The lies we've been told about cellulite
As a Gen X-er, I grew up dreading the prospect of cellulite. That's what happens when you come of age in the 'circle of shame' era, where bodily imperfections are highlighted with a red marker pen in gossip magazines and used to discredit women (it's always women) who fail to look smooth and perfect. Cellulite, we were told, doesn't discriminate. Rich or poor, fat or thin, it was coming for you. As someone who is largely desk-bound, under-hydrated and eats a packet of crisps a day, it was definitely coming for me.
Which it did, some time in my late forties. But only in my fifties did it become so 'bad' that I resolved to hide it, rather than inflict its dimpled unloveliness on the world. As a lifelong shorts wearer, this felt like a loss. But were wide-leg linen trousers so bad? Clearly not, since every midlife woman I knew seemed to own a pair.
My decision lasted for two days – not because I hate wide-leg linen trousers (I do) or found a miracle cure (as if), but because I went to a music festival. This confirmed what I already suspected: that younger women are far more tolerant and accepting of their bodies than the self-critical, apologetic women of my generation. Gen Z women don't hide their cellulite: they celebrate it, even highlighting it with painted stripes of glitter.
Granted, the glitter trend might largely be contained to festivals and parties. But the trend for short shorts and even shorter minis seems to be embraced by thighs of every size, shape and texture. This feels as emboldening for me as it does for my teenage daughters, as it has the knock-on effect of making other woman feel less self-critical and self-conscious.
Brought up on a diet of body positivity instead of cabbage soup, for Gen Z, the idea that only the svelte and smooth of thigh should dare to bare theirs is anathema. 'I don't think my legs are perfect, but I wouldn't hide them away – I'll put some fake tan on and try not to obsess,' says Maya, 16. 'I don't massively love her music, but in terms of body diversity, I do think someone like [singer] Lola Young is a better role model than the pop stars in my mum's day. She had strong women like Madonna, but they were all the same size – tiny.'
Just as Gen Z is more accepting of their bodies, they're also less accepting of spurious advertisements for products that claim to improve them. As every woman knows, no promises are more outlandish than those that pertain to the reduction and erasure of cellulite. When an ad for a product purporting to 'smooth the look of cellulite, compressing and lifting loose skin' popped up on my Instagram feed, I was horrified that someone was charging £22.50 for what was essentially two bits of see-through duct tape. But Gen Z mobilised. 'Sellotaping my legs on a hot day? No thanks,' wrote one in the comments. 'The fact that you say cellulite is normal but try to profit from women's insecurity about having cellulite is wild to me,' wrote another. 'Also, single use plastic? Really?'
What is cellulite?
Regardless of your age, it always pays to separate the facts about cellulite from the increasingly outlandish fictions. Cellulite is caused when the skin overlying fat (usually on thighs, stomach, bottom and arms) is pulled downwards by fibrous connective tissue. The collagen fibres between skin and muscle separate the fat into multiple pockets, a process which can be amplified with age (the skin becomes thinner and loses elasticity), as well as by poor diet or a sedentary lifestyle. It's also genetic: if you're amongst the 10 per cent of people who won't get it, you can live as you please.
Even if you do embrace cellulite but want to reduce the appearance of it, there are some things you could try. I asked Georgios Tzenichristos, a physicist and former competitive athlete who's been specialising in cellulite since 2001, whether it's possible to get rid of cellulite. His LipoTherapeia treatment, the culmination of 24 years of study, experience and research in cellulite and skin tightening, is a favourite with A-listers and billionaires for its science-based approach and its refusal to over-promise.
The 'fat' myth
'There are so many myths,' he laments. 'The 'cellulite equals fat' equation is wrong: cellulite and fat are two different things. It's not all water retention, it's not all fascia, coffee doesn't cause cellulite, and the idea that you can get rid of it permanently with a couple of treatments is simply not possible. Cellulite reduction is a gradual process, not an overnight success. This means 6-12 weekly sessions for most people. In most cases, you can't eliminate all of the cellulite because by the time you show up at a clinic, permanent changes have already taken place inside your skin. Prevention is the key.'
Which brings us to exercise. Can the right form of exercise prevent it, if not cure? 'Building muscle can certainly improve the look of cellulite,' says skin specialist Sophie Smith, co-founder of Grand Aesthetics. 'Strength training – especially lower-body moves like squats, lunges and glute bridges – helps add definition and firmness under the skin, which naturally reduces the appearance of dimpling. I'm also a fan of Emsculpt, which is like a supercharged muscle workout that also helps tighten the skin. It's not a magic fix, but when combined with consistent training and hydration, it can make a visible difference.'
In-clinic or at-home treatments
As someone who saw little change after five sessions of Endermologie, a lymphatic drainage massage performed by a therapist with a hand-held device hooked up to a machine (French women swear by it, and while it was certainly relaxing, it was also £130 for 60 minutes), I'm protective of my money and time.
So what can I try at home? 'It is actually possible to dramatically reduce the appearance of cellulite, but only if you treat it at its root,' says Lucy Goff, founder of LYMA Laser Pro, an at-home device developed to smooth cellulite and tighten skin. 'Cellulite isn't a surface issue, so creams and massages won't fix it. It's caused by structural tension deep beneath the skin. Our technology is able to penetrate up to 10cm without any heat, damage or downtime. Other treatments, such as radiofrequency or microneedling, can help, but they rely on causing controlled damage. The LYMA Laser Pro does the opposite: it heals, regenerates and rebuilds.'
Body Blur skin perfector, £33, Vita Liberata
It sounds promising, but at £4,995, it also sounds expensive. Maybe I'll take a leaf out of 16-year-old Maya's book, and slap on some fake tan for now. Inspired by a friend, I'm going to try Vita Liberata's Body Blur (£33), a self-tan that claims to disguise imperfections and give skin a subtle glow. It certainly gave my friend (still wearing shorts at 52) the legs of a 16-year-old. If only we could bottle a 16-year-old's confidence. Or better still, their ability to not to care.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
David Beckham helps Hugo Boss score higher sales - despite consumers feeling reluctant to spend
David Beckham has boosted menswear sales for Hugo Boss despite consumers feeling reluctant to spend. The German fashion retailer said sales grew 1 per cent to £870million over the second quarter of the year after the former England football captain launched his first collection with the brand in the spring. The range of casual and formal wear helped sales in Hugo Boss's menswear division rise 2 per cent to £690million. Chief executive Daniel Grieder said: 'The successful launch of our Beckham X BOSS collection in April is just one example of how we are continuing to drive brand momentum, even in a volatile environment.' But he did acknowledge that trading had been 'marked by a challenging macroeconomic and industry environment'. Beckham has followed in the footsteps of his fashion designer wife Victoria, who recently partnered with High Street fashion chain Mango.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
The genetic factor that could impact a child's future weight, according to experts
A mother's genes could play a role in determining a child's future weight – more so than a father's. Researchers at University College London (UCL) investigated how a parent's weight and genes influence their children's weight and diet from birth to age 17. To make the comparison, researchers used genetic and health data of 2,621 UK families in the Millennium Cohort Study, a UK birth cohort study of individuals born in 2001-2002. The study, published in the journal PLOS Genetics, looked at the BMI of parents and the birthweight of their children. They also looked at the child's diet at ages three, five, seven, 11, 14, and 17. Children's diets were assessed through self-reported records of how often and how much they consumed different food groups, including fruit, vegetables, fast food, and sugary drinks. Researchers then separated the direct effects of inherited genes from the indirect effects of genes that were not inherited. Study authors explained that non-inherited genes can still influence children's outcomes by influencing the development environment, such as conditions in the womb and parenting practices, as these are shaped by parents' genetics. Analysis revealed that while both parents' genetics influence a child's BMI, a mother's BMI continued to affect the child's weight beyond direct genetic inheritance. Researchers suggest this means genetic nurture, where a parent's genes shape the environment they create for their child, might be a big factor in a child's weight. This could be the case if a mother's genes influence her own weight, eating habits, or behaviours during pregnancy, which in turn can affect the child's development and long-term health. Dr Liam Wright, the study's lead author, said: ' Mothers ' genetics appear to play an important role in influencing their child's weight over and above the child's genetics. 'In addition to the genes mums directly pass on, our findings suggest that maternal genetics are instrumental in shaping the environment in which the child develops, therefore indirectly influencing the child's BMI too.' Almost a third of children aged two to 15 were considered to be obese or overweight in 2024, according to NHS data. However, researchers acknowledge BMI is not the most accurate way of measuring body fat, particularly among children, and so supplemented their analysis with several other adiposity-related measures, including fat mass. Dr Wright added: 'This isn't about blaming mothers, rather, supporting families to make a meaningful difference to children's long-term health. Targeted interventions to reduce maternal BMI, particularly during pregnancy, could reduce the intergenerational impacts of obesity."
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Obesity runs in the family – but one parent's genes have more influence on a child's weight, study finds
OBESITY does get passed down through families, but one parent's genes may play a bigger role in children's weight, scientists say. UCL researchers looked at the body mass index (BMI), diet and genetic data of over 2,500 families. They found that kids whose parents were obese were more likely to be obese themselves. But children's weight was more heavily impacted by the genes of a specific parent. A mum's genetics may play a bigger role in determining whether a child becomes overweight than a dad's - even if those genes aren't passed down. Lead author Dr Liam Wright, from the UCL Social Research Institute, said: 'Mothers' genetics appear to play an important role in influencing her child's weight over and above the child's genetics. 'In addition to the genes mums directly pass on, our findings suggest that maternal genetics are instrumental in shaping the environment in which the child develops, therefore indirectly influencing the child's BMI too.' Published in PLOS Genetics, the study analysed genetic and health data from 2,621 UK families. Researchers investigated how parents' BMI and related genes influenced their children's weight and diet from birth to age 17. To do this, the team looked at the kids' weight, BMI, and diet at six key points during childhood and adolescence, at the ages of three, five, seven, 11, 14, and 17. They focused on how these were linked to the parents' BMIs. Children's diets were assessed through self-reported records of how often and how much they consumed different food groups, including fruit, vegetables, fast food, and sugary drinks. The 7 ways you're making your kids fat without knowing it - and why it might be time to bin your By measuring both children's and their parents' genes, the researchers were able to separate how inherited genes affected the kids, versus the indirect effect of genes that were not inherited. Non-inherited genes can still influence children's outcomes by influencing their development environment, researchers explained. For example, conditions that babies are exposed to in the womb and parenting techniques can all be shaped by parents' genes. Researchers found that both parents' BMI was linked to their child's BMI. But a dad's influence could mostly be attributed to direct genetic inheritance. Meanwhile, a child didn't need to inherit their mum's genes for their weight to be influenced by hers. For example, a mum's genes might influence her own weight, eating habits, or behaviours during pregnancy, which in turn affect her child's development and long-term health. This suggests, that genetic nurture - where a parent's genes shape the environment they create for their child - is a big factor in children's weight, researchers said. Dr Wright stressed: 'This isn't about blaming mothers, rather, supporting families to make a meaningful difference to children's long-term health. 'Targeted interventions to reduce maternal BMI, particularly during pregnancy, could reduce the intergenerational impacts of obesity." Childhood obesity is a continuing problem in the UK - as well as other countries - with NHS data from 2024 showing 27 per cent of children aged between two and 15 were either obese or overweight.
