that may temporarily help the appearance of cellulite is certain types of massage treatments and body wraps. These treatments are usually done in salons and do not make claims about bettering inner workings of your body. True claims will tell you that the treatment minimizes the appearance of cellulite.

The best way to find out whether a salons claims are true concerning their cellulite treatments is to talk to other clients about their results with the treatment. For instance, the salon I use has a body wrap treatment that temporarily minimizes the appearance of cellulite. This salons treatment honestly does. I have spoken to many clients who will use this treatment for special occasions, but they generally do not use the service on a consistent basis.

The massage treatments are much the same. Often, they are done with machines that manipulate the skin and underlying tissues (including fat). These are not suggested due to the fact that they can easily stretch the skin, which has a reverse effect in the long run, making the area look much worse in the long run.

Deep tissue massages are much better for your skin and, done right, can temporarily minimize the appearance of your cellulite. The thing to keep in mind with these treatments in that they are temporary, but they are also very relaxing which is good for the psyche.