Cure for Cellulite? Easy! No Disease - No Problem!

I will go ahead and begin with the thought I would like to bring across: cellulite is a hoax. It is made up and is not relevant. And here is why.

The first time this word was used in mass media was in 1968 when the Vogue magazine coined the term. And so the new wave of self-hatred for women has begun. Each year millions and billions of new remedies, treatments, and cremes against this invented disease reach the beauty market. 

Slightly over a year ago, AVON launched a commercial that exploited the body-positive image. “Buh-bye cellulite, dimples are cute on your face.” This line has resonated all over social media and resulted in discontinuing the ad and official apologies from the company. Thanks to modern feminist celebrities who accept and promote their flaws, ads like these don’t fly anymore. 

The truth is, 80-90% of women globally are prone to so-called cellulite. It is not a disease, it is not treatable and it is definitely not something we should be ashamed of and publicly shamed for. As a matter of fact, cellulite has always existed, however, nobody seemed to care up until the middle of the 20th century. The Votre Beaute magazine, a very famous magazine of its time, launched by the l’Oreal Group founder, wrote this about cellulite in 1933: "water, residues, toxins, fats, which form a mix against which we are rather poorly equipped.” 

Nowadays, women spend thousands of dollars on remedies, surgeries, laser-treatments to get rid of this made-up condition. Companies make billions each year on fighting something that doesn’t need to be fought. So what is cellulite? First, let’s talk about what it is most definitely NOT:

It is not an excess of fat. “Collagen fiber strands that attach the skin to muscle are creating the pockets of skin,” says Jennifer Lucas, M.D., a dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic.

It is not a condition that concerns only a few women. 80 to 90% of women have these dimples, they are normal. And at least 10% of men have it too!

It is not a condition only old people have. Cellulite formation is influenced by genetics, hormones, and body type.

It is not a condition only overweight people are prone too. Regular exercise and a healthy diet will make your skin look better and increase the elasticity of the skin, however, it is not a "cure".

So, what is it? Cellulite is subcutaneous fat within fibrous connective tissue that manifests as skin dimpling. It is not treatable by lotions, cremes, and massages. There is not a single credible study that has suggested any positive effects of such remedies, in fact, they frequently cause rashes and skin reactions.

Ladies, embrace yourselves and your bodies and don’t let society dictate ridiculous and impossible beauty standards. Try to stay healthy, exercise, wear skirts and dresses, or don’t, just do whatever to make yourself feel better. Let’s try to accept our bodies and normalize the concept, we will be doing a huge favor to the new generation!