An Expert’s Tips To Treating Cellulite
Cellulite. It’s a fact of life for many of us. Nobody wants it and nobody really wants to discuss it. But seeing images of bikini-clad, butt-baring models with smooth, dimple-free skin can leave you with a sense of “what the..?” Fiona Tuck, Skinstitut Australia’s managing director and author of The Myth Minx, has investigated some of the ways to treat cellulite and busts some myths along the way.
Firstly, methods to treat cellulite have been few and far between with most being unsuccessful. The reason for this being due to a lack of understanding of the real causes of cellulite and how to effectively treat it. Fiona says that years of pummelling and pounding vigorous massages, torturous-looking cellulite hand held home devices and cellulite dissolving gels are a myth.
“In fact, over zealous massage, once thought to break down stubborn fat deposits, has now been proven to have the opposite effect – make it worse,” she says.
Tips to reduce cellulite:
Reduce pro-inflammatory foods in the diet such as fatty foods, saturated fat in red meat, dairy, refined processed foods, salt and sugar. Saturated fat, transfats and sugar are HUGE enemies of cellulite and hormone imbalance.
Increase essential fats to maintain cell integrity and strength. Include nuts, seeds and oily fish in your diet. Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables to ensure high intakes of antioxidants, phytonutrients and bioflavonoids. These assist with healthy collagen production, cell protection and assist with the prevention of excessive collagen breakdown.
Adequate amino acids and protein intake are essential for healthy connective tissue and collagen production. A loss of connective tissue and collagen will worsen cellulite.
Topical creams and essential oils such as juniper, fennel, ginger and even caffeine derivatives can assist with enhancing peripheral circulation but do little to assist with the actual integrity of the skin. Topical application of retinol and vitamin C are essential for assisting with healthy connective tissue.
Professional manual lymphatic drainage massage is excellent to reduce sponginess and fluid retention and the removal of toxins from the fat cells.
Dry body brush daily at home to improve lymphatic system health and excess fluid retention between cells.
Dermal rolling is also always a useful technique. This can induce collagen production and skin integrity thereby constraining the hypertrophied fat cells. Stay well away from basic mechanical rolling and pressure devices and pummelling massagers. Whilst once thought to break down fat it is now know that these options are the worst cellulite treatments of them all. This is due to causing further damage to the weakened connective tissue therefore worsening the appearance of cellulite.
There are more advanced paramedical clinical treatments now available using radiofrequency technologies which target the weakened connective tissue thus reducing the bulging fat cells. Combined with lymphatic drainage these treatments can provide exceptional results. But these treatments can be costly and sometimes painful.
So there you have it healthy diet, exercise, application of quality ingredients and the right professional treatments can lead you on the way to smoother thighs.
