Cellulite Breakthrough - Margaret Greenwood-Robinson - Mass Market Paperback

9780440236153

0440236150

Toward a Cellulite Resistant Body You slowly turn your back to the mirror. There it is. That dreaded puckered skin on the back of your hips, thighs, and buttocks. You know it when you see it: cellulite. Cellulite gives your outer skin an orange peel or cottage-cheesy appearance. It has also been described as spongy, puckered, or indented like a mattress. No one wants cellulite, yet most of us have it--eight out of every ten women, to be exact. What is this imperfection called cellulite--and can anything be done about it? Understanding Cellulite Cellulite is not a disease or a medical problem, but rather a recognized cosmetic condition related to the underlying structure of the skin. It is characterized by a lax, dimpled skin surface covering the thighs, buttocks, and hips. Doctors and medical researchers who study cellulite have drawn numerous conclusions about it. Cellulite: * begins to develop during or after puberty. * varies in severity from person to person. * is progressive, if interventional treatments are not pursued. * is found in women of all races. * is not necessarily related to being overweight, although excess weight worsens the condition. * is found in slender women too. * rarely appears in men, regardless of their weight, except in men who are deficient in certain hormones called androgens. * has numerous causes. * is not painful. * can be successfully treated with natural methods. A misconception exists that cellulite is a type of body fat. In fact, cellulite is a condition in which the outer layer of skin turns dimpled in appearance as a result of structural changes taking place beneath the skin's surface. To help you better understand cellulite, let's take a close look at the underlying structure of your skin and the anatomy of cellulite. The Structure of Skin The skin is the largest organ of the body, covering approximately two square yards if you stretched it out like a tablecloth. Anatomically, it is made up of two layers--the epidermis and the dermis. The epidermis is the visible top layer. Its outermost surface is made up of dead skin cells; living skin cells lie just underneath. The dermis, situated below the epidermis, makes up the bulk of your skin--about 90 percent. The dermis provides strength and gives elasticity to your skin. It is composed of elastic yellow fibers called elastin, and strong white fibers known as collagen. Collagen deserves some explanation because of the important role it plays in skin and tissue firmness. It is the most abundant protein in the body and makes up about 6 percent of our weight. Structurally, each collagen fiber is twisted together like a rope. Collagen is very strong tissue, with enough toughness and resiliency to spring back after being pulled or compressed. Although distributed mostly in the connective tissue, collagen also gives shape to vital organs. It forms a fine scaffolding for organ cells and blood vessels so that they can arrange themselves into their characteristic shapes. Collagen literally binds our bodies together. Along with collagen fibers, there are blood vessels, muscle cells, nerves, lymph vessels, hair follicles, and glands interspersed throughout the dermis too. As you get older, the dermis becomes thinner and less elastic--the result of a declining number of "mother cells" in the skin. Technically referred to as fibroblasts, mother cells give birth to new collagen and elastin. But with their age-related decline, collagen and elastin production slows down, and skin elasticity decreases. Beneath the dermis is the subcutaneous fat layer, which also contains a network of blood vessels, lymph vessels, and nerves. Most of the fat in the subcutaneous layer is referred to as storage fat. It is the type we are always trying to get rid of. Although most storage f