Why do older women have more cellulite?

Ageing and cellulite

Cellulite is more prevalent in older women and also its appearance gets worse with age - why?

Although cellulite can start at quite a young age (from 13, i.e. almost as soon as the onset of puberty) it is more prevalent at older ages - and its appearance also worsens with age.

At our clinic we see more and more clients as age progresses, up to the age of about 65 (when interest in cellulite reduction declines for different reasons).

There are two main reasons why cellulite becomes more common / more severe with age:

  • Chronic fat accumulation in stubborn fat depots

  • Gradual weakening of connective tissue and blood circulation with age

Chronic fat accumulation

Adipose (fat) tissue on the thighs and buttocks is the most stubborn fat tissue in women (the equivalent in men is visceral fat on the stomach).

That adipose tissue is found both inside the skin (hypodermal adipose tissue = ‘cellulite’) and just under the skin (subcutaneous adipose tissue = plain ‘fat’)

Stubborn adipose tissue in those areas has two characteristics:

  • It absorbs as much fat as other adipose tissue from the circulation but releases less into the circulation. Every time there is an excess of calories in the bloodstream some fat accumulates in those adipose tissue depots and never gets released. With time that adipose depot becomes enlarged, meaning more cellulite and more local thigh/buttock volume/fat.

  • It contains more adipocytes (fat cells), courtesy of estrogen. More fat cells means more opportunity to accumulate fat in those areas.

With time - months, years and decades - cellulite and even topical fat becomes bigger and more pronounced.

Connective tissue and circulation deterioration

With time, collagen levels decline and this affects both skin firmness and blood vessel health and function.

This decline of collagen affects cellulite in two ways:

  • Weaker blood vessels means less circulation and consequent water retention, an important aspect of cellulite

  • Weaker and thinner skin (skin laxity) cannot resist the upward pressure from enlarged fat fat globules and the downward pressure from fibrotic skin ligaments, with the familiar cellulite bumps forming and becoming more prevalent as collagen declines decade after decade.

What can I do to reduce cellulite (and skin laxity) in my 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s?

The end result of these two factors - fat accumulation and connective tissue weakening - means more cellulite with each decade that passes.

The solution to cellulite reduction and skin tightening is trifold:

  • Healthy lifestyle (nutrition, exercise, avoiding smoking / hormonal contraception) for prevention, maintenance and slow reduction

  • Having a course of good anti-cellulite treatments for fast results: deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation are the best SAFE ones currently

  • Applying a real cellulite cream, i.e. one with multiple, high-purity anti-cellulite actives in high concentrations, to augment the above two efforts

Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts

At LipoTherapeia we have specialised 100% in skin tightening and cellulite reduction for more than two decades and 20,000+ sessions.

This is all we study and practise every day and have researched and tried hands-on all the important skin tightening equipment and their manufacturers.

As strong, deep acting radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation are the technologies of choice for skin tightening and cellulite reduction, we have invested in the best RF/ultrasound technologies in the world.

Furthermore, over the last two decades we have developed advanced RF and cavitation treatment protocols in order to make the most of our technologies, for maximum results, naturally and safely.

Our radiofrequency/ultrasound treatments are comfortable, pain-free, downtime-free, injection-free, microneedling-free, 99.5%+ safe and always non-invasive.

And our focus is on honest, realistic, science-based treatment, combined with caring, professional service, with a smile.

We will be pleased to see you, assess your cellulite, skin laxity or fibrosis, listen to your story, discuss your case and offer you the best possible treatment.

Learn more or check prices and book an expert treatment at our London clinic (49 Marylebone High Street, W1)