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JULY/AUGUST 2019 42 SHAPE.COM
dealing with
CELLULITE
Almost all women have it.
Some would prefer they didn’t.
Here’s what you can
do about it. By Kylie Gilbert
beauty lab
N
early 90 percent of women have cellulite, so we
are well aware that it typically appears on our
thighs, hips, and buttocks. But what exactly is
it? “Even thin women have cellulite, so it’s not
just a matter of how much fat you have,” says
Jeremy Brauer, M.D., a dermatologist in New York and a clin-
ical associate professor at NYU Langone Health. Cellulite is
caused by the fibrous bands that run through the fat. When
they become tight, they pull down on the skin and pockets of
fat push through them, creating a dimpled or rippled appear-
ance. Genetics influences much of this. “But age and hormonal
changes can cause cellulite to look worse from loss of skin elas-
ticity, changes in the fibrous bands or fat-cell chambers, poor
blood flow, and a buildup of lymphatic fluid,” Dr. Brauer says.
SO WHAT CAN YOU DO?
If you have a smallish area of uniform dimples that annoys
you, look to Radiesse or Sculptra. Both are fillers that add
volume to the face and encourage long-term collagen pro-
duction, which can plump up recessed spots on your body,
Dr. Brauer says. Still, think of this as a localized treatment;
it’s not the ideal option for vast areas with varied types of cel-
lulite. The cost starts around $1,500, depending on the size of
the treatment spot and the intensity of the dimples; results
come quickly and last for a year or two.
If your cellulite is a mix of dimples and ripples, you’ll want
a treatment with a combination of attack methods. “That’s
what I like about the newest cellulite device called Unison,”
says Paul Jarrod Frank, M.D., a celebrity cosmetic dermatol-
ogist. “This noninvasive option uses radio frequency energy
to tighten skin and even out fat deposits and acoustic shock
wave energy to break the fibrous bands.” Clinical results
found a 54 percent improvement on average. The painless
treatment costs $1,000 per session; expect about four of them.
AND FOR AT-HOME MOVES...
Foam rolling and dry brushing (sweeping a hard-bristle body
brush up your dry skin) help increase circulation and encour-
age lymphatic drainage, which can give your skin a smoother
appearance temporarily.
NOT SO
A-PEELING?
New treatments
might help smooth
orange-peel skin.
