Cellulite is a condition that both men and women get. The lower limbs, abdomen, and pelvic area become dimpled after puberty. The term "cellulite" was coined in the 1920's and began appearing commonly in magazines in the 1960's. Vogue was among the first to point out the increasing popularity of cellulite. "Like a swift migrating fish, the word cellulite has suddenly crossed the Atlantic."
Other names for cellulite include orange peel syndrome, hail damage, cottage cheese skin, and the mattress phenomenon. Cellulite isn't only found in overweight people; underweight as well as averagely built people also get cellulite.
Almost 100% of females who have gone through puberty get at least a little bit of cellulite. It is much rarer seen in males, and hormones seem to be present where cellulite is. Men with Klinefelter's syndrome, hypogonadism, post-castration states, and in males getting estrogen therapy for prostate cancer tend to get cellulite more often. The cellulite in males with androgen deficiency gets worse as the condition does.
The causes of cellulite are still poorly understood. Metabolism and physiology changes may contribute to or even cause cellulite. Water metabolism disorders, chronic venous insufficiency, and abnormal hyperpolymerization of the connective tissue are among these changes.
Cellulite formation is largely formed by hormones. Hormones seem to initiate and aggravate cellulite. Insulin, the catecholamines adrenaline and noradrenaline, prolactin, and thyroid hormones are thought to play a part in the development of cellulite.
Factors like race, bio-type, gender, hormone receptor allele's that determine the number and sensitivity of receptors, predisposition to circulatory insufficiency and distributuion of subcutaneous fat are all predisposing factors that are shown to be necessary for cellulite development.
Your diet and lifestyle also play a vital role in the amount of cellulite you'll get as well as how fast and much it develops. Too much salt, carbohydrates, fat, alcohol, or too little fiber all play a part in the development of cellulite. Smoking, tight clothes, high heeled shoes, sitting or standing in one position for an extended period of time and lack of exercise are all related to a cellulite increase. Catecholamine hormones will increase with lifestyles of high stress.
There are four grades of cellulite. The first has no clinical symptoms, but histopathology can detect underlying anatomical changes. The second is when the skin is colder, pallow, and less elastic after muscles contract or compress. There isn't any "orange peel" roughness to the skin.
The third does include the "cottage cheese" look. This is known as the "canonical" cellulite grade. Palpitation can show small granulations in the deep levels of the skin. The sings of grade two are there, but there are more anatomical changes.
The last grade has signs of all three, of course, but with more visible and painful cellulite lumps. The skin has a very noticeably dimpled, wavy appearance.