What you might not know about cellulite

Cellulite, or orange skin - one of the most frequently used words among women. Currently, up to 90% of women in developed society suffer from it. But why does it arise, who does it trouble and can it be prevented or gotten rid of? 

History

The first mentions are recorded in France around the 20s of the last century. Rheumatic changes in the subcutaneous tissue were cited as the reason. The period of the 2nd World War interrupted the interest in researching this issue for some time, and experts began to focus on it again much later - in the 1970s and 1980s, when the cult of the body, a healthy lifestyle and the so-called fitness and wellness began to become fashionable . Cellulite is becoming an excellent article not only for the cosmetic industry, and this interest continues to this day.
Thus, the problem of cellulite began to be solved mainly in beauty salons, against which doctors began to speak out, who do not see this phenomenon as a cosmetic problem, but a health problem.
 
Cellulite mainly affects women. Only a very small percentage affects men. It does not only occur in obese people, but also in models and athletes, for example. Lifestyle, but also hormonal fluctuations are often to blame for it. Therefore, it often appears during puberty, during pregnancy or during subsequent breastfeeding. Doctors usually point to disorders of the lymphatic system as the cause.

In the initial stages, cellulite can be reduced by changing lifestyle (correct diet, sufficient exercise), or by special massages, special procedures (e.g. lymphatic drainage) or suitable cosmetics. In more advanced stages, a consultation with a specialist doctor is necessary.
 

Cellulite is divided into 4 stages/grades

Stage 1 affects almost every woman. Orange peel only appears in the compression test. No treatment is necessary here.

Grade 2 - slightly deformed skin, visible at first glance, first appears on the inner thighs. These irregularities appear when a muscle is strained, sitting on a hard mat or in bright side light. Thanks to the visibility in bright light, this cellulite is recognized even by slender models on the catwalk. Because of this, this stage is often called the mannequin stage. The treatment is usually easy - usually it is enough to adjust the diet and exercise regime and use suitable cosmetic products.

Level 3 - here the irregularities are already visible in any light, movement or rest state. Complex treatment is already required here and it is not always possible to completely get rid of cellulite.

Grade 4 - massive unevenness and skin damage are already visible here. Overweight patients often suffer from it. For its treatment, cooperation with a lymphologist, an obesitologist and often a plastic surgeon is necessary.

Treatment of cellulite

- should be comprehensive, long-term, unfortunately lifelong in the maintenance phase. Of course, we also have to take into account the normal aging of the skin, when, among other things, its elasticity also allows. In more serious cases of cellulite, the treatment should take place under the supervision of a specialist doctor.

In any case, it is important to:

• Dietary regime – for example, proteins and sufficient fluids are also important
• Movement - which, among other things, contributes to the normal flow of lymph. Exercises recommended for disorders of the lymphatic system are also suitable.
• Activation of the lymphatic system (so-called lymphatic drainage)
• Pharmacotherapy – preparations for external and possibly also internal use

Source: MUDr. René Vlasák, surgeon, lymphologist, member of the committee of the Czech Lymphological Society, founder of the preventive medicine center and the company Prevence 2000 s.r.o.