Who looked in the mirror this morning and saw those little dimples on their backsides? Oh, most of you? Well, that’s not at all surprising.
According to a 2014 study, 85 to 98 percent of women have some cellulite on their bodies. There are two reasons why it affects women far more often than men. One, the septae that connects our fat to our skin go straight down, which creates dimples, whereas men’s septae connect at an angle, which helps to hide dimples. Two, men tend to have thicker skin than women. As such, cottage cheese skin is our burden to bear, and according to many medical professionals, there is no cure for it.
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If you happen to be one of the majority of women who have it, you should know that your mother (and grandmother) are partially responsible. Cellulite does run in your genes, so women who come from a long line of cellulite sufferers tend to have it too. Not that we needed another thing to blame our mothers for, but there you go. It will also likely get worse with age, no matter what you do.
Ready for some good news? While cellulite will likely be a part of you in some form forever, there are methods that are proven to help diminish the look of it.
1. Strength training beats cardio
Since cellulite becomes more noticeable when the fibers under the skin become weak from age or lack of exercise, working out more can definitely help reduce their appearance. However, it should be a certain type of exercise: You need to do specific strength training and toning of the problem area to help mask the dimples.
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One study by the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, showed just 15 minutes of cardio and 15 minutes of targeted strength training was vastly more effective at reducing cellulite than continuous cardio. That’s great news for anyone who hates getting on that treadmill!
2. Laser treatment
Believe it or not, the radio frequency light treatment called VelaSmooth does, in fact, produce considerable results when it comes to reducing cellulite. According to a 2004 study on the treatment, 100 percent of 35 women who underwent treatments for eight weeks saw thigh reduction and cellulite improvement. However, the average cost of the a treatment cycle is $3,000, and it’s likely that your cellulite will return over time without regular, expensive maintenance.
3. Subcision surgery
This cellulite treatment has the longest lasting effects, but it’s also the most invasive. Essentially, what they do is cut the septae holding the fat to your skin and redistribute the fat using a special needle. Sounds fun, doesn’t it? This technique has actually been employed since 1995, and according to a study from 2000, patients are most often very pleased with the results. About 78 percent were satisfied with their level of cellulite improvement after just one procedure. However, doctors caution this treatment should really only be used if you have stubborn cellulite, because it is surgery after all.
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4. Eating certain foods
Eating better will not only help you slim down, it can diminish your cellulite dimples too. According to experts, fighting cellulite comes down to three food components: foods rich in vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids and protein. All three reduce fat, improve your connective tissues and strengthen collagen. To see the most dramatic results, you’ll want to decrease your carb and high fat intake.
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