As the old song says, “Baby’s got back.” The only problem is that if you have a nice backside, then you probably have some cellulite to go with it. These unsightly dimples on your butt, thighs, or stomach are harmless but can affect your self-esteem. Fortunately, cellulite treatments are available to help release fluid retention and smooth fat cells.
To be clear, cellulite is a collection of excess fatty cells that cling to the tissue below your skin. However, water retention can make the bumps appear puffier, so reducing excess fluid can help improve the appearance faster. That’s because it’s easier to lose water than to lose fat.
Shockingly, it’s estimated that between 80-90 percent of adult-aged women have these lumps, according to research conducted by Medical News Today. Contrary to popular belief, cellulite doesn’t discriminate. It has nothing to do with your size and weight. However, hormones can cause an imbalance in the body, which is a significant factor.
Many women notice that they develop more cellulite during pregnancy or while they’re going through menopause. It has everything to do with their body being androgen-deficient, and it causes these lovely lady lumps to appear.
You know these fatty deposits can make you self-conscious about slipping into your favorite two-piece bikini, but is there anything that can be done about them?
Fifteen Cellulite Treatments You Must Try
You can go as holistic or invasive as you desire when it comes to cellulite treatments. However, it’s always best to try the all-natural approaches first, as they’re easier to do and require less downtime. These therapies encourage the release of fluid retention and fat cells. Here are the most popular treatments on the market.
1. A Raw Food Diet
Though weight doesn’t directly impact cellulite, your fat amount matters. You can decrease your overall body fat when you eat a diet with less processed foods and more whole grains.
It’s challenging, but you must learn to cut out fast food, candy, white bread, pasta, sugary drinks, and most things with refined carbohydrates. Eating these things will increase your body’s fat, and fat is a big part of these unsightly dimples.
2. Lose Some Fat
You can weigh 120 or 250 pounds, and you may still have problems with cellulite, as it has to do with your fat distribution. While weight doesn’t directly impact the situation, it can make it more visible. The fat in these prone areas exaggerates the cellulite when you’re overweight.
Forget all these fad régimes that cause the yo-yo dieting effect, too, as they will only worsen matters.
3. Massage the Dimpled Areas
One of the simplest ways to help redistribute this fat can be done in the comforts of home. Massaging the affected areas can help to improve blood flow. Make it part of your daily shower routine to rub this area to reduce fluid retention and help the dimples to dissipate.
4. Get Moving to Decrease Fluid Retention and Shed Fat Cells
When considering cellulite treatments, sometimes the best methods are the ones that don’t cost a penny. Exercising these areas can make your muscles more robust, and the cellulite will disappear.
These lumpy areas lack structure, allowing the fat to dimple. However, eating healthier and exercising can’t help but improve things.
5. Stop Smoking to Increase Blood Circulation for Healthier Looking Skin
If you smoke cigarettes, you’re depriving your body of much-needed oxygen. When you don’t get enough oxygen, it can affect the blood supply to your system, specifically your skin. Areas with insufficient blood flow will sag and look unsightly.
The sagging is much worse if you have cellulite on your buttocks, thighs, belly, and arms. Many programs can help you stop smoking, and assistance from your doctor is available.
6. Creams with Plant Extracts
While creams aren’t a permanent fix, they can help things look better in the short term. Plant extracts are potent aids to the body. Caffeine in small doses can do wonders, mainly when used in a cream.
One word of caution; many of these creams have things that can be irritating to sensitive skin. So it’s best to try a small sample area before applying it in large sections.
7. Rolling Massage
Cellulite treatments that use massage are beneficial to inflammation. Previously, it was mentioned to massage the area with your hand. However, adding a foam roller to the mix can give you a deeper massage.
The foam roller helps reach all the fibrous bands in your connective tissue that tend to dimple. You can soften these areas when you massage them frequently. The kneading will help improve circulation, which will help stop the collagen and elastin from breaking down in the area.
8. Cellfina™
When considering cellulite treatments, you can opt for this surgical jab. It shrinks the fat cells in the affected area, causing dimpling. The results are that it will thicken your skin and cause the uneven spaces to even out.
Though it’s a non-invasive treatment that doesn’t require time off work, it will only last for about a year or two. It does shrink the troublesome fat cells, but it will not be a long-term fix. The fat will eventually fill back in without replacing the area with muscle.
This process will not work for you if you have severe cellulite, or your BMI is on the higher side. Additionally, if the sight of needles freaks you out, you might want to skip this treatment. They don’t use lasers to zap the fat, but they use needles inserted into the area.
9. Hit the Spa for a Body Wrap
A body wrap may be the answer to your prayers. It’s another quick fix that won’t be permanent, but it’s great if you’re heading on a beach vacation. Your body will be wrapped tight in an elastic bandage that specifically targets the areas of inflammation and cellulite. It helps to smooth the region and bring cosmetic relief.
10. Retinol Cellulite Treatments
While there’s no miracle cream on the market, creams with retinol in them certainly reign supreme. Scan the ads and find one that has at least a .3 percent of retinol in it. Now, you must understand that this isn’t a quick fix, and you will likely have to use it for up to six months to see results.
However, retinol has an excellent reputation in the category of cellulite treatments. In time, the skin will thicken on the top, and it will cause the bumpy layer underneath to be less noticeable.
11. Apple Cider Vinegar
The source of most home-based remedies comes from everyday items in your kitchen. Apple cider vinegar seems to treat what ails you, but when considering cellulite treatments, it’s the amino acids and probiotics that help.
Toxins in the body can affect the skin, specifically the connective tissues. Most people don’t know that the fat in your body helps store these toxins, making it challenging to break them down. This causes a warping sensation in the skin, which causes cellulite.
According to cardiologists at Piedmont, the toxins in your fat can affect other areas of your body, not just your skin. It can cause thyroid levels to be off and issues with other hormones.
12. Dry Brushing Cellulite Treatments
Dry brushing is a newfangled name for exfoliation. It not only reduces inflammation in the area you’re brushing, but it also helps to increase blood flow. It’s very similar to a massage, but it uses a different technique.
You start at the feet area using a natural bristle brush. Using firm strokes, you want to work your way up the body. Each stroke will stimulate blood flow as it reduces fluid retention, a common problem among women.
13. Drink More Water to Avoid Fluid Retention
It’s entirely possible that of all the cellulite treatments, water may be one of the easiest and best. Water not only helps with inflammation in the body, but it will also improve your circulation.
Your skin is made up of 64 percent water, according to USGS, so the more water your drink, the healthier your skin. When the body is dehydrated, the skin won’t have enough hydration to make it look amazing. So drinking more water may be the answer needed.
14. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a healthy fat that’s known for its superpowers. However, when it comes to cellulite treatments, they may be easy and affordable. Just massage pure, unrefined coconut oil into the affected area.
This oil is super moisturizing and will help the area eliminate toxins. It counteracts the fat by pushing against it, which can profoundly affect the dimpling.
Final Thoughts on Cellulite Treatments
While there are many remedies out there that make big promises, all of them are just probable. It all comes down to the person, how bad the dimpling is on the skin, and the amount of fat you have on your body. You may need to try several remedies to find something that works, and in the end, it might not do a thing for you.
Learn to love the skin you’re in, and you can find ways to camouflage the imperfections. Makeup is a multi-billion-dollar industry a year, and it just helps to enhance and cover your body. Sunless tanners can be beneficial as a tan body doesn’t show cellulite as much as one that’s not. So even if you don’t have access to these cellulite treatments, you can do things to make you feel better about yourself.