Fat or fiction: the truth about cellulite. (bodycare).(Brief Article)

Dimples may be darling, but if you're one of the estimated 90 percent of women with cellulite, they're a source of irritation and embarrassment. While most women are familiar with the characteristic orange-peel skin, cellulite remains the subject of some controversy.

In fact, the phrase "cellulite" isn't a medical term. It was coined in European spas and popularized in America in the early 1970s, when New York salon owner Nicole Ronsard published Cellulite: Those Lumps, Bumps and Bulges You Couldn't Lose Before. Since then, experts have had conflicting opinions about what exactly cellulite is.

According to most doctors, cellulite is just plain fat. "The skin sends down anchoring fibers to the muscle," says Melvin M. Propis, MD, president of the Florida Academy of Cosmetic Surgery. "Between the skin and the muscle is a space filled with fat cells. When the fat cells start pushing against the skin between these fibers, it creates a lumpy appearance. It's like pushing the fat through cheesecloth--where the skin isn't being tethered down, the fat forms a dome, and where the skin is tethered down, there's a pitting."

So, if cellulite is just plain old fat, why is it so stubborn? Theories abound. Some say sluggish blood and lymph circulation allow fluids and toxins to accumulate, causing fat cells to inflate and bulge up against the skin. Another possibility: Age and sun damage cause skin to lose its elasticity and strength, so it's unable to "hold" fat smoothly.

skin-toning treatments

The good news: Whether or not you believe it's fat or fiction, cellulite can be treated.

"Start by focusing on your diet," says Linda Upton, vice president of Borlind of Germany, a cosmetics company located in New London, New Hampshire. "Eliminate processed foods, alcohol, sugar and caffeine, cut back on salt and focus on fresh fruits and vegetables. And exercise is an important component--focus on aerobic forms that rev up the whole system, rather than spot toning."