Is There a Change in Cellulite After Menopause?

If you are wondering if there is a change in cellulite after menopause, the answer is yes. Menopause is the last hormonal change in women's bodies and it has an effect on the appearance of a woman's body. Hormones can affect the skin and connective tissues that are involved in the appearance of cellulite and there can appear to be more cellulite after menopause.

Cellulite and Hormonal Changes

Hormonal changes occur naturally over the course of a woman's life. The first major hormonal change is at puberty. Pregnancy is another condition, which changes the hormonal balance in the body. As a woman ages, her body no longer stays in a condition to bear children as a result of aging and the hormonal changes that occur with age.

At menopause, the hormonal change will cause the skin to thin and the connective tissue to lose its tone. The skin also softens and is no longer elastic. All these skin conditions affect the appearance of cellulite.

Along with these changes, the connective tissue that holds the fat cells together is no longer as flexible. When the skin thins, the fat cells that bulge will become more visible, when there is an episode of water retention or extra fat. The elastic skin, that hid the fat cells before menopause, stretches and thins after menopause.

First You Don't See it, Now You Do

When the skin loses its ability to bounce back, it sags and will not hold its own shape anymore. The effect of softening skin and less elasticity also causes the cellulite to appear because as the skin loses it elasticity, it loses its ability to cover the fat cells. Consequently, what is beneath the skin, namely the structures of the bones, circulation system and fat cells, will become more visible after menopause.

Diet and Exercise Are Preventative Measures

To combat these effects, a combination of a nutritious and balanced diet with regular exercise can reduce the appearance of cellulite after menopause. It can be alarming to find cellulite in any case, but to have it worsen at menopause can be an unexpected and unwanted change. Proper nutrition will keep your body functions, including skin function, energized. Exercise will improve circulation throughout your body and will keep your skin as elastic as it can be.

Cellulite after menopause can be effectively checked with regular effort. Cellulite after menopause can also be a fact no matter what you do although diet and exercise can help. If you are bothered by cellulite after menopause, you can choose out of the many treatments that are offered to reduce cellulite.