FitSugar

Take Charge! 5 Things You Can Do to Reduce Cellulite

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:06:19 PST

As women, we tend to have more fat in our legs, butts, and bellies - darn that dimply skin! When the fat cells push up against our skin, and the fibrous tissue that connects our skin to our muscle pulls down, we're left with orange peel-looking flesh. Although you can't get rid of cellulite completely - and just about all women have it - here are five things you can do to reduce its appearance.

Can Leggings Fight Cellulite?

Self — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 06:30:51 PDT

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!

Dimples on your face? Adorable! On your thighs and butt? Well, not so much.

Cellulite is a genetic reality for almost 90 percent of women, which is why we're always intrigued and - we'll admit it - tempted by products such as these Turbocell Leggings. The manufacturer claims the compression technology will "micro-massage" away cellulite, reducing dimples by 20 percent and taking 2 inches off your thighs and butt.

The catch: You must wear the leggings eight hours a day, for eight weeks. And could they possibly work anyway? To find out if they're brilliant or bogus, we spoke to two leading cellulite experts.

The first thing to understand is what, exactly, cellulite is.

"If you imagine your skin . . . under that skin is a subcutaneous fatty layer and the next layer is the fascia, a shiny surface that overlies the muscle," says Barry M. Weintraub, MD, spokesman for the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. "From the back of the skin, going through the fat and attaching to the fascia layer are bands called fibrous bands. Those fibrous bands keep the skin sitting where it needs to be."

When you gain weight, the number of fat cells don't increase (you're born with a set number), rather the size of the cells increase so they can store more fat in the individual cell. This pushes everything up around the back of the band, which can cause a dimple.

So, could the leggings be a magic bullet?

5 Things: Cellulite

FitSugar — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 06:03:45 PDT

Celeb trainer Jillian Michaels is no stranger to cellulite. And neither is starlet Kim Kardashian. In fact, it's estimated that between 80 to 95 percent of women have cellulite somewhere on their body. If you've been worrying about a bit of dimpling on your backside, at least you know you're not alone. If knowledge is power, here are five things about cellulite to help you feel empowered about that unwanted dimpling.

From a purely medical standpoint, cellulite doesn't exist; it is nothing more than fat. The word cellulite is French and was first used in medical literature around 150 years ago.
Cellulite is more prominent in women than in men due to the structural differences of stored fat between the sexes. The connective tissues that create these storage units in men works on diagonals, where as we lucky ladies store our fat in a large vertical honeycomb like structure. This structural form unfortunately enhances the appearance of the dimples.
Here's the bad news - there is no way to get rid of cellulite. None of those creams, lotions, or rubs will get rid of the dimples caused by cellulite. Topical creams cannot penetrate the three layers of skin to eliminate the fat.

Learn what you can do about cellulite.

Lo Bosworth Talks About Challenging Cellulite

BellaSugar — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 04:00:12 PDT

The Hills might be drawing to a close, but Lo Bosworth is just getting started. Along with sharing her relationship advice in some new ways - more on this in a sec - she's teaming up with Nivea for the Goodbye Cellulite challenge. Faithful Bella readers know that we think accepting cellulite is the best way to deal with it, but we wanted to see what the Hills star had to say. Lo and behold:

BellaSugar: So what is the Nivea Goodbye Cellulite challenge?
Lo Bosworth: It's a four-week program. The goal is to rid your body of whatever cellulite you don't want. Fitness, diet, using the product, and style - we think it's essential do to all four of those things. You'll see results in your skin tone in 10 days. The fitness and diet are essential. When you're eating healthy and exercising, you're going to look good and feel good. [See FitSugar for Lo's workout and eating plan.]

BS: OK, but something like 95 percent of women have cellulite. I always tell readers to stop worrying about dimples on their thighs, because there's no way to get rid of them. So if almost everyone has cellulite, is it really fair to say that it's a problem that needs to be solved?
LB: The verdict is out on whether you can ever completely banish cellulite, but if it bothers you and you can do something about it, why not? At the end of the day, that's what matters to me. I feel that with the program, we've included the other elements because you'll get better results. If you exercise and eat healthy for a month, you'll feel better.

To find out what's in Lo's makeup bag, keep reading.

Kim Kardashian Covers Shape: "I'll Never Be One of Those Skinny Girls"

FitSugar — Tue, 18 May 2010 16:00:06 PDT

Most people I know react very strongly - read: absolute adoration or total disgust - to the Kardashians. And even though I sit somewhere in the middle, I was surprised to see Kim on the latest cover of Shape, since I, like most people, am used to seeing her in more celebrity-driven publications or on her hit reality show Keeping Up With the Kardashians.

Besides talking to Kim about her love for working out and eating right, the magazine relays Kim's message of embracing your body, regardless of size. There's also a great slideshow of the cardio sculpting workout Kim does with her trainer Gunnar Peterson. And while the reality star comes across as being positive, I wished they would have asked her why she continues to promote QuickTrim diet products with such vigor, and whether or not she thinks it sends a mixed message to her audience.

Find out what Kim said in the interview when you

A Reader Asks: Would You Buy Anti-Cellulite Gear?

Fit Community — Thu, 13 May 2010 04:30:52 PDT

Take this poll and let FitSugar reader FitnessFreak know what you think of anti-cellulite products like these "slimming" jeans. If you have any questions about fitness gear and/or health products, post them in our Good Gear/Bad Gear community group, where the conversation is going 24/7.

The other night I was up late channel surfing and I landed on the Home Shopping Network, which was doing a special segment on Skineez™ Skincarewear™ Slimming Boot-Cut Jean ($100). The pants are touted as a "slimming garment," and are treated with a formula that's said to diminish cellulite. I'm not talking Spanx or a body shaper - they claim to actually treat, not just hide your unsightly bumps and lumps. You are supposed to treat them with a replenishing spray ($35) that "helps the garment moisturize, tone and firm and its key ingredients include shea butter, apricot kernel oil, rose hip oil and Vitamin E" after six to 10 washings. Callers seemed to love the set up, which made me wonder - could it possibly work? I guess the idea is you trap the formula in your tight pants and treat your skin with it while you wear it. Have you ever tried anything like this? Did it work?

The Sweet Potato Queen Shares Thoughts on "Purse Mouth"

BellaSugar — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:00:59 PST

Jill Conner Browne, boss of the legendary Sweet Potato Queens and author of American Thighs: The Sweet Potato Queens' Guide to Preserving Your Assets, took a few minutes out from her reign to talk with me. She's giving no-nonsense advice on everything from Botox to makeup, Purse Mouth, and booty injections. To get a little of her Queenly wisdom, just keep reading.

Reader Review of the Day: L'Oréal Sublime Slim Tightening and Toning Treatment Gel

BellaSugar — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 07:00:54 PST

For all the highest rated products on our Product Reviews website, there are also plenty of beauty goods that haven't received the most wonderful of ratings. Take the L'Oréal Sublime Slim Tightening and Toning Treatment Gel ($12), for instance, which claims to both tighten and tone the skin around the abs. Here's what reader Jen4 had to say:

I do not like this product for two reasons. The first, and also the major reason, is that it does not work at all. I do not expect this product to flatten my abs in a short of period of time, but I think at least it should be able to keep them tighter. Second, it smells like cough syrup or some kind of mint ointment. The scent does not bring me any pleasant feeling.

Have you tried any products that make certain claims, only to be disappointed? Or perhaps you've been pleasantly surprised by a product for which you had low expectations. Tell us all about it on the Product Reviews website. We love to hear your unbiased opinions!

Does This Cellulite-Busting Machine Really Work?

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 03:00:58 PDT

It's estimated that 80 to 85 percent of women are blessed with cellulite, including many of you FitSugar readers. That puckery skin on our legs, booty, belly, and arms is the reason many of us exercise and diet.

Unfortunately, lunges and healthy living don't always get rid of it, and for those who are really self-conscious, there's a new treatment known as SmoothShapes. Used by dermatologists, this device claims to smooth out lumpy skin and have "lasting cellulite reduction results." Is that a vague way of saying "forever"? The device has even been approved by the FDA "for the temporary reduction of the appearance of cellulite." Learn more from a CBS News video on how it works when you

read more. I find it interesting that the doc is so hard to pin down on a price. I also like how he likens the procedure to dental cleaning, meaning you need sessions every six months. What do you think of SmoothShapes? Would you be interested in trying it out?

Do You Have Cellulite?

FitSugar — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 08:00:18 PDT

It's estimated that 80 percent of the female population has cellulite. While it's hard to embrace our dimply thighs, celeb trainer Jillian Michaels and starlet Kim Kardashian have both publicly admitted to having cellulite. During bikini season it's difficult to hide from the fact that most of us have some, but that also means it's not something we necessarily need to hide. Tell me . . .