Cellulite is a menace that most women are susceptible to. But they pretend about its existence and at the same time feel conscious about it.
Many times cellulite has been referred to as a “woman-specific condition”. It might not hold true for the whole of the women population. But various researches have shown that out of the total cellulite affected population, 90 percent of them are women. Also, it is being said that out of the total female population of the world, a whopping 95 percent of women suffer from this menace of cellulite.
Moreover, it has also been found out that after puberty, a woman seems to be more susceptible to cellulite.
What is cellulite?
When fat gets deposited under our skin, cellulite is formed. Cellulite is often referred to a skin condition but it is really the appearance of fat deposits underneath the skin, these areas contain fatty deposits which create the appearance of dimpled, or lumpy skin.
There are some basic reasons for women being more prone to cellulite than men.
- Sex hormones of women – The two main sex hormones among the females are seen as the most crucial factors for deposits of cellulite in the women. These are estrogen and progesterone. The former sex hormone in females leads to the enlargement of fat cells. It is produced in greater number during pregnancy, postnatal and post-puberty phases of a woman’s life. When the hard fat accumulates, the process of metabolism slows down, thus making the women prone to cellulite. Estrogen leads to the development of fat cells around the thighs, buttocks and breasts. The other sex hormone progesterone, can contribute in increasing weight, fluid retention and weakening veins.
- Skin structure – The skin structure of women is distinctive in the sense that it is more prone to acquiring cellulite. The layers of the connective tissue in the thigh region are relatively thin and frail for maintaining a uniform smooth appearance. As a result, the adjacent skin area is exposed to both fat contours and cellulite.
- Flaws of subcutaneous layer – The fatty subcutaneous layer lies below the surface of the skin and it is different in women when compared with men. The top layer is composed of several chambers of fat cells. Each of this chamber is separated from the other by connective tissues known as septae. In women, these fibrous septae are “mesh-like” whereas they are smooth in men. These mesh-like structures in women easily trap the fatty cells. The connective tissue is prone to developing stretches and folds, crumbling due to the pressure from the extra fat. This leads to the increase in fluid retention, resulting in the formation of cellulite condition.
- Genetics – Another major contributor of the cellulite condition is the major role played by the genes which make women more vulnerable to cellulite.
Having said that cellulite is a condition affecting the women population majorly, it will not be correct to say that all men are immune from it. But overall, it has been seen that women are more prone to this menace. Since the body of a woman is the epitome of beauty, this cellulite is seen as an ugly mark, crushing the confidence of the beauty-conscious ladies.