How to get rid of cellulite
What is cellulite?
Cellulite is a common skin condition where lumps and dimples of fat form on the skin. They mainly form on the thighs, hips, abdomen, and buttocks. It forms when subcutaneous fat squeezes through the collagen fiber mesh, which joins the skin to the underlying muscle.
Although both men and women can have cellulite, the condition is most common in women as their fat, muscle, and connective tissue distribution are different. Mild cellulite can be seen by pinching the skin where the cellulite has formed like the thighs. Severe cellulite is more pronounced. The skin looks bumpy and rumpled with areas of peaks and troughs.
What causes it?
The cause of cellulite formation is not yet clear. Hormones are said to play an important role in cellulite formation. Genetics also plays a role as it determines skin texture, skin structure, and body type. Factors such as weight and muscle tone can also affect the formation of cellulite.
You’re more likely to have cellulite if you eat a lot of carbohydrates, fats, and salt, and not enough fibers. Smokers, people who don’t exercise, and people who sit and stand in one position for a long time are also more prone to cellulite.
However, even slim and fit people can have cellulite. People older than 25 years old are more likely to have cellulite, but even young people can have it.
Now that we’ve established what cellulite is and what causes it, how do you get rid of it?
Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy for cellulite is by far the best remedy. It’s safe, natural, and non-invasive. The process involves using LED bulbs to bathe the body in red and NIR light waves safely.
Mitochondria absorb the light photons which stimulate energy production in the cells. This leads to healthier and resilient cells.
Collagen production is also increased, which helps thicken the skin and underlying connective tissue. The elasticity of the skin is restored. Thicker and more elastic skin helps to contain subcutaneous fat (it’s less likely to push forward now).
Our skin and connective tissue get their elasticity from elastin, which is a structural protein. It doesn’t regenerate once damaged. Red light therapy causes the growth of fibroblasts, which increases elastin and collagen fibers.
Red light can also cause leakage of fatty acids called lipids by forming small openings in the cell walls. Nearly all the fat can be released after only 6 minutes of exposure to red light.
You can do red light therapy from the comfort of your home. Be careful while choosing one for home use though, because not all devices are created equal. A lot of cheaper devices lack the power to deliver enough light. Battery-powered ones are much worse.
Red light therapy has no side effects. It doesn’t cause skin irritation, skin burns, or premature aging. However, as it works at a cellular level, more isn’t necessarily better. Regeneration cannot be accelerated by applying more red light.
One drawback of red light treatment is that it requires maintenance treatments as it’s possible you might revert to pre cellulite levels after 15 months.
Cellfina
For this treatment, you need to visit a dermatologist. This is the only FDA cleared invasive treatment. It’s pretty expensive, costing around $4000 and working for two years.
The treatment involves using a needle-sized device to cut some fibrous tissues that smooth out dimpling. You’ll get some temporary bruises. You can start to see results after a week or so. This treatment might be attractive to you if you wish to treat a few specific spots.
Cellulaze
Cellulaze is similar to cellfina in a sense that the procedure (which is minimally invasive) is used to break down the structure of cellulite beneath the skin. Instead of blades, it uses lasers.
The laser is used to stimulate collagen production, release the bands that create dimples, enhance skin thickness, and flatten out the fat.
Just like Cellfina, it’s pretty expensive, costing upward of a few thousand dollars and the results lasting for a year or two.
BTL Unison
Unison incorporates a combination of mechanical and thermal energy to reduce dimples and leave skin visibly smoother and more elastic. There is no pain, and the results are immediate.
The mechanical energy during BTL unison improves circulation by breaking up fibrous bands. The thermal energy boosts collagen production and skin elasticity.
You’ll need four treatments (that last around 20 to 30 minutes) over a two week period to get the best results. Each treatment costs around one thousand dollars.
Reducing Cellulite
The processes, as mentioned earlier, were to eliminate cellulite, but there are some cheap home remedies if you want to reduce it. Daily dry brushing of dry skin can help reduce cellulite. It gets rid of some of the toxins that accumulate on the fat layer. Retinol body cream and serums are also good options for reducing cellulite. Coffee rubs are also an excellent option as they contain caffeine, which temporarily plumps and tightens the skin.
Conclusion
We’ve discussed the four methods to get rid of cellulite; we highly recommend the red light therapy as it’s the cheapest and can be done from home.
We also highly recommend following the reduction methods as preemptive treatment is an excellent choice.
