Subscribe Feed (RSS)Cellulite — Why Don’t Men Get It? How Can Women Get Rid Of It?
May 3rd, 2008 by admin | Filed under Uncategorized.“Men don’t get cellulite,” says comedian Rita Rudner. “God just might be a man.”
Virtually every woman would like to know why men aren’t prone to cellulite — that “orange peel” skin that often appears on women’s buttocks, hips and thighs.
Why don’t men get cellulite?
There are some basic differences in the way men and women store fat. Cellulite is caused by changes in the skin’s matrix and the fiber tissue walls that descend from the dermis — the layer of skin just below the surface — into the fat. The fiber tissue walls in men are different from those in women. Unfortunately, women’s fiber tissue walls tend to form pockets.
Women have criss-cross fibers that act like tethers to the skin. Fat below these tethers bulges up in between the fixed points — with a quilt-like effect — and the result is the puckering we see as cellulite.
Hormones play a key role in developing cellulite. Women have a higher percentage of body fat than men because fat is needed for menstruation, pregnancy and breastfeeding. The female hormone, estrogen, stimulates the storage of this body fat.
Other factors also make men much less likely than women to develop cellulite:
Men tend to accumulate fat around the middle, unlike women, whose fat deposits are mostly in their buttocks, hips and thighs.
Men’s skin is thicker than women’s.
Is there a permanent cellulite remover?
“Please let me know you have a permanent cellulite remover,” a hopeful patient wrote in a recent e-mail.
Cellulite is a stubborn, persistent problem for many women. And unfortunately, there is no single treatment for it — no cream or externally applied device, such as thermage or endermologie, that will rid you of this problem.
What about mesotherapy?
Mesotherapy, a procedure being promoted as an answer to cellulite, involves a series of injections into the middle layer of the skin or mesoderm. The injected ingredients may include agents used to open blood vessels, as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, enzymes, nutrients, antibiotics and hormones.
Mesotherapy is unproven, has not been tested rigorously and the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) does not recommend it. “Patients should be wary of mesotherapy until the safety and effectiveness of the procedure are confirmed,” the ASPS advises.
Is liposuction the answer?
Liposuction may help treat cellulite — but it has also been known to worsen the problem. Why? The fat removed by liposuction is typically deeper in the skin than cellulite. If a liposuction patient does not have good skin elasticity, the skin will not shrink properly after surgery. Thus, any cellulite will become more noticeable because the skin will be loose after liposuction.
Will losing weight help?
A recent study in the Journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reveals that weight loss can help, but even this is unpredictable. As in liposuction patients, cellulite worsened in study participants with poor skin elasticity, as their skin became significantly looser after weight loss.
How can you help reduce cellulite?
Start by eating a healthy, balanced diet and engaging in aerobic activity at least 3-5 times per week. This exercise should be at conversation pace — that is, it should not be so strenuous that you can’t carry on a conversation — and should be no less than 30 minutes in duration.
Once you are at your goal weight, liposuction can help smooth out unwanted bulges of fat that are resistant to diet and exercise. For more information on liposuction, go to parungao.com/liposuction” target=”_blank www.parungao.com/liposuction.
Allan J. Parungao, MD, is an Oak Park, Illinois plastic surgeon board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He is author of A Woman’s Guide to Cosmetic Breast Surgery and Body Contouring (Addicus Books, 2006). Visit Dr. Parungao’s web site at parungao.com parungao.com or call his office at 708.660.3223.
Tags: diet, weight LossRelated posts
Tags: diet, weight Loss
