For many people, cellulite is a fact of life. It’s thought as many as 85% of women suffer from it, with this unsightly dimpling becoming more pronounced with age. In its early stages, cellulite has the appearance of orange peel. However, as it becomes more pronounced, deeper depressions can appear in the skin. Is cellulite wreaking havoc on your self-esteem? Below are some of the most effective treatments for getting rid of those dimples for good.
Change Your Diet
If you’re someone who is overweight, making changes to your diet can result in quick gains. Cellulite is essentially fat cells pushing up against the skin layers. If you shift enough excess fat, you’ll eventually notice a cellulite reduction.
The good news is designing a cellulite-busting diet isn’t rocket science. All the usual rules of healthy eating apply here. Anything with excessive levels of fat, salt and sugar should be removed from your menu plans. Complex carbs are also something to avoid. All of these things will lead to fluid retention. Swap out coffee for green tea and pasta for whole grains. Not ready to make the switch to a vegetarian or vegan diet? At the very least, replace servings of red meat with leaner proteins and things like oily fish.
Hydration
Dehydration is another common cause of cellulite. As with dietary changes, upping your water intake will result in all round health benefits. Ideally, you want to be drinking around 6-8 glasses of fluid per day. This works out to about two litres. The more hydrated you are, the more improved your circulation is. Poor lymphatic flow is another key factor behind cellulite. Drinking more water will go some way in remedying this. Another significant benefit of hydrated skin is that it’s more elasticated. This will reduce the appearance of existing cellulite until you’ve shifted that excess fat.
Massage Therapy
This is one of the simplest and most effective ways of saying goodbye to cellulite for good. As with drinking more water, massage therapy can encourage lymphatic drainage and restore the elasticity of the skin. The good news is that you don’t have to fork out for expensive salon treatments and creams. A manual massage can deliver the results you’re after. For more noticeable results, it’s worth investing in a derma roller. These handy tools also have the benefit of improving skin pigmentation.
Laser Therapy
Although lifestyle changes are ultimately the best way to eliminate cellulite, you may need to consider avenues. If diet swaps and daily massaging aren’t shifting those dimples, laser therapy is something to consider. There are a few different types of laser treatments out there. One of the least invasive methods involves a small laser fibre inserted beneath the skin. This laser is then fired, which gradually breaks up the subdermal bands that make cellulite so noticeable.
Over time, the skin becomes thicker, further reducing the appearance of cellulite. However, laser therapy isn’t for everyone. It’s an expensive treatment and doesn’t eliminate cellulite entirely. Furthermore, the results aren’t permanent. Even the most effective treatments will only eradicate cellulite for around six months. Eventually, that telltale dimpling will return.
