No woman ever likes to see her skin in a dimpled form, caused ruthlessly by that problem disease called cellulite. Yet, unfortunately, the female body is made in such a way that they are the ones who are more vulnerable than men to that horrid condition, the big enemy to their physical beauty and femininity.
Women and Cellulite
There are many instances when Cellulite has invariably been termed as a woman-specific condition. Even though it’s not entirely true, the fact remains that bulk of the populace, more than 90 percent afflicted with cellulite are women. That’s not all; another truth (or myth?) is that 95 percent of the world’s female population suffers from cellulite of some kind or the other.
It has also been observed through studies that a woman becomes vulnerable to cellulite once she is past puberty or about 18 years of age. Even though cellulite does not depend on cast, creed or environmental factors, it is somewhat more prevalent among the Asian and Caucasian women population.
Why Mostly Women?
It is a known fact that cellulite normally affects the lower limbs of a person. The most susceptible being the thighs, hips, buttock and abdomen. It is also common to see that these are the areas in women that tend to gain more fat than the other areas of their body.
Some of the basic reasons for women being more vulnerable to cellulite could be one or more of the following:
- Female Sex Hormones. Effect of two female sex hormones – estrogen and progesterone are the most vital factors that can lead to development of cellulite in women. Estrogen is an important female sex hormone that helps in enlarging fat cells – is produced more during the post-puberty period as well as in pregnancy and postnatal phases in a woman’s life. The accumulation of hard fat always tends to slow down the metabolism in a woman’s physical system -thereby increasing the chances of developing cellulite. Estrogen, incidentally, encourages fat cells to develop and grow around the breasts, thighs, and buttocks. A second sex hormone, progesterone, can be instrumental in causing increase in weight, weakness in veins and causes an increase in fluid retention.
- Skin Structure. Women seem to have a distinctive skin structure that is more conducive to onset of cellulite. More specifically, the connective tissue layers in their thigh areas are relatively frail and thin to keep up a uniformly smooth appearance thus exposing the related skin area to fat contours as well as to Cellulite.
- Flaws in the Subcutaneous Layer. The subcutaneous fatty layer under the surface of the skin of women is different to that of men. The topmost layer contains numerous chambers for the fat cells. These chambers are separated by vertical formation of connective tissues called septae. The fibrous septae structures in women are mesh-like unlike men’s, which are smooth. The mesh-like septae in women facilitate easy trapping of the fat cells. The connective tissues underneath the skin, usually prone to development of increased stretch and fold, crumple under the pressures of the extra fat. This causes increased fluid retention that in turn leads to a cellulite condition.
- Genetics. Considering the physical susceptibility angle, genes are another major factor that makes women extra prone to cellulite.
It is true that some men do get cellulite. Yet, women are more susceptible to the menace of cellulite. This horrible menace brings the beautiful human body a tinge of ugliness, which leaves every beauty-conscious woman absolutely crushed.
