What is Cellulite and Why does it appear?

Cellulite is spoken of as a synonym to being fatty in everyday language. At our plastic surgery clinic in Santa Monica, we address cellulite related concerns every day. It basically refers to buildup of fat underneath the skin which makes the skin look uneven, lumpy and dimpled. You might hear of terms like orange-peel skin, cottage-cheese skin, hail damage, and the mattress phenomenon, which are again Cellulite.

Buttocks, thighs, abdomen, breasts are the common areas where cellulite can be seen.

Although this can affect both men and women, but it is more common in females, as the fat cells and connective tissue are arranged vertically unlike the criss cross pattern in men. This is a common occurrence in the body which might be due to one of the following factors –

Eating too much fat, carbs, salt and less of fibre, party food, junk food is likely to add on those lumps to your skin.

Lack of physical activity and exercise and sitting or standing for long hours in same position.

Smoking excessively

Wearing tight elastic undergarments that limit blood flow

Accumulated toxins, again mainly due to unhealthy lifestyle

It could be genetic

Pregnancy or other reasons of weight gain

Cellulite is not really a medical ailment and having it doesn’t mean you’re unhealthy, but it does mean you should keep a check on any unhealthy habits you have fallen into. It has become a cause of worry because of how it looks and the societal pressures of looking good. This has made medical science to come up with many methods to get rid of cellulite. Before suggesting any kind of treatment, the best plastic surgeon of Beverly hills, Dr. Raffy Karamanoukian, has trained his team to categorize the severity into different grades as below –

Grade I: cellulite is not visible but early changes have begun.

Grade II: cellulite is not visible unless skin is compressed or muscles are contracted.

Grade III: Visible cellulite even when skin is at rest.

Grade IV: More severe cellulite is visible when skin is at rest.

Clinically, the doctors look for signs like number and depth and shape and arrangement of depressions and how saggy the skin is. Depending on all above, the professionally trained plastic surgeons at Beverly Hills Cellulite Treatment Clinic guide their patients about the best treatment option.