What causes cellulite?

Cellulite causes: genetics, lifestyle and the myths

• What causes cellulite on thighs, stomach, butt, arms, even on the flanks: the top 20

• Cellulite cause #1: Estrogen, first and foremost

• Cellulite cause #2: The contraceptive pill (birth control)

• Cellulite cause #3: Sugar

• Cellulite cause #4: Inactivity / lack of exercise

• Cellulite cause #5: Excess calories / Weight gain

• Cellulite cause #6: Yo-yo dieting

• Cellulite cause #7: Smoking and vaping

• Cellulite cause #8: Alcohol

• Cellulite cause #9: Fried / hydrogenated fats/oils

• Cellulite cause #10: Xenoestrogens, microplastics and ‘forever chemicals’

• Cellulite cause #11: Pregnancy

• Cellulite cause #12: Other hormonal imbalances

• Cellulite cause #13: Medication

• Cellulite cause #14: Lack of protein in the diet

• Cellulite cause #15: Excess carbohydrate intake

• Cellulite cause #16: Excess fat intake

• Cellulite cause #17: Lack of polyphenols in the diet

• Cellulite cause #18: The normal ageing process

• Cellulite cause #19: Lack of fibre in the diet

• Cellulite cause #20: Genetics, an important underlying cellulite cause

• Not a cause of cellulite #1: Caffeine

• Not a cause of cellulite #2: Fizz in drinks

• Have a cellulite treatment with London’s cellulite experts

• Discover our professional training in cellulite, skin tightening, radiofrequency and ultrasound

What primarily causes cellulite on thighs, stomach, butt, arms, even on the flanks: the top 20

Misinformation abounds about cellulite, and its causes could not be an exception.

Caffeine and fizz (carbon dioxide) in soft drinks are widely - and erroneously - presented as the major causes by ignorant beauty writers.

At the same time, no one - for example - speaks about the contraceptive pill, a major cause of cellulite.

Below we list the 20 top causes of cellulite, in no exact order but with the most important/frequent causes towards the top and the lesser/more infrequent causes towards the bottom of the list.

Cellulite cause #1: Estrogen, first and foremost

Oestrogen is the only reason why women have cellulite and men don’t.

Everything else being the same (diet, exercise, smoking etc), estrogen is what makes a woman (or a male to female transgender) develop bigger thighs, butt and cellulite, while a man will develop a bigger stomach.

Estrogen is what directs fat accumulation to occur on the subcutaneous fat (what we call ‘fat’) and hypodermal fat (what we call cellulite) on the bum, thighs, arms and sometimes stomach, calves and waist.

No estrogen, no cellulite. It’s as simple as that.

Of course, estrogen is not enough - you also need inactivity, poor diet, smoking and sometimes other factors - but it is essential in the development of cellulite.

Needless to say that higher levels of estrogen, due to hormonal imbalances or hormonal contraception, will increase the appearance of cellulite.

Which takes us to next subject, the contraceptive pill.

Cellulite cause #2: The contraceptive pill (birth control)

Despite it falling under the ‘excess estrogen’ umbrella, hormonal contraception merits being referred to individually, as it is the cause of cellulite in so many women.

Furthermore, birth control is not one’s own natural estrogen and progesterone, it is an artificial version of those, in unnaturally high quantities and unnatural ratios.

In fact, the contraceptive pill is a major cause of advanced cellulite, especially in young, slim and/or fit women, who should otherwise have not a shred of cellulite.

I have seen countless of otherwise perfectly slim and fit young women with advanced cellulite - just because of “the pill”. And of course, I have seen quite a few older/curvier women with severe cellulite due to decades of the pill.

Cellulite cause #3: Sugar

Sugar intake, regardless of overall calorie balance, is a major cause of cellulite.

Sugar converts to triglycerides (fat) and stimulates insulin release, which in turn leads to deposition of triglycerides into adipocytes, especially when combined with inactivity.

Sugar also causes glycation and low-grade, chronic inflammation - both major aspects of cellulite.

Cellulite cause #4: Inactivity / lack of exercise

Inactivity is a major cause of cellulite, regardless of healthy diet and calorie balance.

Inactivity leads to increased adipocyte population and enlargement and reduced fibroblast population and function - meaning more fat and less collagen.

What could possibly go wrong with sitting down all day, right?

Cellulite cause #5: Excess calories / Weight gain

Calorie surplus in the diet, regardless of exercise, is a major cause of cellulite and regardless whether the excess calories being healthy or unhealthy.

A chronic calorie surplus will inevitably lead to fat accumulation and some of it will be hypodermal fat accumulation, i.e. cellulite.

Eating too much will eventually cause cellulite - even if we exercise. There are no two ways about it.

Cellulite cause #6: Yo-yo dieting

Yo-yo dieting, i.e. putting on a significant amount of weight and then losing it only to gain it again and lose it again is a common cause of cellulite and skin looseness.

Every time you lose weight you don’t just lose fat but also skin and muscle (catabolism). Every time you put on weight you replace the fat and only some part of skin and muscle (anabolism).

After a few cycles you have changed your body composition, replacing firmness with fat.

A significant proportion of clients at the clinic are people who have repeatedly put on and lost a lot of weight.

Cellulite cause #7: Smoking and vaping

Smoking is not as prevalent as it was, so it is now further down our list.

However, smoking and vaping can be major causes of cellulite, especially if combined with a genetic predisposition, as research has repeatedly shown.

Nicotine and tar have an adverse effect on skin firmness, blood vessel health, collagen glycation levels and fibrosis. Together they lead to more cellulite - not to mention cancer and heart disease.

Cellulite cause #8: Alcohol

Again, alcohol for most women is not a major cause of cellulite. However, for those who do drink more, it is.

Alcohol impairs liver function, upsets hormonal imbalance (high cortisol release) and, of course, carries calories itself.

Add to that the calories of sugars in cocktails, beer and prosecco - plus the calories of late night meals - and you have a recipe for weight gain and cellulite.

Cellulite cause #9: Fried / hydrogenated fats/oils

Similar to sugar, fried and hydrogenated fats/oils in food are an important cause of cellulite, again regardless of calorie balance.

Trans/hydrogenated fats and fried food stimulate inflammation, glycation and, of course, fat accumulation - all major aspects of cellulite.

Saturated fats are not much better, even the hyped up, erroneously called healthy fats, such as coconut oil.

However, fried/trans fats, specifically, are downright evil for the health of your legs - not to mention heart disease, arthritis and other degenerative diseases.

Cellulite cause #10: Xenoestrogens, microplastics and ‘forever chemicals’

With the growth of plastic pollution in our food and water supply, this is now a major cause of cellulite and it is here to stay.

Xenoestrogens from BPA, phthalates, PVC and other plastics and ‘forever chemicals’, such as PFOA and PFOS, are already important as a cause of cellulite (and cancer).

And will be even more important in the future, given that even ice/water in places like the Himalayas, Antarctica or the Mariana Trench contain microplastics.

Cellulite cause #11: Pregnancy

Having a baby is the most wonderful thing in the world, but it would be a disservice if we didn’t say that pregnancy is also a major cause of cellulite, especially during the last few months of gestation.

To minimise it, make sure you walk a lot, swim or perform other safe exercise, and keep eating healthily throughout pregnancy.

Cellulite cause #12: Other hormonal imbalances

In addition to excess estrogen, due to estrogen dominance, pregnancy or hormonal contraception, other hormonal imbalances, such as excessive cortisol, can also cause cellulite.

Which takes us to the next subject…

Cellulite cause #13: Medication

Heavy medication, such as corticosteroid medication, is sometimes absolutely necessary, but it comes with side effects, one of them being cellulite development, due to the water retention and lipogenesis they stimulate.

Cellulite cause #14: Lack of protein in the diet

Skin and blood vessels are primarily made of protein. On the other hand most women do not have adequate protein in their diet because of the “too much meat is bad for you” (even lean, fat-free meat, apparently 🙄) or “too much protein is bad for you” (😂) myths.

The end result is skin looseness and cellulite.

Cellulite cause #15: Excess carbohydrate intake

When “too much protein is bad for you” and you still need to eat 1,500-2,000 calories to sustain yourself daily, how do you fill the gap? But with carbs, of course!

A carbohydrate-heavy diet can only make you fattier and flabbier, as starches (carbs) are nothing more than polymerised glucose, which break down into glucose-proper and ultimately stimulate fat accumulation in fat cells, including cellulite fat cells.

Cellulite cause #16: Excess fat intake

When “too much protein is bad for you”, you can always fill the calorie gap by having more fat - or even worse, more fat and carbs.

Excessive dietary fat, even some of it good fat, such as avocados, nuts and olive oil, will end up being deposited in fat cells, including cellulite fat cells.

Too much fat and carbs is the flipside of too little protein. The only certain outcome of such a dietary approach is less firmness and more cellulite.

So don’t do it. Eat more veg and more protein and less fat and starches (carbs).

Cellulite cause #17: Lack of polyphenols in the diet

Polyphenols are essential to maintain collagen and elastin tissue integrity in the body and also mediate in collagen and elastin synthesis. Plus they are the most potent anti-cellulite molecules, due to their anti-adipogenic, lipolytics and anti-fibrotic action.

Polyphenols are found in berry fruits, other fruits to a lesser extent, vegetables, herbs, spices and drinks such as cocoa and green tea.

It’s very simple: no polyphenols in the diet means more cellulite and looser skin.

Cellulite cause #18: Lack of fibre in the diet

Fibre plays a very important role in inflammation, water retention and even fat accumulation, all of which are important aspects of cellulite.

Fibre helps keep you satiated after a meal; it ensures regularity in the digestive system; it acts as prebiotic for your gut microbiota and it reduces inflammation in the digestive system.

Given that 70% of your immune system lives in your gut, fibre plays a very important role against inflammation in the whole body - not just the digestive system.

Cellulite cause #19: The normal ageing process

The normal ageing process, which leads to less collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid synthesis, tissue degeneration and increased fat accumulation, is an important cause of cellulite.

This is one of the reasons cellulite is less common/severe in teenagers and much more common/severe in women over 50.

You cannot stop ageing but you can slow it down by following the previous healthy living, cellulite busting 18 tips.

Cellulite cause #20: Genetics, an important underlying cellulite cause

Of course genetics are a major cause of cellulite. But even bad genes need bad lifestyle to be expressed.

On the other hand, good genes are not protective for ever if lifestyle is bad. I have seen quite a few ex top models at the clinic with lots of cellulite in their 40s and 50s. And I have seen very, very few of them who still have an awesome body at the same age.

Genetics play an important role but only in conjunction with lifestyle:

• With a perfect lifestyle (healthy nutrition, exercise, no smoking, little drinking) you can be cellulite-free forever, despite “bad genes”

• And vice versa, with a poor lifestyle you can develop cellulite even in your teens, despite being very slim and fit (I have seen plenty of those cases at the clinic

Genetics are *as important as* lifestyle for the development of cellulite.

Not a cause of cellulite #1: Caffeine

Unless you drink more than 5 cups of coffee a day, caffeine is not going to be a cause of cellulite. The sugar in the coffee may be, as well as the muffins that go with it, but not the caffeine.

Caffeine as a cause of cellulite is pure myth.

Not a cause of cellulite #2: Fizz in drinks

Carbon dioxide (carbonate) in soda (fizzy) drinks is absolutely innocuous, despite what lazy beauty writers write.

It’s the sugar - or even the artificial sweeteners - in those drinks that cause cellulite.

Carbon dioxide as a cause of cellulite is pure ignorance.

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