Cellulite is fat stored just below the surface of the skin, which can look dimpled or rippled. Cellulite is more common in teen girls, though teen boys can get cellulite as well. Teen cellulite is not necessarily unhealthy, and there is no effective cure for cellulite, but teens who have cellulite can do things to improve their fitness, health, and body image.
Teen cellulite is not a different kind of body fat; it is just stored in a different way. It occurs around a teen’s hips, thighs, and buttocks, just under the skin, and looks dimpled. All teens have some fat stored under their skin, so even thin teens may have cellulite. The amount of cellulite a teen has is greatly influenced by genetics, which determine how and where his or her body stores fat.
In addition to genetics, there are some factors that may increase cellulite:
- Unhealthy diet
- Fad dieting
- Slow metabolism
- Hormones
- Dehydration
Some teens will always have some cellulite, but teens who are concerned about cellulite can try the following to reduce the amount of cellulite they have, and to keep their body healthy:
- Eat a healthy diet, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fiber
- Get enough water to drink every day
- Use regular exercise to build toned muscles and strong bones
- Avoid fad diets or yo-yo diets; it’s better to lose weight slowly or maintain a healthy weight than to constantly lose weight and gain it back
- Avoid smoking and second hand smoke
Most commercial treatments for cellulite are not effective, cost a lot of money, and can even make cellulite worse. Some of these include:
- Body wraps
- Fad diets
- Creams
- Dietary Supplements
- Liposuction or cosmetic surgery
Teens who have cellulite, but are otherwise healthy, should work on developing a good body image that includes accepting the way their body stores fat. Teen girls are more likely than teen boys to worry about how their body looks, but nearly every teen wishes something was different about his or her body. Teens should remember that even movie stars and models have make up artists and special effects artists who hide their blemishes. It is important to a teen’s physical and emotional health to accept and appreciate his or her body.
Here are some tips to help deal with teen cellulite:
- Exercise a few times a week; this will help keep you physically and emotionally healthy and feeling good.
- Wear clothes that flatter the things you like about yourself.
- Think of things you like about yourself and use those things to describe yourself; this may include kindness, a good sense of humor, intelligence, being hard working, being a good friend or sibling, your talents, etc.
- Focus on the things you like about your body, which may include things it allows you to do like walk, run, play sports, sing, play an instrument, read, listen to music, etc.
- Get involved in positive activities that build your self-esteem.
- Remember that, as hard as it can be to believe, beauty really is about more than appearance. This is why standards of beauty, including the shape that is considered ideal, change over time and from person to person. Friendliness, a smile, and self-confidence are always some of the most attractive traits a person can have.
- If you have depression, an eating disorder, or have experienced abuse in the past – emotional, physical, or sexual – talk to a doctor or counselor who can help you recover from these experiences and develop a healthy outlook on life.
Remember that your body will continue to change as you get older – sometime in ways you like and sometimes in ways you don’t – but you will always be able to find things to like about yourself and be attractive to others if you have a positive attitude.
What is Teen Cellulite Sources:
- MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, Cellulite [online]
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, womenshealth.gov, “Body Image: Are you imagining the wrong body?” [online]
