Does she suffer from cellulite?

I have been searching through photos of active women athletes and I have to admit it is very rare to see cellulite on the exposed thighs or arms. Most athletes are very young and it would make sense that they would suffer less from this problem. However, it seems that active mature female athletes and ballet dancers suffer less than the average woman from dimpled skin.

While searching for photos of female athletes with cellulite I realized how absurd the very few photos I found were and how intrusive the actual photo capture is to the life of a person. It is almost as if the photographer and his audience are relieved to realize that they found some defect they can highlight in an idol or celebrity. If when searching the web for photos of athletes and dancers with cellulite only 2-3 incidents pop up, it means it is not a common phenomenon. When I finally found 2 photos, they displayed the thighs of a famous figure skater sitting crossed legged with very few dimples caused by the pressure of one leg on the other or a photo displaying a very small area of lax skin and a few dimples on beautiful figured thigh of a famous tennis player. If this is the cellulite they are pointing at to prove athletes suffer from cellulite too, it is really not convincing.

Yes some athletes suffer from cellulite too but the prevalence is close to zero compared to the general population.

Cellulite is caused by the enlargement of fat cells that underlie the dermis. The combination of the dermis weakening due to age and the fat cells enlarging causes the uneven dimpled look of the skin. Some theories add that cellulite is more common in areas of the body with slower metabolism and poor drainage.

Women athletes have a lower percentage of fat and significantly less cellulite. This simple fact should encourage us to tackle cellulite prevention by controlling the caloric intake in order to reduce the percentage of body fat. In addition exercising the muscles will improve circulation in the area and improve muscle tone, again reducing cellulite.

Len Kravitz, Phd, writes in his essay “Cellulite: Everything You Want to Know and More” the following sentence: “The subcutaneous fat rests on top of muscle, and if the muscle is weak and flaccid, this can contribute to the ‘bumpy’ effect of cellulite.”

Dr. Kravitz recommends resistance training exercise to target the thighs and buttocks.

For those of us that will not join the force of diet and exercise, there are many “cures” and cellulite reduction treatments offered in the market. Some of them have no effect and some can reduce the appearance of cellulite to a degree. TriLipo is a new technology recently introduced to the market that combines the well established radio frequency technology proven to reduce cellulite along with muscle stimulation. This technology takes cellulite reduction to a new level by targeting the muscles underlying the skin while at the same time reducing the size of the fat cells in the adipose layer using radio frequency. Of course the effects will be enhanced if one combines treatments with a caloric intake reduction and well structured aerobic exercise but reduction of cellulite will also be noted if one undergoes treatments with the TriLipo technology without added exercise.

But, do not misunderstand me… I highly recommend exercise and controlled diet however, it is very hard for me to stand behind my advice and to provide a good living example…I tend to go for the “fixing” technology.

I have been grey since my late thirties and have not had the urge to cover the grey. I believe you are as young as you feel or as old as you see yourself. To be honest, it has not been easy to withstand the pressure from society,  friends try to refer me to their favorite hairdresser or even better, say kind words like ”you look very young but you will look much younger if you dye your hair”. The hardest hit was when I came to pick up my son from kindergarten and heard the kids yelling “Your grandma is here to pick you up”!!!! But still I did not fall into the hair dying loop (once you start, it is hard to stop).

Ageing is a state of mind

Fortunately, grey hair has become accepted in some western countries. Images of graying models are accepted and are considered sexy and fashionable. It is not about the hair color, it is about how you carry your body, your skin complexion, what you wear and the energy levels you portray.

Ageing is a state of mind, rather than dyeing hair to conceal gray, I prefer dancing, going to rock concerts and staying young at heart. I think that if you feel younger when you dye your hair, than go ahead and do it, feeling younger makes you younger.

Declaring emancipation from hair dyes does not mean letting age take its toll and leaving all to nature. Personally, I use anti-ageing moisturizing creams every day and try to maintain a rigid exercise program to keep my body and spirit in high energy levels. I am fortunate to work in the aesthetic industry so I have accesses to variable technologies that target the ageing skin. I have found Radio Frequency (RF), particularly TriPollar RF face treatments to be to be very pleasant, relaxing and effective from the very first treatment. What I like about these treatments is the fact that the results are not so drastic so I do not look like I had a face lift. Don’t get me wrong, the results are noticeable, acquaintances that had not seen me for a while have all commented on my fresh looking skin and fine complexion. The wonderful thing about it is that it looks natural and is indeed a natural skin rejuvenation process triggered by the treatment; the skin creates new collagen during a few weeks causing the results to improve over time.

So, if you are in the early graying phase and have been pulling the gray out (ouch!), first, pulling them out will not induce growth of more gray than you pulled out so if you want to continue pulling, go ahead. However, you will have to pull out many more hairs as you progress in age, so let it be and learn to accept the random gray hairs and view it as exotic. Later when your hair is mostly silver it can help to adopt the positive attitude towards your hard earned silver crown and learn to enjoy the respect and beauty earned with silver hair. So, go wild – go gray and enjoy a youthful approach to life with a silver crown on your head.

There are two aspects of aging connected to the Marlboro man. First, the obvious connection, cigarette smoking and UV exposure, two characteristics that are the essence of the rugged Marlboro man, are proven wrinkle inducers and do accelerate aging.

The second less obvious connection is the introduction of a product associated with the female population to the large male population. Until recently, anti aging skin care products have mostly targeted the female population, the large male population is only now entering the huge anti aging skin care targeted population and the media has a major role in this transition too.

The Metrosexual man was “invented” in 1994 by the British journalist Mark Simpson. The term related to the young urban male of all sexual orientations (straight, gay and bisexual) who focuses on his appearance and “invests” in products for enhancing his looks, like skin care products, make-up, exfoliating treatments and fashionable clothes. David Beckham who was portrayed as the Metrosexual poster man, is a great example of the crossover between the image of the masculine straight male figure (sports man) and the well dressed, fashionable stylistic man.

So, just like the Marlboro man represented the introduction of the feminine Marlboro filter cigarette to the rough, rugged male, the Metrosexual man introduced the attitude of self indulgence in ones appearance and consumerism of products that in the past were associated with women only.

Skin aging is a process that affects both genders but until recently antiageing skin care treatments addressed mostly the female population. As part of the shift in the male image, thanks to the Metrosexual man, men can also address the aging symptoms; it is not a taboo for men to dye their graying hair and to undergo aesthetic procedures.

There is an increase of cosmetic products that specifically target aging skin in the male population. In addition, men have discovered spa treatments, 30% of spa goers are males.

Men’s skin is different than female skin, the dermis is thicker in males and it is richer in collagen and elastin, it is also oilier than female skin and therefore requires specific cleansers and skin toners.

Yes, male skin ages in a slower rate but men are prone to aging skin because they have been less careful about preserving it, hence, applying sun screen, and treating the skin with suitable cleansers and moisturizers. As the media boosts the image of the good looking, well preserved successful male, the skin care market is introducing specific anti aging cosmetics and anti aging skin treatments for the male consumer.

Some simple tips to help in preserving the male skin and slowing the skin aging process:

-          Avoid using regular soap for the face as it causes the skin to dry and produce more oil (hence increasing the oiliness of the skin)

-          Always apply sunscreen and avoid direct sunlight during the dangerous hours.

-          Use a good moisturizer.

-          Get lots of sleep and rest

-          Stop smoking (if you do) (revert from the Marlboro man to the Metrosexual man…)

-          Eat healthy food

-          Exercise

Aging men can also benefit from many antiaging skin care treatments offered through beauty salons, Dermatologists and aesthetic clinics. Some of these anti aging skin treatments include laser skin rejuvenation treatments, IPL for removal of age marks or Radio Frequency anti aging treatments to improve skin texture, wrinkles reduction, treatment of lax and sagging skin.

Radio Frequency treatments can also assist with decreasing the waist size of the “pot belly” or sagging tummy skin that develops with age in men too.

So next time you think about the Marlboro man, think about his opposite – the Metrosexual man. You do not have to be rugged and wrinkled to be a “real man”.