“TL;DR: Hypermobility is characterised by loose connective tissue with reduced collagen, leading to increased flexibility but also joint instability and skin laxity. This condition is more common in women, due to hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle and late pregnancy, especially from the hormone relaxin. Over time, repeated cycles and hormonal contraceptive use can further weaken skin. Tall, slim individuals with thin bones tend to have weaker joints and looser skin, while naturally stocky or muscular people have firmer skin and stronger joints but reduced flexibility. Each group faces different challenges and benefits from tailored exercise—strength training for the hypermobile and stretching for the less flexible. Collagen quality affects cellulite type: hypermobile people are prone to ‘soft cellulite’ due to thinner, looser skin, whereas those with firmer connective tissue may develop ‘hard cellulite’, where tight ligaments exaggerate dimpling. Deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency effectively treats soft cellulite, while ultrasound cavitation is ideal for hard cellulite.”
Thin, more flexible women tend to have more skin laxity and ‘soft’ cellulite
Hypermobile people typically suffer from skin looseness
Thin, tall women and skin laxity
Collagen, hypermobility, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and ‘soft cellulite’
What can I do about soft cellulite and skin laxity?
Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment with London’s cellulite experts
Advanced, infrared / blue / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia
The Cellulite School™: Get advanced training in cellulite reduction and skin tightening
Hypermobile people typically suffer from skin looseness
Hypermobility is a broad term to describe loose connective tissue which is characterised by weaker and less collagen in connective tissues, including the skin. This results not only in loose joints but also in loose, thin skin.
So hypermobile / very flexible people tend to suffer from skin laxity from young age but especially so from their 40s and 50s, when collagen production decreases.
Females suffer more from hypermobility, due to to the action of menstrual cycle on connective tissue.
Hypermobility in females increases just before their period and also in the latter stages of pregnancy, due to the action of hormone relaxin. After hundreds of menstrual cycles skin is left a bit weaker and looser.
The contraceptive pill can make this situation even worse.
Thin, tall women and skin laxity
Naturally tall, slim, “thin boned” people generally tend to have increased flexibility/mobility, weaker joints and weaker/thin skin.
Flexibility is great but can also lead to joint weakness and skin looseness, so resistance exercise to strengthen and tighten muscles and joints and deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency treatment to strengthen and tighten the skin are recommended.
In contrast, more naturally muscly/”stocky”/”big boned” people generally tend to have stronger joints and thicker/firmer skin but decreased flexibility/mobility. These people need to do more stretching to keep their muscles and joints flexible but luckily they do not need to do much to keep their skin firm.
Too flexible or too stiff joints can lead to injury, so the key is to focus on correcting what you don’t have: strength or flexibility.
Collagen, hypermobility, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and ‘soft cellulite’
Cellulite is affected by collagen levels / connective tissue quality in two ways:
In flexible / hypermobile people the dermis is generally looser and/or thinner and this allows the hypodermal adipose tissue globules to protrude on the skin surface, leading to the appearance of ‘soft cellulite’, i.e. the combination of cellulite and skin laxity. This is especially true for women and men with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), who have more ‘soft cellulite’ and skin laxity.
In “firmer” people the retinaculae cutis (skin ligaments) tend to be more fibrotic and shortened and by pulling skin down they accentuate the appearance of cellulite as ‘hard cellulite’, i.e. the combination of cellulite and fibrosis
So, each group of has its own type of cellulite, which colloquially is called either ‘soft cellulite’ or ‘hard cellulite’.
What can I do about soft cellulite and skin laxity?
The best SAFE and effective technology available today for combined skin tightening and cellulite reduction is deep-acting, high-power radiofrequency.
This type of RF treatment stimulates both collagen production and collagen contraction, leading to skin tightening and cellulite reduction.
For hard cellulite, skin tightening is not required, so deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation is the treatment of choice.
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.
And for even better, faster results, we now combine our RF/ultrasound treatments with high-power red/infrared light LED treatment.
Our radiofrequency/ultrasound/LED treatments are comfortable, pain-free, downtime-free, injection-free, 99.5%+ safe and always non-invasive.
(No unsafe and ineffective RF microneedling or HIFU and no safe but ineffective acoustic wave therapy, superficial RF (bipolar/tripolar/multipolar etc), low power RF/cavitation, electrical muscle stimulation, lymphatic massage, cupping, dry brushing and no ridiculous bum bum creams.)
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.
Advanced, infrared / blue / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia
At LipoTherapeia we are passionate about phototherapy (also known as photobiomodulation/PBM, red light therapy, infrared light therapy, blue light therapy, LED light therapy etc) and we use the most powerful equipment available today (up to 200mW/cm2), for best results and treatment of large body areas.
We use specialised therapy protocols for skin rejuvenation / anti-ageing, pigmentation / post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), moderate/severe acne, skin redness, sensitive/inflamed/irritated skin, wound healing, sports injuries / musculoskeletal pain and overall wellness / well-being.
Our LED phototherapy sessions are comfortable, deeply relaxing and super-safe and are great to enhance our radiofrequency/ultrasound treatments for skin tightening / cellulite reduction.
On our booking page you can book stand-alone phototherapy sessions or combine them with our other treatments, as an add-on.
Learn more or check prices and book an expert LED phototherapy treatment at our London clinic.
The Cellulite School™: Get advanced training in cellulite reduction and skin tightening
Do you want to deeply understand radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, LED phototherapy, cellulite and skin tightening?
Attend a half-day, 1-day, 2-day or 3-day one-to-one masterclass and confidently offer your clients the safest, strongest and most effective treatment possible.
Service available via Zoom or at our central London practice.
Learn more or check prices and book training at our London clinic or via Zoom.