Check out the latest celebrity to be linked with the c-word (cellulite, that is): Brooke Hogan. And not because of the same reason as the latest cellulite spokesperson Kim Kardashian:
“I don’t have cellulite”, says the Hulk spawn, in an interview with OK! Magazine. And does the aspiring singer feel comfortable wearing a bikini? “I do. I love my body. Thick or not, I’m firm,” she continues. “I’m happy with how I am. People should know, I’m only doing the diet for the entertainment business. It’s not really what you’re supposed to look like in real life.”
Diet, she says? “You need to keep to the old-school body builder diet of eggs, fish, chicken, meat and broccoli,” lectures Brooke. “I want to always look healthy, not anorexic.”
Cutting carbs is definitely one way to go, and building muscle is definitely a highly touted way to lose cellulite from your body. Hopefully Brooke can keep it up since they say cellulite is partly due to genetics, and her mother has made an appearance at the Cellulite Diaries blog, and not for having no cellulite!
There are so many different treatment options for cellulite, it can be overwhelming to sort through it all and choose the best one for your particular needs.
What’s more effective? Home remedies versus dermatologist administered solutions? A change in diet or a change in exercise, or both?
If you’re serious about conquering cellulite, you’ve got to familiarize yourself with the various anti-cellulite treatments available to women today. For the purposes of this blog post, I’m going to divide treatments into two broad categories, surgical and invasive methods versus non-invasive methods.
Surgical/Invasive Methods
* Liposuction. You might think that liposuction would be a great way to get rid of cellulite. Unfortunately, it’s not. While it can spot reduce problem areas like “saddlebags”, liposuction doesn’t remove fat from the layer of tissue where cellulite is formed, and so it doesn’t get rid of cellulite. In fact, the appearance of cellulite can actually become worse after liposuction (see Tara Reid).
* Cellulite Lift. Also know as a lower body lift, this invasive method is normally used to lift loose skin in women who have undergone major rapid weight loss. This a pretty drastic option for treating cellulite as it can leave significant scarring.
* Laser Lipolysis. Sometimes called ’smart lipo’, laser lipolysis doesn’t use suction as traditional liposuction does. Instead a tiny tube is inserted into the cellulite fat layer through which a laser heats up and literally melts the fat away. The body’s natural healing response to this causes tissues to contract, leaving skin tighter and smoother in the treated area, thus avoiding the risk of being left with lumpy, loose skin after the procedure as unfortunately can be the case with liposuction.
Noninvasive/Non-surgical Methods
* Injections. Mesotherapy is a kind of fat-dissolving injection, but rather than using heat such as with a laser, in this case a doctor injects a combination of drugs, vitamins and natural extracts into the the middle layer of the skin. This purportedly reduces the fat in the cellulite-afflicted areas, improves circulation and breaks down damaged connective tissue. The problem some people have with mesotherapy is that each doctor develops their own mesotherapy cocktail, so you’re never quite sure what exactly you’re getting.
* Machine-Aided Massage. Endermologie and Lipo Massage are examples of this. With this method a deep conditioning massage is imparted through the use of rollers and mechanized suction. This is meant to facilitate the loosening of excess fat and enhance blood circulation (poor circulation has been named as a contributing factor in the development of cellulite). Some say mechanical massage only temporarily puffs up the skin which is what makes cellulite appear less noticeable.
* Anti-Cellulite Creams. The cellulite treatment market has many cellulite creams, lotions and gels (and in case of Nivea, gel-creams), which can be effective at reducing the appearance of your cellulite.
Check back for individual posts on each of these topics exploring them further in depth.