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Cellulite is a condition
characterized by portions of sub dermal adipose
fat-containing tissue that migrate into and through
the sub dermal elastic tissue matrix. Cellulite
appears due to the protrusion of pockets of depot fat
from subcutaneous tissue through an elastic layer of
connective tissue overlying the depot fat into the
dermis. |
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Patients having cellulite
appear to exhibit a deficiency in the fibrous layer at
the interface between the dermis and the subcutaneous
tissue. This deficiency allows depot fat below the
interface to protrude through the fibrous layer and
into the dermis, thereby causing irregular elevations
and depressions of the dermis characterized by a
"dimpled" appearance |
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Cellulite is not a unique
substance; indeed, it is no different from fat cells
found in any other part of the body. Fat cells have
fat-storing and fat-releasing receptor sites.
Different parts of the body are characterized by fat
cells with more fat-storing sites or more
fat-releasing sites. The distribution of adipose
tissue throughout the body is not uniform. In certain
portions of the body, such as the subcutaneous tissue,
adipose tissue is present in great abundance. Adipose
tissue consists of small vesicles or "fat cells"
lodged within a matrix of areolar connective tissue.
In many parts of the body, the areolae are occupied by
fat cells. The matrix and fat cells constituting
adipose tissue are referred to as "depot fat". |
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In cellulite, fat is
stored in fat cells which lie between the skin and
the underlying muscle. These fat cells are grouped
together into large collections separated by
fibrous strands (fibrous septae). These fibrous
strands run between the muscle and the skin. In
fact, fibrous septae surround and hold the fat in
place in small compartments. As fat cells expand
with weight gain, the gap between muscle and skin
expands, but the fibrous strands cannot stretch
and thus cannot support the skin. The skin is
tethered down by string-like tissues that pull it
inward, toward the interior of the body. The
tension of these septae pulls in sections of fat
along with them, causing the fat cells in the
subcutaneous layer to increase in number and stick
together within the connective tissue fibers,
resulting in a dimpling effect ("orange peel" or
"cottage cheese"). |
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