Cellulite describes a condition that occurs in both men and women – although much more common in women – where the skin appears texturized, especially on the upper legs and hips.

While not life threatening, it’s considered unsigthly to the point that wearing a bathing suit or shorts becomes a real torture for some women.

Interestingly, the term “cellulite” isn’t even a medical term. It was first introduced by a fashion magazine in the 1920s and was picked up by English language publications in the late 1960s. From the medical perspective, cellulite is just plain fat.

It is a myth that you won’t get cellulite if you stay slim. Even if you have just 15% body fat, you can still have cellulite, even if you must squeeze the skin to see it. There are a number of reasons thin women can still get cellulite which include poor blood circulation, unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, sedentary lifestyle, poor lymph system drainage and yo-yo dieting.

How to Get Rid of Cellulite?

All you need to do is begin a search for information about cellulite and you will find yourself bombarded with commercial messages. There are hundreds of resources claiming to reduce or eliminate the embarrassing orange-peel, and “for only $$$ you too can permanently get rid of this condition.”

The most popular are various creams, balms and gels. They are said to help smoothe, detoxify, and hydrate the “affected area”. While the efficacy of these products is often disputed, some women claim they do see improvement. If you want to try them for yourself, keep in mind that some of these creams and other topical products contain ingredients that can be potentially harmful. Many people may have hidden allergies that only surface when the individual comes in contact with a “new” trigger, so read the labels and do skin test on a small area first to be on the safe side.

Many spas and salons offer a treatment called body wrapping. This procedure claims to remove inches from the waist, thighs, hips or other parts of the body, as well as eliminate, or at least reduce, cellulite. Whether that last claim is true or not, visiting a spa or salon for body wrapping treatment may be a wonderfully rejuvenating experience. Who wouldn’t like to be pampered and fussed over in a relaxing environment regardless if it helps to get rid of cellulite or not.

Some people claim that the only answer to cellulite is liposuction. Although liposuction has proven effective in taking off inches, it does not counter cellulite itself. Liposuction removes collections of fatty tissue from the legs, buttocks, abdomen, back, arms, face, and neck areas. It uses a ‘vacuuming’ technique to remove this fatty tissue, leaving minimal scarring. Because liposuction does not change the structure of the skin, it can’t eliminate cellulite forever.

It is important to remember that liposuction is a surgery and that there may be serious complications. Don’t believe that complications “only happen to other people.” The cosmetic effect after liposuction may be good and many patients report being satisfied, however, it is possible that it will be less than dramatic and may not be permanent. In summary, it’s a costly and traumatic procedure that could impair your circulatory and lymphatic system, and has left many women with fewer inches but more lumps and bumps than before.

There are many other methods such as body brushing and massage, hydrotherapy, electric muscle stimulation, and Endermologie. However, the bottom line is that no cream, oil, electronic device, or surgery can completely eliminate cellulite. Some may in fact slow down the accumulation and lessen appearance of cellulite temporarily, but none have been proven to actually eliminate it.

So, is there any hope?

With all this said, I am sure you are wondering if there is hope. Well, actually there is.

Study after study has shown that the key to reducing cellulite significantly is by a combination of both proper diet and exercise. If you get rid of excess weight and exercise regularly to tone up muscles, you will most definitely see an improvement.

We all wish there was a “magic genie bottle” to help us get rid of orange-peel, but in the end there really is no substitute for good, old-fashioned, healthy nutrition and exercise.