The Truth About Cellulite
It’s funny how cultures become obsessed with certain physical attributes. In the middle ages warts confirmed the identity of witches, a gap between the front teeth was considered pleasing, and a “heart shaped face” was the epitome of beauty. This past century we’ve vacillated between pleasantly plump to “rail thin” as a standard of loveliness… and in recent years women have become preoccupied with a new menace: cellulite.
Of course, no one had even noticed cellulite until the French coined the term 150 years ago. And unhappily that plague crossed the Atlantic in the 1960s, terrorizing pleasantly plump beauties from that day forward.
An entire industry has sprouted up to combat this dimpled foe – everything from massage to liposuction to caffeinated lotions claim that they will restore a smooth appearance to irregular thighs. Unfortunately, those promises are all empty.
Yes, that’s right – there is no research to suggest that any cellulite treatment has anything but the most modest of effects. The bottom line is that dimply skin is determined by your genes – same as your eye color – and that the majority of women have some degree of cellulite no matter how thin they are. Sure, estrogen can play a role – but basically there’s no escaping estrogen as a woman!
So if you’re one of those people who is a little more dimply than average – here’s what you can do:
1. Wear clothes that cover the dimples. Spanx and biker shorts can be worn underneath trousers and longer skirts to give a smoother appearance.
2. Adjust the lighting in your bedroom and bathroom – diffuse light doesn’t reflect shadows from skin imperfections as much. It’s amazing how lighting can emphasize (or de-emphasize) cellulite.
3. Stay fit and tone your body as much as possible. That way if the rest of your body is lean and firm, the cellulite won’t be that big a deal.
4. Recognize that you will always have cellulite. It’s not your fault, you didn’t cause it and you can’t solve it. Don’t waste your money on creams and treatments that don’t work.
5. Remember that the vast majority of guys don’t even notice cellulite (it’s virtually invisible due to their fixation on other anatomical parts).
6. Blame it on the French. If you fixate on your cellulite you are letting them win! Show those French your best laissez-faire attitude by completely ignoring this “disease” that they concocted.
I vote that we go back to the days before the invention of cellulite and live a carefree, confident existence.This post originally appeared on Dr. Val’s blog at RevolutionHealth.com.
