by claire coshan

Created on: August 11, 2010   Last Updated: August 23, 2010

Cellulite is one of the biggest skin complaints amongst women all over the world. Contrary to popular belief you do not have to be overweight to get it, you can have as little as 14% body fat and still get cellulite.

What is cellulite?

Cellulite occurs when fat cells get trapped in collagen and elastin fibres, as a result, this compresses the nerve endings and slows the circulation. Our hormones are responsible for fat storage, therefore cellulite is likely to appear at stages when hormone levels are at their most erratic such as puberty, pregnancy and during the menopause.

How can I fight it?

Since it is mainly about circulation and hormones, you need to ensure that you have optimum circulation and that you try to keep as much control of your hormones as possible.

Exercise.

This is one of the most important things that you can do to get rid of cellulite, it will increase your circulation, boost your metabolism and help you to burn off excess fat. It will also help reduce the risk of cellulite re appearing in the future. It also helps to regulate your hormone levels and keep them more stable.

Massage.

This is an excellent way to increase your circulation, massage the affected areas for at least ten minutes per day. It will also help to break down the fat in those areas.

Vitamin B.

Vitamin B will help to increase your circulation and regulate your hormone levels, it has also been shown to help boost metabolism. Make sure you eat plenty of leafy green vegetables such as lettuce and spinach which are high in vitamin B.

Zinc.

Zinc has been scientifically shown to help keep hormone levels stable and increase the energy levels. Make sure your diet is rich in zinc.

Weight loss.

Losing weight  will reduce the appearance of cellulite and prevent excess fat cells becoming trapped, less fat means less cellulite.

Sugar.

Sugar is one of the biggest causes of weight gain and it also causes the hormones to become incredibly unpredictable. Reducing the amount of sugar in your diet will not only have an overall positive effect on your physical health, but it will also improve your hormones too.

Creams.

Some people swear by cellulite cream whilst others remain unconvinced. Most creams will have caffeine in them and this will dehydrate the skin. But in the long term, these can have a negative effect on the skin as they remove a lot of the moisture from the skin. Look for creams that do not contain caffeine, but contain moisturising ingredients such as shea butter and cocoa butter.

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