Affecting up to 90% of women, cellulite has both genetic and hormonal causes, but not a lot of solutions. While some treatments promise to eliminate it completely, the best you can hope for is temporary relief.
When you’re starting to see dimpling on your skin, it’s very important to avoid the things that make cellulite worse. From lack of exercise to a diet that’s unbalanced and increases your BMI, here are your top enemies when you’re trying to fight cellulite.
1. Dehydration
When your skin is dry, the dimpling of cellulite is more noticeable, but this isn’t a problem you can fix with the right moisturizer. Make sure that you’re drinking enough fluids, more water and less sugary sodas, along with coffee or alcohol. Eating water rich foods and vegetables can also help you prevent dehydration that make cellulite stand out.
2. Smoking
It’s bad for your health, but smoking is also one of the things that make cellulite worse. Besides the effects smoke has on your skin, including aging and an uneven complexion, smoking is also linked to reduced blood flow. However, the main reason why smoking can increase the appearance of cellulite is the fact that it can affect collagen formation, making fat more visible under your skin.
3. Being Sedentary
When you’re not staying active, you’re likely to gain weight. A higher BMI increases the risk of cellulite, and the lack of physical activity means less toned muscles. While you can’t get rid of cellulite completely with exercise, staying active can definitely help you reduce its visibility. Stay in shape because that’s healthy, but also because it can help with cellulite.
4. Dieting the Wrong Way
While losing weight can help with cellulite, not every kind of dieting helps, and it can also become one of the things that make cellulite worse. If you lose too much weight too fast, loose skin can actually make cellulite more visible. Studies have shown that women who notice more pronounced cellulite after losing weight are those who only drop a bit, and the percentage of fat in the affected areas remains the same. The safest way to combat cellulite with dieting is by always combining it with exercise to tone your muscles and lower your BMI.
5. Liposuction
If you already have cellulite, then getting liposuction in those areas can be a bad idea. You can risk it with an experienced surgeon, but aggressive liposuction can actually increase the appearance of cellulite for some women.
More: 9 Spa Treatments for Cellulite
6. Carb Excess
When eaten in excess, sugar and refined carbs can definitely contribute to more fatty deposits, and that can also mean more cellulite. Too many meals with the worst kind of carbs are one of the things that make cellulite worse. Adjust your diet by including more good carbs, and avoid excess when it comes to sugar and alcohol.
7. Low Vitamin C Intake
When you’re not getting enough vitamin C on a daily basis, your skin will suffer, and so will the connective tissue in your skin that keeps dimples away. Natural sources of vitamin C are always better than supplements, and glucosamine can also help your connective tissue stay strong.
8. High Levels of Estrogen
While estrogen doesn’t cause cellulite directly, it’s one of the things that make cellulite worse, particularly if you’re eating plenty of refined carbs and not working out. Many women experience more visible cellulite after a pregnancy, when estrogen levels are very high.
9. Focusing on the Wrong Thing
Anti-cellulite creams and massages can sometimes help, but if you focus exclusively on them, you’re missing out on the real problem. Don’t waste money on cellulite products that promise to cleanse toxins, since toxins aren’t one of the main causes of cellulite.
10. Age
You might not want to accept it, but age is one of the things that make cellulite worse. Keeping your diet under control and exercising is a good way to fight cellulite, but you should be prepared for less relief with more effort as time goes by. You can keep your connective tissue healthy by getting the right nutrients, but there’s nothing you can really do to get rid of cellulite for good.
