Skin deep
THE EXPERT
Before we go any further, let me say this. The dimples on your buttocks, thighs and stomach are both natural and normal. So normal, that it’s estimated around 90% of women have the orange peel-like bumps, caused by the distribution of subcutaneous fat –a type of fat that’s stored just beneath your skin. But while a harmless skin condition that affects the vast majority of women shouldn’t cause low confidence, that doesn’t mean it won’t. But there are a few things to be aware of before you add any ‘cure-all’ creams to cart.
Cellulite appears thanks to oestrogen –the higher the oestrogen level, the more likely it is that fat will be distributed around the hips and thighs, leading to the development of cellulite. Weak overlying skin also makes cellulite appear more visible, as the fat cells beneath the surface protrude. It affects women of all body shapes and sizes and, like grey roots and hangovers, is exacerbated by ageing, as your skin loses its elasticity.
But while body care is billed as the ‘solution’, no matter what products you use on the surface of your skin, the fat underneath it remains. That said, there are ingredients that can alter the appearance of cellulite. Caffeine works to increase blood flow to an area and creates a temporary tightening effect.
Retinoids, aka vitamin A, can strengthen the overlying skin, which makes underlying fat protrusions less visible, but they need to be used over a sustained three-tosix-month period.
As for in-clinic treatments (acoustic wave therapy, carboxytherapy, endermologie), studies have been small, meaning that evidence for their efficacy is relatively inconclusive. Results also vary from person to person, and all these treatments require between seven and 10 sessions. The exception is Cellulaze, a one-time treatment that uses a laser to break up fibrous bands and improve skin thickness, with results lasting up to a year.
But simple lifestyle tweaks can help, too. Cellulite occurs beneath the connective fibres of the skin; exercise hel
