Whatever the actual cause in individual sufferers, the result is that fat cells are effectively trapped, and locked up in the collagen and elastin fibres. The local circulation is often slowed and the nerve endings may become compressed and tender.

Cellulite is imprisoned fat, and cannot be eliminated by diet and exercise alone. Cellulite can be treated in a variety of ways, with varying success.

Cellulite Treatments
Several substances have been found to be helpful in the treatment of cellulite, but generally these are effective only on cellulite that has not progressed to the point of trapping nerve fibres, and only during the period of use. The most common type of cellulite treatment are topical creams and there a wide range of creams, ranging in price and varying in ingredients.

Some of these ingredients include Caffeine, Theophylline, and other theobromides, Lipase, Adenosine Phosphate, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, and Asiaticoside, plant extracts such as Green Tea, Centella Asiatica, Peony, Seaweed, Capsaicin, Meadowsweet and Ivy. There are many products available with one or more of these ingredients, and multiple factors determine the efficacy of each product.

Endermology treatment was developed in France and has proved very popular as a cellulite treatment. There are several scientific and medical papers to prove its effectiveness in reducing the appearance of cellulite.