What Gets Rid of Cellulite?

Cellulite is an unpleasant lumpiness of the skin which often appears on the thighs, buttocks and stomachs of women (and, less frequently, men). Caused by fat pushing through the layer of connective tissue beneath the skin, cellulite is not necessarily a result of you being fat. Both thin and heavy people can get cellulite. Cellulite has a wide variety of causal factors, including poor diet, lack of exercise, dehydration and skin type.

Exercise

• The most effective means of combating cellulite is a good exercise plan. Because cellulite is a result of subcutaneous fat pushing against the skin, reducing those fat deposits is the surest way of getting rid of cellulite. Toning exercises, such as squats and lunges, can help smooth cellulite bumps. All-over fat-reducing cardio exercise like running and bike riding, can also help reduce the fat stores beneath your skin to eliminate the dimpled appearance of cellulite.

Diet

• Just as exercise can eliminate cellulite by reducing fat stores, so can a weight-loss diet. A healthy diet, featuring lots of fruits and vegetables, fiber, and good hydration habits, is one of the most effective ways to get rid of cellulite. While it is not a quick fix, a healthy, balanced diet is the most effective long-term solution for cellulite.

Skin Treatments

• Cellulite creams are widely available and claim to smooth the lumps and bumps characteristic of cellulite. Many have as their active ingredient the prescription drug aminophylline, an asthma treatment, alleged to dissolve fat deposits pushing through the skin's connective tissue. These can be harmful because they narrow blood vessels, and many people are also allergic to the drug.

  Other cellulite creams contain caffeine, which works by plumping up the skin, reducing the lumpiness of cellulite.

  Creams are supposed to be beneficial in the short term as the skin is smoothed by deeply massaging cellulite creams into the skin, breaking down the fat deposits and reducing their lumpy appearance.

Liposuction

• Liposuction is a possible treatment for cellulite which can actually result in making the problem worse. While cellulite is caused by the fat immediately below the skin's connective tissue pressing through its honeycomb-like structure, liposuction is intended to remove deep layer fat from the body. For this reason it is not recommended as a cellulite treatment by the American Medical Association, which warns that liposuction may make the problem worse be creating additional depressions in the skin, increasing the appearance of lumpiness.