CELLULITE – a problem 90% women encounter

By Dermatologist Hun Kim Thao, Grace Skincare Clinic, HCMC

Did you know that even supermodels and celebrities with gorgeous bodies like Kate Moss, Tyra Banks, Eva Longoria, or Kate Hudson, have also found traces of cellulite?

Cellulite appears on a woman’s body regardless of age, weight, or physical activity. Although it causes no harm to health, it remains one of women’s biggest concerns.

Cellulite reduces a women’s confidence when they try wearing dresses or sexy, short skirts. That’s why the public went into a frenzy when they heard Kate Moss, a top fashion icon, had cellulite problems. So whether or not you are a victim of this disease, you need to know about it because cellulite invariably happens to almost all women, especially as you age.

Cellulite is a condition in which fat, water, and lymph nodes deposit in the collagen layer under the skin. When the connective tissue gets less elastic, fat deposits will push and emerge from the surface of the skin, while the connective fibers pull the skin down causing the surface to become concave, resembling the skin and texture of the surface of an orange. Cellulite usually appears in the thighs, buttocks, and abdomen, but can also be present on the calves, biceps, chest, and ankles.

Cellulite has four levels of severity, from 0 to 3. Level 0 is the first stage when you do not see the cellulite area. You are suffering from cellulite at Level 1 when you pinch your skin and feel scabrous and orange skin texture.  At level 2, you can see cellulite while standing. If you can look in the mirror when you lie down and can still see cellulite, you are at level 3, which is the most difficult stage to treat.

90% of women suffer from cellulite to some degree, while only 10% of men are impacted. This is due to the stronger arrangement of connective tissue in men than in women, plus men’s skin is often thicker than that of women’s. Additionally, over time, the connective tissue decreases elasticity, therefore, older women are more prone to cellulite.

DR. HUN KIM THAO – DERMATOLOGIST

Co-founder & Chief Medical Officer Grace Skincare Clinic   2016 – Present Dr. Hun Kim Thao is a Vietnamese Dermatologist in Ho Chi Minh City. After 14 years of honing her expertise as a Dermatologist, CK1, Dr. Thao combined her passion for beauty and fashion with her love of helping clients experience increased confidence and happiness…

Why does the body have these ugly traces (Cellulite)?

1. Genetics

Cellulite is a genetic problem:  if your mother or father suffered from cellulite, you are more likely to have cellulite.

2. Drugs

Some medicines, such as birth control pills, diet pills, or sleeping pills, can alter the hormones in the body, making fat accumulate faster and gradually build up cellulite. Therefore you should avoid taking these pills arbitrarily and consult with your Dermatologist before taking medications.

3. Diet

Too much fat, carbohydrate, salt, and too little fiber can easily lead to cellulite. In addition, alcoholic or caffeine drinking habits or even insufficient water intake also cause some toxins in the body to form cellulite.

4. Lifestyle

Cellulite also occurs in people who smoke, sit or stand for long periods of time, or rarely do exercise.

5. Clothing

Tight or inelastic underwear hinders blood flow in the buttocks, leading to cellulite formation.

Many people mistake cellulite for stretch marks. You should pay attention to the difference to treat the problem correctly. Stretch marks are tiny streaks that are pink, white, purple, or red depending on the skin color of the person. They occur when the skin is overstretched and stops producing collagen. Stretch marks usually occur when people put on weight quickly, are obese, or undergo puberty and are commonly found in pregnant women.

The good news is that it is not difficult to treat those “orange peel” scabs

Diet and daily routines play a significant role in contributing to the ugly orange peel phenomena. Revise your diet, adjust your lifestyle and take care of your skin:

1. Skin rubbing

This is the simplest and most effective way to make the “orange peel” area smooth again. Rubbing the skin stimulates the lymphatic vessels’ activity to remove toxins from your body. You will need a special brush or loofah for scrubbing, which can be purchased at a MediCare store or most supermarkets.

Moisturize the cellulite area, move the brush vertically along the body parts and toward the heart. Brush steadily for three to five minutes, then take a shower to clean the dead skin cells on the surface of your skin. Practice this twice a day.

Note: avoid using fragrant products on the problem areas immediately after scrubbing because it could cause allergies or irritation. If you need to use fragrance, you should wait at least half an hour.

2. Diet

Supplement your diet with antioxidant vegetables and fruits such as asparagus, artichokes, white radish, watercress, etc. Fruits such as watermelon, pumpkin, strawberry, grapes, etc contain many detoxifying fluids. Howard Murad, the author of “The Cellulite Solution”, recommends eating foods rich in lecithins such as eggs, soybeans, spinach, cauliflowers, peanuts, lettuce, and apples to boost the strength of skin cells.

In addition, consuming protein to help restore and stimulate the production of collagen and elastin be eating turkey, lean meats, lentils, and skim milk, or other foods that are high in protein.

Consume about 50g of fat every day, while limiting sugar, salt, and spices. Too much salt causes water retention in the body making cellulite even more severe. Avoid snacks such as chocolate, ice cream, canned food (bacon, sausage, etc.), or fast foods.

3. Exercise

Exercise not only helps the body burn fat but also improves blood circulation to the skin surface, helping reduce the appearance of “orange peel” skin. You should perform exercises that have an impact on the thighs and buttocks such as aerobics, walking, jogging, climbing stairs, cycling, or swimming.

4. Massage and oil

Massaging the cellulite area helps increase blood circulation, eliminate toxins and excessive fat. Using massage tools combined with essential oils will have a quick effect on the skin.

Essential oils that help effectively reduce cellulite are rosemary, fennel, oregano, and cypress oil. Mix eight drops of each type of these essential oils into 60ml of hazelnut oil and, when massaging, this mixture of essential oils will soak into the skin to help remove excessive fat.

Use essential oils when bathing to also help treat cellulite: a mixture of wintergreen, peppermint, lemongrass, cloves, and sage oil (2 drops of each type) into a warm water bath along with two tablespoons of Dead Sea Saltworks to remove toxins and water from the skin. Immersing yourself in the bath for 20 minutes helps remove the cellulite and refreshes your spirit.

5. Apply cellulite cream

The most important ingredient in cellulite treatment creams is the phosphodiesterase inhibitor which works to prevent the formation of fat-storage enzymes in the body.

In addition, some cellulite treatment creams contain peppermint oil that expands blood vessels, (increasing blood circulation to the skin), ginkgo that makes the skin firm, and lemon and cummin which detoxify the body and restore the skin. Creams should be applied two hours after meals or one hour before meals.

Although caffeine drinks may worsen the condition of orange peel skin, dermatologists inform us that some caffeine-containing creams help significantly reduce cellulite. You can make your own cellulite cream with the following simple recipe with ingredients available in your kitchen.

Ingredients: 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of coffee powder, 2 cups of olive oil. Combine ingredients in the blender, grind at medium speed until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture into a jar and cover it. While bathing, apply this caffeine mixture on cellulite areas and massage gently. Rinse with water, gently pat the cellulite area until dry. Practice this treatment and massage every day.

6. Skincare

Providing adequate moisture to the skin can help improve the orange peel skin area. You should apply daily lotion combined with sunscreen when going out. In addition, you can prevent orange peel skin by wearing thong underwear, boy shorts, or pants that are loose and elastic.

7. Cosmetic treatment

Many other recommendations and treatments to reduce cellulite can be discovered at Grace Skincare Clinic, the best dermatology clinic in Ho Chi Minh City, so don’t hesitate to call for a consultation with Dr. Hun Kim Thao, the Best Dermatologist in Ho Chi Minh City, if you want to address this or other skincare concerns.

Reviewed by Dr. Hun Kim Thao

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