Cellulite Reduction Supplements: What Actually Works (Science-Based Review)
·31 mins
Cellulite—the dimpled, "orange peel" or "cottage cheese" appearance of skin on thighs, buttocks, and abdomen—affects 80-90% of women (and 10% of men), regardless of body weight or fitness level. It’s not simply excess fat; it’s a complex structural issue involving weakened dermal collagen and elastin, enlarged fat lobules herniating through connective tissue, impaired microcirculation, inflammation, and fluid retention.
The biology is clear but often misunderstood: cellulite forms when subcutaneous fat chambers push through weakened connective tissue septae (fibrous bands) in the dermis, creating surface dimpling. Women are anatomically predisposed—female skin has thinner epidermis and dermis, perpendicular connective tissue orientation (vs diagonal in men), higher estrogen promoting fat storage in hips/thighs, and hormonal fluctuations degrading collagen. Aging accelerates cellulite as skin loses thickness, collagen production declines, microcirculation worsens, and fat distribution shifts.