How painkillers can give you cellulite
...so can control pants and crossing your legs
CELLULITE is the scourge of summer fashion. It forces us to wrap sarongs around swimsuits and wear nude tights under floaty dresses (even on swelteringly hot days). In short, anything to avoid putting puckered thighs and buttocks on display.
Nature has been particularly unkind when it comes to the distribution of cellulite, because while the dreaded dimpling can afflict even the slimmest of women — a staggering 95 per cent of us suffer from it — it rarely affects men.
That’s because cellulite isn’t really a fat problem; it’s a skin problem — specifically, a female one. Under the skin is a layer of fibrous connective tissue that binds it to the muscle. In men, this tissue crisscrosses beneath their slightly thicker skin in a regular pattern.
In women, however, the strands of connective tissue run vertically, tethering the skin straight down at certain points, creating clearly defined fat chambers between them — essentially, peaks of fat and troughs of tissue.
Hey presto! Instead of nice, smooth skin, you’ve got unattractive, lumpy, orange peel.
However, not all women are cursed in quite the same way. Here are ten surprising triggers that could be making your skin look even more mattress-like — and how you can fight back.
DIETS
FORGET the idea that a crash diet will rid you of these unsightly fat deposits — it will actually make them worse. The problem is two-fold. First, if you’re not eating enough protein this can cause water retention, seeing excess fluid filling up the chambers below the skin’s surface just as fat does.
Second, repeated weight gain and weight loss compromise the skin’s elasticity, making cellulite more pronounced still. FIGHT IT: Nutrition experts recommend a diet high in healthy proteins (fish, egg, seafood, white meat, beans, nuts and seeds) with a little ‘good’ carbohydrate (whole grains, vegetables and fruit). Cut out processed carbs such as white bread.
STRESS
CONTRARY to popular opinion, stress does not make you skinny — it produces the hormone cortisol, which encourages us to lay down fat around the stomach, hips, buttocks and thighs.
As if this weren’t enough, the fluctuations in female hormones associated with puberty, pregnancy and the menopause make our connective tissue less flexible, meaning it pulls down even harder against the bulging fat. FIGHT IT: Cortisol causes cravings for sweet and/or high-fat foods, so quell cravings with natural ‘good mood foods’ such as berries and nuts — cashews are a good source of zinc, a lack of which has been linked to anxiety and depression.
SMOKING
CIGARETTE smoke has been shown to weaken and disrupt the formation of connective tissue meaning it is more easily damaged, again allowing fat to bulge beneath skin. It also compromises circulation, which encourages water retention and exacerbates cellulite. FIGHT IT: Even e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which compromises blood flow, so if you want to really improve your skin health, you need to give up. Completely.
PAINKILLERS
AGAIN the problem here is with water retention, a side- effect of NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), the painkiller category that includes aspirin and ibuprofen. Fluid drains from the body through the lymphatic system and empties back into the bloodstream. Fluid retention happens when it is not fully removed from tissues. FIGHT IT: Most people notice that water retention disappears when they discontinue the painkiller but check with your doctor. If appropriate you could try swapping to a paracetamol-based drug, which shouldn’t make you retain fluid.
LIPOSUCTION
IF YOUR cellulite is particularly bad, sucking the excess fat out of your thighs might sound like an attractive (if extreme) answer, but, in fact, cosmetic surgeons warn liposuction frequently makes fat distribution more uneven, deepening the problem as it increases the peaks and troughs beneath your skin, accentuating cellulite. FIGHT IT: If you’re determined to get some help, non- i nvasive procedures such as Endermologie (which uses vacuum suction and rollers to break up fat with deep massage) and Thermage (which uses radio frequencies to smoothe skin) have been shown to give better results against cellulite.
CROSSING YOUR LEGS
SITTING with your legs crossed for long periods interferes with circulation in the lower limbs by putting pressure on the main vein that runs along the inner thigh. This can cause fluid retention and make cellulite worse. FIGHT IT: Bicycle pedalling is a great exercise to perform at your desk (ignore the looks from your colleagues!). Simply raise your legs and pedal as though you’re on a bike for 30 seconds. Aim to do a morning and an afternoon session.
SUN DAMAGE
JUST as sunshine ages skin, it can make cellulite worse. The sun’s rays trigger a reaction in which molecules called free radicals can weaken cells and connective tissue.
Sunburn can also cause water retention because the body responds by secreting toxins, which the kidneys must then work hard to excrete.
If your kidneys become overloaded, this results in water being stored in the tissues of the body. FIGHT IT: Use a high-factor SPF all over and re-apply twice daily (most of us don’t apply enough — the average adult needs about 85ml, or just under half a bottle, to cover their whole body). Drink plenty of water (it might sound counterintuitive, but drinking water decreases water retention as it ensures the correct balance of salt and fluids in your body).
CARDIO-ONLY WORKOUTS
RUNNING around the park may not make your cellulite worse, but i t won’t sculpt your bottom half, either, unless you include toning exercises.
One study found adults who did three 30-minute aerobic workouts a week for eight weeks lost 4lb but gained no muscle. When they coupled 15 minutes of aerobic activity with 15 minutes of toni ng exercises t hree t i mes a week, however, they l ost 10lb of fat and added 2lb of muscle. FIGHT IT: Squats are one of the best leg and buttock-toning exercises. Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips and point your toes outward slightly.
Focusing on pushing your bottom backwards and downwards ( to keep your knees in l i ne with your feet), squat down until your hip is lower than your knees. Repeat until you can’t finish the exercise.
CONTROL PANTS
IRONICALLY, while these are designed to iron out our lumpy, bumpy bits, wearing t hem regularly could well be making your cellulite more pronounced. That’s because, if the compression of the garment in any way impedes blood flow or lymph drainage, then you will end up retaining water, making your cellulite noticeably worse. FIGHT IT: Body wraps can temporarily banish water retention — but while your skin may look smoother for a week or so, it won’t get rid of cellulite altogether.
ALLERGIES
IF YOU suffer an allergic reaction your body releases chemicals called histamines, which increase fluid retention as white blood cells flood to the site of potential infection.
In some cases this can be localised (think of the swelling around an insect bite), but if the allergic reaction is more generalised (for example a food intolerance) then this can lead to water retention. FIGHT IT: If you think you might be bloated as the result of a food intolerance, a nutritional therapist can help you draw up a programme of food elimination to help work out what you are sensitive to.