preview

Cellulite - What to Do About this Unwanted Condition Essay

Good Essays
Open Document
Cellulite is a condition of adipose origin in which adipose tissue protrudes through the dermis causing an ‘orange peel’ or ‘cottage cheese’ type dimpling of skin seen most commonly on the thighs and buttocks of many post-pubertal women. The initial changes leading to cellulite formation appear to be deterioration of the capillary network, vascular changes and abnormal deposits of glycosaminoglycans, leading to excess fluid retention within subcutaneous tissues. A variety of treatments ranging from topical creams to laser therapies are currently available, claiming to reduce the dimpled skin appearance however successful results are often anecdotal, subjective or not present at all.

Cellulite can be primarily found in any area of the…show more content…
The inability to repair tissue damage due to continued oedema and vascular congestion can lead to thickening and sclerosis of the fibrous septae in the superficial adipose tissue and deep dermis, creating the clinical appearance of cellulite.

Cellulite is an unwanted condition and a rising demand for cellulite reduction has new non-invasive treatment modalities becoming popular. Currently there are numerous medications, devices and diverse therapies that allegedly treat cellulite however there is little evidence to support long term effectiveness. Due to the nature of cellulite, effective treatment would need to repair and strengthen the dermis as well as expel the fat protrusion back underneath the dermis. Retinoids are thought to increase dermal collagen fibres, allowing the dermis to prevent further herniation of fat as the collagen deposition makes the dermis much stronger, therefore reducing the appearance of cellulite.
Endermologie is a hand-held mechanical system used to simulate manual massages of the skin. It is hypothesized that it is able to reduce the appearance of cellulite by causing damages to the subcutaneous fat cells by positive (rolling) and negative (suction) pressures, disrupting fat cells and allowing for better distribution of subcutaneous fat.
The long-pulsed 1064-nm neodymium yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd:YAG) produces a non-specific dermal heat to trigger a wound healing response resulting in
Get Access
Related
Get Access