Cellulite has been at the center of the news recently as Kim Kardashian has made it her personal mission to normalize this common physical trait. While many of us have cellulite, most don’t actually know what it is, or more importantly, how to minimize its appearance. Lucky for you, we’ve done our research.

What Is Cellulite?

According to Medical News Today, cellulite, also known as orange peel skin, is a condition that causes the skin to look dimpled and lumpy in appearance. The condition occurs when fat deposits push through the connective tissue beneath the skin. This creates an uneven surface on the skin that can resemble orange peels or cottage cheese.

Read: New Cellulite Treatment, Cellfina, Gets Approved By The FDA: Will It Actually Work?

Although referred to as a “condition,” cellulite is completely harmless and extremely common. In fact it affects somewhere between 80 and 90 percent of women at some point in their lives.

Who Is More Likely To Get Cellulite And Why?

Anybody can get cellulite, but according to Medical News Today, it is more common in women than men because of the way that fat is distributed throughout their body. Cellulite is more likely to occur in the thighs, hips, and butt, and women collect more fat in these areas of the body than men.

Cellulite is also more common as we age because our skin begins to lose its elasticity, and it's more likely to appear after age 25. In addition, hormone changes associated with aging, such as decreases in estrogen, may also increase risk.

Gaining weight or being overweight, being inactive, and pregnancy can also increase your risk of developing cellulite. Eating too much fat, salt and carbohydrates, too little fiber, and not exercising may also increase your personal risk. However, lean individuals can also have cellulite.

Researchers believe that genetics may play the biggest role in our disposition to cellulite. These genetic factors can influence a person’s metabolism, the distribution of fat under their skin, and their circulatory levels, MNT reported.

What Are Some Ways To Get Rid Of Cellulite?

Cellulite is more or less permanent, but there are a number of techniques and treatments you can use to diminish its appearance. For example, exercising and losing weight can make cellulite less apparent.

Some treatments aim to break up the excess fat that has poked through the skin giving it its orange peel appearance. For example, subcision involves a dermatologist putting a needle under the skin to break up the connective tissue bands and vacuum-assisted precise tissue release cuts the connective bands under the skin using a device containing small blades, allowing the fat to take up more space. This also reduces the appearance of cellulite.

You don’t have to buy expensive treatments to reduce the appearance of cellulite. Caffeine may work just as well when applied to the affected area, Women’s Health reported. Caffeine works to tighten the skin by dehydrating it and increasing circulation.

In addition, applying retinal, a form of vitamin A, to your skin is also helpful as this can repair the structure of the cells over time and thicken the skin, Women’s Health reported.

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