Asking If Anti-Cellulite Treatments Work Is a Wrong Question, Expert Says

Women are conscious about their cellulite, with many considering getting anti-cellulite treatment. Several wonder if these treatments really work, but one expert says it's the wrong question.

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Do Anti-Cellulite Treatments Work?

Cellulite is deemed a flaw, with many women considering getting rid of the dimples developing on their upper thighs. However, according to Rebecca Shepherd, Senior Lecturer in Human Anatomy at the School of Anatomy at the University of Bristol, the more pressing question than whether anti-cellulite treatments work is "Why are healthy women's bodies considered something to treat, cure, or correct?"

The expert pointed out how cellulite has become a big business in the beauty industry. However, according to her, it's not an illness to be cured.

According to her, cellulite does not impact health, despite some individuals' claims that it does. However, this is more likely due to the social pressure placed on women to be physically ideal or to invest time, money, and energy in striving to be as close to ideal as possible.

Companies can market various goods and services by portraying cellulite as a disease that requires treatment. This strategy is reinforced by celebrity endorsements, which give pseudo-medical "smoothing" products legitimacy and aspirational value. The usefulness of these supplements in treating cellulite is, however, not well supported by scientific research.

Cellulite was called "so-called cellulite: the invented disease" in the first scientific publication, published in 1978.

The most recent addition to Kourtney Kardashian-Barker's line of vitamins and supplements is called Lemme Smooth. It claims to reduce cellulite and improve skin texture.

Kardashian-Barker's supplements include hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, chromium, and French cantaloupe melon. Per Shepherd, it is still debatable whether the body can absorb and use these chemicals in a way that would affect cellulite.

Vitamin C has been demonstrated to thicken the skin's outer layer, and there is evidence that ingested hyaluronic acid can migrate into the skin and stimulate the formation of collagens within the dermis. However, it's still unclear if these substances will make a big difference in cellulite treatment because testing for their use isn't standardized.

Shepherd offered unsolicited advice: Save your money and be skeptical of claims made by cosmetic businesses. According to her, one can lose weight and strengthen one's leg muscles, buttocks, and abdomen. Maintaining a healthy diet, drinking lots of water, and regular physical exercise can make cellulite less noticeable, but it won't disappear.

What Is Cellulite?

Cellulite is a relatively common, benign skin ailment that causes the flesh of the thighs, hips, buttocks, and abdomen to become lumpy and dimpled. It affects women more often than men.

Cellulite appears as rough, dimpled skin. Its texture has occasionally been compared to orange peel or cottage cheese.

Minor cellulite can be seen only when you pinch the skin in a cellulite-prone area, like your thighs. Severe cellulite gives the skin a rumpled, lumpy appearance with peaks and valleys.

Although it can also occur on the breasts, lower belly, and upper arms, cellulite is most frequently seen around the thighs and buttocks.

Many people attempt, with varying degrees of success, to enhance the appearance of their skin by exercising, losing weight, getting massages, and using cellulite-reducing treatments. There are also choices for medically confirmed treatments, albeit the effects are short-term and temporary.