Correct Weight Loss Blog

In Part 1 of this article series we discussed about cellulite in general. In Part 2, we discussed about how cellulite develops.

In the last article, we discussed how certain hormones can weaken the long collagen bonds that form the fat compartment in women.  Weak blood vessels and poor lymph fluid circulation can also aggravate cellulite.

Weak Blood Vessels

Fat tissue has a lot of blood vessels. This allows the transport of fatty acids to the tissue for storage and from the tissue in times of need. The small blood vessels can sometimes become fragile due to a number of factors. One of these factors could be a lack of Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps preserve the integrity of these vessels. This tendency is prevalent in women who get unexplained bruises in their legs. These bruises are the result of weak blood vessels.

When the small blood vessels leak, fluid is released into the fat compartments under the skin. This further increases pressure within the tissues.  As excess fluid is retained in the fat compartments, fat globules cluster together  thus strangulating the blood vessels further. This inhibits the supply of nutrients to tissue in the dermis resulting in the collagen connective bands deteriorating with time. This is because nutrients needed for repair  and regeneration are not able to reach the damaged connective bands.

Over time scar tissue forms in some of the collagen connective bands where the collagen has degraded or damaged. The scar tissue is the body’s way of cementing the weaknesses in these bands. Unfortunately, this scar tissue is extremely fibrous and rigid. These rigidity causes the the compartments to be further pressurized and thus further strangulating the supply of blood and nutrients to the dermis layer of the skin. This becomes a vicious spiral. Its like putting on a blood pressure cuff and continuing to increase the pressure in the cuff until blood supply is virtually cut off to the lower part of your hand.

This lack of nutrients due to strangulated blood vessels thins the dermis. This further causes the fat to protrude more prominently.

Poor Lymph Circulation

Lymph is the fluid that surrounds and bathes all the cells of the body. It is the sea in which our cells lie.  The lymph system removes excess fluids and cellular waste and carries them away to filters called lymph nodes. Lymph channels from these nodes carry the fluid into two large veins near the heart so that lymph is returned to the bloodstream for elimination.

While blood is pumped by the heart, the lymphatic circulation relies upon muscular contractions and deep breathing to move it along. It is a naturally slow-moving fluid that circulates against gravity, through a vast network of tiny capillaries called lymphatic tissue. These extremely thin-walled vessels run throughout the body but are concentrated in subcutaneous tissue. The flow of lymph fluid can be slowed to the point of stagnation. In areas where circulation tends to be poor and relies almost entirely on gravity to move it back up, as in hip and thigh areas, this stagnation encourages the formation of cellulite.

Excess fluid that cannot be removed by the lymphatic system tends to collect in the fat chambers, further stuffing the already overstuffed chamber.

Poor circulation is often caused by a sedentary lifestyle. An aggressive exercise effort can quickly increase circulation as well as build new blood vessels to reduce fluid build up in prone areas such as the fatty tissue under the skin.

In Part 5 of this article series, we shall discuss on means on how you can measure the severity of cellulite.

Tags: cellulite, cortisol, dimpling effect, fat globules, skin connective tissue, stubborn fat, weight loss and menstruation, collagen fibres, X collagen fibres