Cellulite. 90% of women have it. Models, movie stars, “skinny” women, teenagers, and everyone in between. (Just Google “celebrity cellulite” for proof.) Cellulite doesn’t discriminate! So, don’t feel bad about it. Like acne, we may not like the way it looks but it’s normal and extremely common. While there is no steadfast cure or magical pill for it, there are ways to prevent and reduce it. Here are a few affordable, non-surgical ways for getting rid of cellulite.
What is cellulite?
First, let’s discuss what creates cellulite. Cellulite is fat beneath the skin that looks dimply because it pushes against damaged connective tissue. Connective tissue gets damaged due to the following…
What causes cellulite?
The main culprits are poor circulation, a sedentary lifestyle, hormone changes, dehydration, thinness of skin, fad dieting, poor diet, overall body fat, and simple aging.
Exercise
Yes, let’s get this one out of the way first. There’s no way around it, ladies, you must stay active. One of the biggest culprits of cellulite is poor circulation and a sedentary lifestyle. Exercise not only gets your blood flowing but obviously helps keep your body fat down, therefore helps reduce the appearance of cellulite. We’re especially fans of Beach Body and their ‘Brazil Butt Lift’ videos because they target the most cellulite troubled areas: thighs and buns.
Yoga Foam Roller
A yoga foam roller is a great way to deeply massage and circulate blood in troubled areas by leveraging your body weight. Roll over each area for approximately 5 to 10 minutes. It’s normal for this to feel uncomfortable on especially troubled areas, but be diligent. The more you do it the less it hurts. Not only does this help with cellulite but it will help loosen up tight muscles.
Coffee Grounds
Caffeine is one of the main ingredients in many anti-cellulite creams so naturally it’s excellent for reducing cellulite. Caffeine helps stimulate and circulate blood, reducing cellulite in the process. Soak grounds for approximately 5 minutes in warm water. Add just enough water to create a thick paste. Apply in the shower. Or if you have extra time apply on dry skin and wrap with saran wrap for approximately 20 minutes.
Cupping
Much like mesotherapy devices, suction cupping helps break up the fat and water deposits which create cellulite. This is best to do in the shower with a suction cup and body oil.
Hand Massager
Hand massagers created specifically for cellulite are also excellent for smoothing the skin. They can be used alone or with anti-cellulite creams or in the shower with body oil.
Sunless Tanner
Cellulite shows up much less on darker skintones, so sunless tanner works as a great camouflage. However, a sun-LESS tan is key, as real sun exposure actually breaks down connective tissue more and can make cellulite worse.
Skin Brushing
One of the most effective ways to reduce cellulite is with skin brushing. Buy a shower brush with massaging bristles and “brush” your skin starting from the ankles going upward for approximately 5 minutes on each area. This is best to do in the shower, but you can also use lotion or body oil on dry skin. This helps circulate your blood tremendously. With this technique you’ll usually start to see improvement within days.
Firming Creams
Let’s be clear, creams alone will not get rid of cellulite. However, used in conjunction with massage, they can help improve the appearance of dimples and firm up skin. Like the skin on your face, creams can help plump and moisturize, therefore providing a temporary improvement on a superficial level. However, creams do not go beneath the surface to treat cellulite. Having said that, keeping your skin moisturized with a firming cream that contains anti-aging ingredients like CoQ10 and stimulants like caffeine will aid your overall regimen. Use a hand massager, suction cup or body brush to maximize the benefits. Bottom line, moisturizers with anti-aging ingredients are always good for your skin.
Laser Treatment
If none of the previous techniques have worked , you may want to look into getting laser treatment. The FDA has given the go-ahead on using non-surgical laser energy to treat cellulite. However, this is a major treatment, as the device melts fat under the skin, breaking up the damaged fibrous bands and stimulating collagen. Treatments can get very costly (in the thousands) and you need to make sure you go to an experienced technician. We say give at-home treatments a serious go for 3 to 6 months before considering a cosmetic procedure.
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