A curse to many women, cellulite is formed close to the skin surface, producing wrinkled fat cells intermixed with the connective tissue that gives that strange ‘orange peel' effect witnessed by many; it is generally found in the lower half of the body. This is not a situation purely confined to those who carry excess weight; this condition even affects slim women who have fewer fat cells.

The fats just below the skin surface push against the tissue which results in the skin surface having that dimpled look common of cellulite. In reality, nobody knows the real reason why some people accumulate these fats and not others, but there are some factors that health experts are considering such as the structure of the fat cells or toxins that enter the body.

One thing is certain though and that is as a persons age increases, the amount of this fatty tissue increases in the same way that wrinkles also form which is probably due to the reduction of the two components that keep the skin looking young; collagen and elastin. Women are more prone to hormonal imbalances as they age and the fat found in their thighs and buttocks where it forms is different to the fat in other areas, unlike men who rarely suffer with this condition.

Often the cellulite goes unnoticed and it is only when a person's muscles are compressed or the skin is pinched that it can be seen and felt but women should not feel depressed about the problem as most suffer with it to a greater or lesser degree. Although it may not be known what causes, some factors seem to contribute to its build up including age, sex, extra fat carried and skin thickness all seem to aid the formation.

As the reasons for the formation are still a mystery, no complete treatment has been devised to rid the condition from people who suffer with is badly even though there are many creams that claim to rid someone of it. Some clinics specialize in the removal of cellulite simply apply deep massaging to puff up the skin and temporarily reduce the cellulites appearance.

Other treatments involve liposuction (to remove fats) and mesotherapy (injection of drugs into the affected areas) which is expensive and out of reach of the majority of women. However, these are only temporary measures so do not provide permanent relief and liposuction is really only efficient for deeper based fats and not those close to the surface as with cellulite.

For people who are prone to the problem, there are no magic treatments for selective removal but there are now a number of creams on the market which are designed to help hide the effect it brings. Many people believe that the only realistic way to reduce the amount of fatty tissue a person has is to follow a controlled diet plan and exercise regularly which will gradually burn off much of the body fat including that found in the tissues of the thighs and buttocks.

Many toxins that accumulate in the body can be flushed out with regular amounts of water which some believe is still an effective way to keep the body free of harmful substances including the toxins which help with the formation of cellulite.