Does Pregnancy Cause Cellulite?

Gathered in pockets under the skin, cellulite is fatty tissue deposited usually in the hip and thigh and abdomen area.  Collagen fibers that bind fat to the skin may stretch, break down or tighten, causing the fat cells to sprout and get visible. This causes cellulite to have its distinctive dimpled appearance which is commonly portrayed as the effect of an orange peel. However, the main question is, does pregnancy cause cellulite?

Yes, in fact, one factor for developing cellulite when you are pregnant is a rise in estrogen levels. Estrogen is the primary reason for the fatty tissue structure in your body.

Some factors that lead to increased chances of having cellulite during pregnancy is as follows:

  • Age, being at a higher maternal age
  • Gaining weight is a common part of being pregnant, however, excessive weight gain can also be one of the factors.
  • Water retention, when the body retains the excessive volume of fluids in various parts of your body
  • Lack of exercise, poor diets, and activity patterns
  • Genetic factors could contribute to cellulite too

Since your body undergoes many physical changes during pregnancy, cellulite is likely to affect you with the increase in the subcutaneous fat. Further deposition of the fat means you have sufficient calories for pregnancy and lactation.

Cellulite is commonly seen on the hips, thighs, and bottoms, but it may also tend to be on your knees, tummy, and even under your upper arms. Cellulite is not, in general, a disease but it can bother you and affect your self-confidence.

More women generally seem to have cellulite than men do. One explanation for this is that women have more body fat than men, particularly around their stomachs, thighs, and neck.

Since we all have fat cells in our bodies, women of all weights and sizes may grow cellulite sometime. In fact, nearly  85 percent of women have cellulite according to the study.

Cellulite could look worse for a while when you’re pregnant. The explanation for that is that the weight you gain during pregnancy causes it o become more visible.

Unfortunately, if your mom had cellulite, you are probably going to have it too. The food you eat, the levels of hydration and hormones, and the way your body burns energy by metabolism, play an important role in whether you can have cellulite or not.

Nothing stops or gets rid of cellulite completely, as far as we know now. Liposuction is not advised for cellulite and may even exacerbate it.

You may be temporarily improve your skin by adding moisturizing cream. With massage, the skin will look firmer, too. However, there’s no evidence that these can help in a further capacity than this.

The best approach for reducing cellulite after recovery from labor and birth is to take on frequent exercise and a healthy diet. You need to keep healthy habits on a regular basis if you want to lose weight since random dieting can make cellulite worse.

Will pregnancy cellulite go away?

As cellulite is evident in most women past the age of puberty, pregnancy will only contribute to the increase and its appearance will get worse. As mentioned above, the most common factors contributing to cellulite development are gaining weight, increased hormone levels, and age. It is very common for women to get cellulite between the ages of 25 and 35 years as they start having families and settle into a more sedentary lifestyle in many cases.

Having said that, you should not be too worried about the worsening cellulite when you are pregnant. Because cellulite will gradually disappear after childbirth. Besides, you can take steps to reduce it once you have your baby.

Post-baby cellulite

Since cellulite consists of fat, it is best addressed by losing fat cells. Regular exercise is one of the most effective ways of doing fat loss.

Spot workouts like doing many crunches will not help you to reduce cellulite on your stomach.

According to the research, performing regular fat-burning cardiovascular exercises is one of the most effective ways to lose fat fast. In addition, you can also add some strength training sessions in your workout schedule every week.

Find a combination of aerobic activities, and try to make the cardio workouts more intense as you get better.

You can read and find more useful information on our website and as well as in our blog.

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