, pituitary dysfunction). Small repetitive traumas or inadequate use of means that hinder circulation (garters, tight belts, girdles and busts) are considered predisposing factors.
For many women it seems that the contraceptive pill and pregnancy are causes of worsening of the phenomenon. In fact, during pregnancy the cellular system is invaded by increased concentrations of estrogen, which favor water retention causing the typical swelling. These hormones reach maximum plasma concentrations a few days before the start of the menstrual cycle and in the period preceding the "ovulation; in both cases, the body generally retains water, accentuating the already swollen areas affected by cellulite.
which forms the connective tissue. With the increase in volume, it becomes similar to a foreign body that dissociates the connective fibers compressing the nerve endings and vessels, consequently hindering blood circulation.
Cellulite is a substance composed of fat, water, and waste waste, which stagnates in immovable granular sacs under the skin. This ballast substance behaves like a sponge that can absorb large quantities of water, therefore swelling with the formation of rough and flaccid protrusions. The skin increases in texture and loses elasticity; on palpation the presence of granulations of various sizes and of hard consistency is felt; the mobility of the skin on the underlying planes is very reduced, while the characteristic "orange peel" appearance appears Some knots can be painful both spontaneously and on palpation, as a consequence of the compression they exert on the nerve filaments.
Forms of Cellulite
According to the sites affected by cellulite, various clinical forms are distinguished:
- The generalized forms mainly affect obese women and are often the result of an unbalanced diet. They begin at puberty (cellulite can occur at any age starting from 14-15 years; often accompany the onset of the first menstrual cycle) and become evident in adulthood, especially after the first pregnancy, progressively worsening until menopause.
- The diffuse regional forms are the most frequent manifestations of cellulite and create major problems of an aesthetic nature: they affect the lower limbs, which are enlarged, and the gluteal regions, extending up to the pubic region, causing skin deformations that understandably demean all women who are affected by it. Although men are also sometimes affected by it (abdomen, nape, etc.), cellulite is essentially a female problem, for various reasons: women generally have a greater amount of adipose tissue than men (while in a normal weight man fat represents 11-15% of his weight, in normal weight women this percentage reaches limits of 24%). Therefore, the possibility of these "lumps" of water, fat and waste are greater in women. Furthermore, as has been mentioned, the female hormone, estrogen, has a great responsibility in the cellulite settlement.
To summarize, cellulite is formed in the connective tissue due to these causes:
- Slowing down of the waste elimination process;
- Thickening of the connective tissue;
- Stagnation of waste substances.
Cellulite usually occurs in those areas where circulation is initially bad (the lower limbs when, for work reasons, the woman is forced to remain still, standing, for many hours a day). When attacked by cellulite, the legs become heavy and tired, especially at the end of the day. Even sitting for a long time and crossing your legs often does not promote blood flow.
To discover the "onset of cellulite c" is an infallible and very easy test: squeeze and pinch the tissues between the thumb and forefinger, or between the palms of the hands; if there is cellulite, the skin is wrinkled and the presence of hard granulations.
