The Cellulite Debaucle

 

Cellulite is an annoying plight.

It's associated with people that might have a little more to love but it's becoming evident that even the thinner class deals with it too. So that leads us to wonder what's really causing the "hail damage" that plagues us?! It's common belief that if you gain weight that's why you get cellulite. While it can play a part, losing weight won't actually make it go away. Sadly for us ladies, it seems to be that we might inherit some characteristics that make us susceptible to it's creation! With 90 %  of women experiencing this, we try to see a correlation. Well...

 

Our skin has many functions, one of them being to protect our bodies. Our skin is comprised of three layers- the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous layer. The epidermis is the outermost layer that we see every day. In the dermis layer is where our elastin & collagen, reticular fibers, and glands live. And finally, the subcutaneous layer is where our fat and connective cells inhabit. Our focus is going to be on the subcutaneous layer.

Just like we adapt to our surroundings, so do our bodies (kind of like the pigment of our skin remember?) . The role of women from the beginning of time has been to nurture and birth children. While this is not the stigma now, our bodies haven't gotten the memo. The structure of the subcutaneous layer as women allows for our fat cells to become larger. This is because our body prepares for children, we need more cushion and our body seems to widen. In men, they are built to be able to be more active (almost like the "hunter" vs "gatherer") and lean. So their adipose cells don't swell or create much of a pull on the fibers, called septae, that hold the three layers together. Look at the image below:

 

 

 The yellow fat cells in that make up the hypodermis-subcutaneous level in normal skin are nestled between the chambers of the fibrous septae. Because they aren't pushing against the septae, there is no pull on the dermis and epidermis. Now looking at skin afflicted by cellulite, the cells are pushing up against the septae. This causes tension on the chambers, causing them to pull "pockets" of the dermis and epidermis. This is what gives the dimpled effect. And again, because women have a predisposition to larger fat cells and even smaller chambers of fat cells, then this is more dominant for us. Men acutally have stronger septae because their chambers and in return, far less likely to get cellulite.

 

Fat cells aren't the only cause of cellulite, even fluid retention and excess fluid in the subcutaneous layer can cause the fat cells to push against the septae. So that's why even retaining water can make the appearance appear more dramatic. (Also, be careful with deep tissue massage. One might think that you can massage to get the fat cells broken up blah blah blah, but it could increase edema or more fluid to that area. However, MLD could be possibly helpful to reduce swelling.) And that's another way marketers and advertisers can get ya! And that leads us into our next portion...

 

 

 Lotions and creams will not benefit cellulite. Because the septae are below even the dermis, no products would be able penetrate that deeply without a modality or machine to aid it. Look at a product closely, does it say that it will remove or get rid of cellulite? Or does it say that it will "improve the appearance" of cellulite? This means your cellulite won't look as drastic. That's why people are finding more results with RID of cellulite with recent technology. Ingredients in products could possibly help with releasing some of the fluid held as well as detoxifying ingredients could help the appearance but would not get rid of it altogether. If eliminating the fluid and toxins that could be causing some inflammation:

• horse chestnut
• seaweed
• glycyrrhetic acid (from licorice)
• green tea

Those are just a few to look for. Diet and exercise can again, decrease the appearance but once cellulite has occurred, it's there. Otherwise, myth busted...no products will help you get rid of cellulite. Want to know about some procedures that are getting attention? Check out here. I'm thinking this could run into another post. Some of the most popular treatments are types of radio frequency treatments that use audio waves to break down fat cells, endermologie which heats up/applies pressure and "liquefies" fat" and compresses the body, and a new treatment called cryptology which freezes fat cells and kills them (however there may be some challenges with how the body reacts).

Whichever way you go, just make you do your research...know your professional and understand the options given!  Read more should you wish! I have a feeling I will be coming back to this topic, so stay tuned!
 

Get Your Lymph Working!

Have you been feeling sluggish lately?
Feel exhausted a lot?
Your skin breaking out or looks dull?

Surprisingly, a massage might be your miracle cure! Who would turn that away though right? Medical studies that have been conducted are saying that massage is not only good for us physiologically but also physically. There was even a study by the Touch Research Institute on infants that said that if you regularly massage your baby not only do they have a pleasant disposition but that it also helps strengthen their immunity system. So I was curious...

First off, when thinking about massage in general, there are many benefits to receiving a massage. Whether it be Shiatsu, European, Deep Tissue, or Swedish! Of course your disposition is going to be better after relaxing for an hour but there are more:

• Stimulates blood and lymph
• Improves metabolism
• Tone muscle
• Detoxifies and softens impactions of the skin
• Exfoliates
• Reduces edema and congestion
• Improves product absorption

All amazing!

I was introduced to a particular massage that has been utilized both in day spas and also in the medical industry known as, Manual Lymph Drainage. This has been a technique used both before and after surgeries to help with swelling and to help remove waste from the body quicker, thus leading to a quicker healing time. While massage in general can help improve lymph drainage, this is a more concentrated technique. Think, that's why you are encouraged to drink water after a facial or massage, because toxins are stimulated and need a medium in which they can be removed from the body or you're going to feel lethargic or sick afterwards.



You may be wondering what exactly is lymph? Well, lymph is a vital part of our Immune System ( it's also referred to as Lymphatic System) that acts a medium to transport waste from our cells to the lymph nodes in our bodies. After lymph is filtered through the lymph nodes, the waste is then removed through perspiration and what we eliminate. Lymph is easily congested and so back up can occur. If you suffer from acne, this could be why you might have some of your breakouts.

This is a video that demonstrates a full body lymph drainage massage. I'm not saying this is the crème de la crème of videos but it's a good illustration.

Look for a massage therapist or esthetician who is certified or knowledgable about Manual Lymph Drainage (M.L.D.) to receive the amazing benefits in your treatments. It is a practice that needs to be done correctly and if not will not be beneficial so make sure to do your research. Now remember, full body MLD treatments can only be performed by a massage therapist and for a MLD skin treatment you'll have to go to a licensed skin therapist. Or if you're lucky, a professional that has both licenses! Also if you have a physical challenge, there are some physical therapy offices who offer these services as well.

So now you can go tell your significant other that you need massage for your wellbeing AND health :)