Learn about cellulite management with cinnamon and fasten the process of treating cellulite without indulging in any chemical treatments.
What is Cellulite?
Cellulite is a common, harmless skin condition in which the skin appears uneven, lumpy, or dimpled like orange peel. It mostly affects the skin on your hips, thighs, abdomen, breasts, and buttocks. Fibrous connective tissue tethers your outer skin to the underlying muscle, and a layer of fat lies in between both. As fat cells accumulate, they push up against your skin while the connective cords pull it down. This creates an uneven surface or dimpling. You can grade cellulite from 1 to 3 ranging from mild to severe.
It affects more women than men due to the difference in fat, muscle, and connective tissue distribution. 80 to 90 % of women have it and people of all body types can get it. Though it is easy to diagnose and treatable with simple home remedies, it can be chronic.
Causes of Cellulite
There are many causes of cellulite, some of them are as follows:
- Build-up of fat underneath the skin
- Genetic predisposition
- Age
- Thickness of your skin
- Hormones
- Poor diet
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Toxin accumulation in the body
- Weight gain
- Inactivity
- Pregnancy
Cellulite becomes more visible when you get older, and skin becomes thinner and loses elasticity. Estrogen, insulin, noradrenaline, and thyroid hormone affect cellulite production. A diet rich in fat and carbohydrates and wearing tight blood flow constricting undergarments can be a cause of cellulite as well.
Prevention
You can take the below preventions as a way to prevent yourself from developing cellulite.
- Eat a balanced healthy diet
- Exercise regularly
- Reduce intake of sugar and processed foods
- Increase fiber intake
- Keep your weight in check to prevent the appearance of cellulite.
- Stay hydrated to prevent dry skin
- Regularly detoxify your body with natural drinks
- Avoid smoking and drinking
Cellulite Management With Cinnamon
Cinnamon comes from the bark of the Cinnamomum tree. It is used as a spice for its flavor and medicinal properties and is popular as a home remedy to treat cellulite. In a study conducted by dermatologists from the University of Grenoble, cinnamon oil effectively reduced the fat layer.
Cinnamon is rich in antioxidants and it improves blood circulation by increasing body temperature. Besides, it reinforces connective tissue and helps eliminate toxins from the body. As cinnamon helps burn calories, it thereby aids in weight loss.
How To Consume Cinnamon
Consume cinnamon daily in coffee or as cinnamon tea. Alternatively, you can steep lemon peels, an apple slice, and a spoonful of sugar for 15 minutes. Consume this drink every day on an empty stomach. You can add it in cereals, or smoothies as well.
Mix cinnamon and baby oil to make a thick paste and massage this to the skin where the cellulite is visible. Leave it on for a few minutes before washing it off with water. As cinnamon can cause allergic reactions, consume or use it in minute quantities to test before using regularly.
Other Home Remedies
1. Exercise
Exercise, precisely aerobic exercise and strength training, helps burn fat, thereby reducing the appearance of cellulite. Besides, exercising helps in toning and defining muscles and makes your body look firm.
2. Dry Brushing
Dry brushing is a technique that promotes blood flow and lymph drainage, removes dead skin cells, and stimulates new cell growth. You can use a plant loofah or body brush to brush dry skin for 5 minutes using strokes or circular motions upward just before your bath.
3. Coffee Grounds
You can use coffee grounds to exfoliate and tighten your skin. It reduces lumpiness, improves blood circulation, and promotes lymph flow. Use it with coconut oil, olive oil, or sugar. Rub over affected areas and leave for 10 minutes before rinsing off.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
Mix a tbsp of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water and drink it thrice a day to aid weight loss. You can apply equal parts of vinegar with water to the skin as it’s also effective in reducing the appearance of cellulite. Besides, wearing compression stockings to increase blood flow helps to reduce cellulite.
Medical Treatments
Medical treatments for cellulite include laser, radio-frequency, and retinol cream. The effect of topical creams is not long-lasting, and you must apply it daily to see visible results. Creams moisturize and tighten skin reducing the appearance of cellulite. A common ingredient in these creams is caffeine, which increases blood flow to the area and works as a diuretic. This can reduce the water content of the fat and make it appear better.
Retinol creams help thicken the outer skin, reducing the appearance of cellulite, but you must apply it for over six months. They can cause side effects like skin redness, peeling, dryness, and photosensitivity. A healthy diet must accompany all treatments to see results. Do a patch test before using over-the-counter creams.
Non-invasive treatments include cryolypolysis, ultrasound, cellfina, and carboxytherapy. Other treatments include microdermabrasion, endermologie, acoustic wave therapy, and vacuum-assisted precise tissue release. All these require several sessions to see noticeable results.