Medical facts on allergies, symptoms and diseases!
Cellulite
Cellulite is a permanent change in the fat that is stored under your skin.
We all have some body fat so we're all susceptible
to cellulite as we get older. You can sometimes spot it on women who otherwise
appear very youthful or slim.
In cellulite, the thin layer of tissue between the fat cells (often just a few
cells thick) becomes more fibrous, like a scar. The fibrous areas start to pull
together around the fat, causing the tiny dimples and irregularities typical
of cellulite.
The formation of cellulite is closely linked to the effects of hormones in the
body, especially the female sex hormones. When levels of hormones change dramatically,
such as at puberty and during pregnancy, something causes cellulite to be laid
down. Many women find the condition gets much worse after having children.
What is the treatment?
Nothing as simple or as superficial as a cream could possibly break down the
process of fibrosis or reverse it. No herbal lotion or strange unguent can
remedy the problem.
Massage is supposed to break down the fibrous bands, but there's little hard
evidence to support this. If massage were to work, it would have to be extremely
firm to have any effect.
Some new devices are trying to take the idea of massage one step further, for
example by using a combination of lasers and massage to try to break down the
cellulite. One device, which uses a combination of radio frequency energy and
infrared light to heat up and release the fat (which is simultaneously smoothed
over with a suction roller) has been given approval by the Food and Drugs
Administration (FDA).
But approval by the FDA, which reviews all new medical treatments, is limited,
only covering a temporary reduction in the appearance of cellulite, not cure
or permanent removal of the problem. The effects have only been shown in a
small number of patients (leading some critics to question just how valid the
statistics are) and the treatment is very expensive (amounting to hundreds of
dollars) for a result that lasts just a few months.
The only treatment that might have a permanent effect on cellulite is
liposuction, which
is a dramatic step to take. This works by sucking out the fat cells - removing
the problem tissue altogether. Once gone, these cells aren't replaced, so the
area should remain smooth, although your body may then have to store any added
fat in other fat pockets, such as on your shoulders, which can end up distorting
the shape of your body.
Mesotherapy is a non-surgical cosmetic medicine specialty. Mesotherapy treatments
employ the technique of multiple micro injections of pharmaceutical and
homeopathic medications, standardized natural plant extracts and vitamins into
the mesoderm. Mesotherapy injections target adipose fat cells and rejuvenate collagen.
Mesotherapy is popular in the United States and one of the most requested
non-surgical cosmetic procedures for cellulite treatment, liposculpting and
body contouring, facial rejuvenation treatments and weight loss. Physicians
specializing in non-surgical cosmetic medicine or operating medical spas are
the most common practitoners. There are numerous cocktails of medications and
homeopathic preparations manufactured by FDA-licensed compounding pharmacies
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