Cellulite myths busted: Does weight loss reduce the appearance of orange peel skin?

Cellulite is persistent, hard-to-shift fat that causes dimpling on the skin, especially around the thigh, bum and hip area. 

But with so many confusing messages around about what causes it and how it can be treated, getting rid of orange peel like skin can be difficult. 

Here, Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi, the founder and medical director of The London Medical and Aesthetic clinic, dispels the 10 most common myths.

1. Thin women don't get cellulite

Whether your body type is athletic, slender or curvy, all are susceptible to cellulite. It's the sun damage, fluctuation of weight and age that enhance the dimples on skin, not the body type.

2. Only old people get cellulite 

Cellulite can affect any age, but with time our skins elasticity depletes and the cellulite becomes more visible.

3. Miracle creams reduce cellulite 

The only 'proven' creams to have worked have been extremely pricey and tend not to show results until a few months. They are usually enriched with caffeines and are sadly only a temporary fix.

4. It's just excess fat 

Actually cellulite has much more to do with the layers and structure of our skin than fat. Between the skin and our muscles is a protective layer of fats, Dr Al-Ayoubi says. When factors such as age and weight gain take place the tissues holding these layers together begin to weaken, which creates the dimply affect we see on our bodies. 

5. Men don't suffer from cellulite

Men can suffer from cellulite but it's far more common in women. The tissues connecting the skin layers and muscles hiding the fats are much stronger in men. Where the female hormone oestrogen produces fats, the male testosterone burns it.

6. Cardio is the best way to reduce cellulite 

Though running is a great way to achieve weight loss, the best way to reduce the appearance of cellulite is with strength and weight training.

7. The clothing you wear has an impact

There ware a lot of clothes out there marketed to make you think it's going to reduce the cellulite, like tight fit leggings from running. It has been shown that wearing tighter clothing can even make the cellulite dimples more prominent.

8. Tanning reduces cellulite

Though we believe spending time on the tanning beds help with the appearance of cellulite, it is only temporary. Using the beds will make cellulite much worse and develop quicker than if you were to step away from the beds.

9. Weight loss reduces its appearance

Not necessarily. Cellulite is not affected by the amount of fat in the body and rather by the connecting tissues between the muscles and the skin layers. Weight loss cannot entirely help.

10. Liposuction will reduce cellulite 

Liposuction is not the best procedure to help with cellulite, in fact it can make the appearance even worse with the uneven distribution of fat under the skin. However, a revolutionary cosmetic treatment, Cellulaze is the minimally invasive answer to your cellulite woes. The Cellulaze laser is designed to diminish lumpy pockets of fat, release areas of skin depression and increase elasticity and thickness of the skin after just one treatment.