Fat And Cellulite

- The Truth About Fat Cells, Connective Tissue, And Cellulite

When we think of getting rid of cellulite, we often think of losing fat. We think of fat and cellulite as being intertwined issues. Whilst this is true to some degree, there are other issues contributing to the presence of cellulite. These include the role the connective tissue in our skin plays in cellulite, , the fact that our skin thins with age, and the role our hormones have in affecting our body shape and where we store fat (and hence, how predisposed we are to cellulite).

The skin is divided into three layers - the epidermis being the outermost part we touch. Beneath that is the papillary dermis, and beneath that is the reticular dermis. Most of our fat is stored beneath the reticular dermis, in a layer called the hypodermis. However, in people with cellulite, some of the fat cells (called adipose cells) are present in the reticular dermis. People without cellulite don't have this. This was discovered by using ultrasound on people with and without cellulite.

Connective tissue is another issue in cellulite, and the different way men's and women's skin is structured may provide a clue as to why most women are more prone to cellulite compared to men. Keep in mind that the reticular dermis and papillary dermis are the two layers that make up the dermis, and this in turn lies just beneath the outer layer of the skin, the epidermis.

In men, the connective tissue in the dermis is smooth and continous, whereas in women it is irregular and discontinous. This irregularity in the connective tissue allows fat cells to push up into dermis when they should not. And when the connective tissue matrix is strong, like it should be, this causes the dimpling effect of cellulite.

It has not been proven that there is different types of fat, though some people believe there is 'brown' fat and white, with cellulite being an example of brown fat. Also, when cellulite-free and dimpled people were examined, the researchers did not find any significant differences in blood flow to those areas affected by cellulite. This is in contrast to what some say - that poor circulation is a problem in causing cellulite, and therefore, improving circulation through massage etc will help remove it.

One thing I did find interesting when reading the article discussing all of this, was the point made that the fat that is cellulite behaved just the same as non-cellulite forming fat. In other words, it looked the same under the microscope, and was able to be reabsorbed and deposited like normal fat. Yet, women who have cellulite know that it is much easier to shift non-cellulite fat. So what's the difference?

Unfortunately, science has no answers at the present time. Perhaps the way it moves into an area it shouldn't really be in, and the presence of the connective tissue, holds the answer. In the meantime, tried and tested methods to reduce body fat may help cellulite, simply by removing the volume of overall fat. And, of course, if you have the money, treatments like endermologie and other forms of liponic sculpting may be the best solution for cellulite.