Dimples on your face: Cute. On your thighs: So not.
We hate you, cellulite. We really do.
Cellulite is the term for when fat cells become too large for the natural fiber compartments that hold the skin. In turn, these compartments bulge and form uneven layers of fat underneath, creating the lovely cottage-cheese appearance we all know so well.
Women are more likely to carry the, em, load than men; about eight in 10 over the age of 20 have some visible puckering or will at some point in their lives, experts say. Chalk it up to the female makeup -- more fat, less muscle; men's network of fat cells occurs deeper within the skin.
Hormones, responsible for regulating changes in fat storage, are also a factor. Precisely why unsightly bumps rear their head in pregnancy and menopause. Heredity seems to play a role as well. Thanks, mom.
The one plus about cellulite: It's an equal-opportunity scourge, occurring in both lean and heavier body types.
It surely was comforting for some to see the National Enquirer's cover story earlier this summer, Cellulite of the Stars, exposing the orange-peel posteriors of gorgeous specimens like Mischa Barton and tennis ace Maria Sharapova.
The butt shots of Donatella Versace and Sharon Stone were less shocking. The condition is more commonly seen in older people, when skin loses some of its elasticity.
Tragically, there are few fixes, though not for lack of trying. Pricey creams, liposuction, rigorous massage, injections (mesotherapy), even hypnosis -- all have been used as weapons in the battle against the dreaded c-word -- with little success.
"I see thin patients who eat well and work out all the time, and they have cellulite," says Dr. Adam Rubenstein, a plastic surgeon in Aventura, Fla. "My 3-year-old has it. For some people it's a genetic reality."
Don't throw out your short shorts just yet.
Lately, a handful of high-tech devices have been garnering tangible results -- and more importantly, getting endorsed by the medical community. The main problem is none works immediately, translating into a costly time commitment.
Still skeptical, Rubenstein allows that he's seen good things with Wellbox, a $1,500 machine attached to a hose with a mini nozzle. Its suctioning action reportedly boosts circulation and rejuvenates tissue as it goes, much like endermologie vacuum therapy, thought for years to be the magic bullet.
The nice thing about Wellbox is that you do it in the privacy of your home.
Dr. Flor Mayoral, a South Miami dermatologist, is optimistic about a treatment recently approved by the FDA (not for cellulite but for skin toning). "In my eyes, if there is a solution," she says, "this is it."
The Alma Accent XL is a radiofrequency fat-melting device resembling a Star Trek Phaser gun. The laser's temperatures can top 110 degrees, but there's a built-in cooling system, so you barely feel a thing.
"It's not painful at all -- more relaxing than anything," says patient Suly Sosa, 40. The office manager/mother of one from Kendall is at Mayoral's office for her fifth visit (one more is needed to attain optimum results, though she looks great). "I've done all kinds of stuff for my thighs -- wraps, lotions, you name it -- this has been a blessing."
Sosa carves out time for the roughly 30-minute treatments during lunch and has spent some serious coin, considering each session costs an average of $500 -- so not covered by insurance. She'll have to resume treatments in about a year and a half to stay sleek and smooth, says Mayoral.
At Presh medical spa in Fort Lauderdale, VelaSmooth -- a quasi-cross between Alma and Wellbox -- is the hot ticket. Also FDA-approved, it combines suction, infrared light and radiofrequency to melt localized areas of fat and recontour the skin surface.
Presh recommends two treatments a week for five to eight weeks (at $175 a pop); four months later you'll have to go in for touchups. Almost as time consuming as bleaching your locks.
Rubenstein has heard positives about VelaSmooth, but isn't convinced about one sure thing.
"Cellulite is an albatross we wear around our necks," he says. "I wish there were something that worked. We'd all be doing it and have lines out the door.
"The bottom line is no one has really figured out a reliable remedy. It's like diets: whenever you find 10,000 cures for something, be [wary]."
Source: The Miami Herald. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. Powered by Yellowbrix.
Bad news, girls. Dieting makes cellulite worse.
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