CELLULITE
We've all seen it. 90% of women have it. The longer you have it, the longer it usually takes to treat. It's not curable, but it can be reduced. What causes cellulite is debatable. How to treat it can be overwhelming. Many therapies treat the symptoms of cellulite, but we naturally treat the root cause.
To provide lasting cellulite treatments with Endosphères Therapy, it's important to understand the structure of cellulite.
Cellulite is a local disorder of the hypodermal subcutaneous tissue leading to cosmetic alterations of the skin, often called orange-peel skin.
Let's first understand the anatomy of the skin and the difference between fat and cellulite, so we can explain how Endosphères Therapy can treat the root cause of cellulite.
SKIN ANATOMY
Outer layer of the skin
Epidermis – waterproof barrier.
Middle layer of the skin
Dermis – contains hair follicles, sweat glands, blood vessels, nerve receptors and connective tissue.
Inner layer of the skin
Hypodermis – aka subcutaneous cellulite layer, a matrix of adipose connective tissue and fat cells separated by fibrous septae (collagen and elastin fibers).
FAT
Adipose tissue, also known as fat, is found in several places in the body. Where fat is located on the body is different for men and women, because its distribution is
driven by sex hormones and begins to take form during puberty. An interesting fact about fat is fat cells do not multiply after puberty. If your body fat increases it’s due to the fat cells getting bigger, the amount of fat cells you have remains the same.
There are two different types of fat tissue:
1. Visceral Fat – found between and around your organs and deep in your abdomen.
2. Subcutaneous Fat – found under the skin and can be removed by liposuction.
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FAT AND CELLULITE?
YES! Cellulite is different than the subcutaneous fat under the skin. Cellulite is hypodermal fat tissue and is inside the skin, which is above the subcutaneous fat tissue beneath the skin. We can consider cellulite to be part of the skin and it cannot be removed with liposuction.
Subcutaneous fat tissue (beneath the skin) is basically all fat with little connective tissue and water retention. This type of fat can be very thick and increase your girth, but it is deep enough that it does not normally cause bumps for us to consider it cellulite. Subcutaneous fat tissue can experience fibrosis, poor circulation, and inflammation; however, it is milder compared to visceral fat and cellulite. It develops due to higher caloric intake and may increase due to poor lymphatic drainage accumulation.
Cellulite contains fat and a high amount of connective tissue, water retention, and fibrous connective tissue. It is thin, superficial, and bumpy. It can experience lots of inflammation and poor circulation. The most slim and fit women can experience cellulite, so you do not need to have more fat beneath the skin to get cellulite.
CELLULITE GRADES
Grade 0: No cellulite.
Grade 1: Smooth skin when standing, but orange-peel appearance when sitting.
Grade 2: Skin has orange-peel appearance when standing and sitting.
Grade 3: Skin has orange-peel appearance when standing with deep raised and depressed areas.
CIRCULATION
Adipose connective tissue is nourished with lymphatic and capillary vessels that regulate the exchange of nutrients between your blood and tissues within the interstitial space. When there is an alteration to the vessels (blood and lymph), or when the exchange of nutrients slows down, the result is edema (swelling). When swelling is present it does not allow proper circulation to the area, causing a buildup in fat cells and hardening of the connective tissue.
There are two different kinds of vessels that effect swelling in the body. It is important to understand the difference between the vessels so we can properly address the symptoms they present.
BLOOD VESSELS
Blood vessels are found everywhere in our body. The blood vessels make sure our organs and tissues get the proper amount of oxygen and nutrients they need to work. Let’s keep in mind, skin is our largest organ. If our skin is not getting the essential oxygen and nutrients it needs, then it’s not going to be healthy and we can expect to see alterations in the way it looks.
LYMPATIC VESSELS
The lymph vessels are the pipes to our body’s sewage system and are found everywhere in the body. They are generally in chains or groups that are imbedded in fatty tissue and lie close to veins and arteries. The lymph fluid that flows through the vessels picks up the sewage coming from our tissues, then brings it to the lymph nodes where it can filter, attack, and kill bacteria, viruses, and anything harmful. Lymph nodes are found in the throat, armpits, abdomen, and groin.
DOES LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE REDUCE CELLULITE?
No, it only treats the symptoms.
Lymphatic drainage massages are the new craze to help you look slimmer along with the many health benefits. A manual lymphatic drainage massage helps to move the lymphatic fluid beneath the skin to improve drainage of excess body fluid. Successful lymphatic drainage may increase urination and allow you to appear less swollen while minimizing the appearance of cellulite due to less fluid
accumulation. If you have difficulty noticing a slimming effect from draining lymph fluid, it may be due to several reasons. One obvious reason is you may not have excess fluid on your body to begin with. However, based on experience from my own body and working on others for many years, inflammation is a major culprit for not seeing visible results from a lymphatic drainage massage. Seems odd to not have visible results from a lymphatic massage that is used to treat inflammation, right? That’s because a lymphatic massage is not treating the root cause of the inflammation, it’s treating the side effect of inflammation (the swelling) and it may help improve your immune system response. Treating the root cause of inflammation is different for everyone. Discovering the root cause of inflammation would require an extensive evaluation and we’re only here to discuss the effects on cellulite.
A manual lymphatic drainage massage may not be treating the root cause of inflammation or cellulite; however, Endosphères Therapy helps cause deep lymphatic drainage, reduce inflammation, and BONUS, it helps treat the root cause of cellulite.
How does Endosphères Therapy treat the root cause of cellulite?
Like a manual lymphatic massage, Endosphères Therapy helps drain lymph fluid causing cellulite to appear less prominent due less fluid accumulation (swelling) on the body. Unfortunately, just focusing on lymphatic drainage is not going to treat the cause of cellulite. To treat the root cause of cellulite and improve lymphatic drainage, we begin focusing on pain receptors and inflammation.
Step 1: Pain & Inflammation
There is a direct correlation between pain receptors and swelling. The dermis has a countless number of receptors that can perceive the stimuli of pressure, vibration, touch, heat, and pain. Studies have shown that the microvibrations and
micropercussions used with the Endosphères Therapy method can reduce the signals of pain receptors that are correlated to the inflammation causing the swelling. Inflammation is also known to cause pain due to the damaged cells releasing chemical substances causing the pain receptors to activate or lower their activation threshold. Thanks to the microvibrations and draining effect of Endosphères Therapy, there is a rapid resorption of toxic and inflammatory substances, by the lymphatic system, which ensures a fast resolution of inflammation and pain. The reduction of pain from the Compressive Microvibrations reduces the tenderness in the tissues following treatment.
Step 2: Lymphatic Drainage
Once the receptors that signal the swelling are treated then we can focus on reducing the symptom, the swelling. Over time swelling accumulates toxic
substances in the tissues which alter the structure causing disfigurement and imperfections such as orange-peel skin, also known as cellulite. The best way to remove swelling and toxic substances from the tissues is by intensifying the activity of the lymphatic system. Studies have shown that Endosphères Therapy, in conditions of interstitial stasis (impaired lymphatic drainage), is more effective than manual lymphatic drainage alone, guaranteeing stable and lasting results over time.
What makes Endosphères Therapy better than a manual lymph massage is the innovative sensor technology. It basically detects the resistance of tissue so the therapist can apply the perfect amount of compression to optimally treat every inch of the body with low frequency vibrations and rotational movement applied to the skin. The movement of the spheres enhances lymphatic flow through the pathways to ultimately drain and eliminate excess body fluid via the primary lymphatic ducts.
Step 3: Vascularizing Effect
Poor circulation (blood and lymph fluid) is a culprit for a bad environment that creates cellulite. Decreased circulation causes less oxygen and nutrients to the
affected area, lowers collagen production, and increases hydrostatic pressure which leads to fluid retention in the tissue.
Thanks to the honeycomb-like sphere pattern of the Endosphères Therapy, we’re able to achieve a sort of vascular workout effect by applying compression with lifting of the structure. This allows us to counterbalance hydrostatic pressure and promote a more balanced circulatory environment which improves metabolic exchange, oxygen supply, and microcirculation.
Step 4: Reshaping Effect
Poor circulation, swelling with toxic substances, and changes to the structure of connective tissue not only impacts the bumpy appearance of cellulite, but it also
causes the body to change its silhouette. Someone that may have once looked athletic and/or had curves, may appear less defined, swollen, and/or overweight. Once Endosphères Therapy improves lymphatic drainage, it focuses on reshaping the body’s silhouette. Thanks to the synergy between mechanical oscillations and low frequency vibrations, Endosphères Therapy causes microcompression on the fat cells and hardened connective tissue within the hypodermal layer, which in turn are broken down and restored to a more balanced state.
This activity is amplified by the counter response generated by the underlying muscle layers, which offers active resistance that strengthens the structures of the skin and connective tissue. During this stage of the Endosphères Therapy method, localized skin remodeling occurs, and it is possible to treat the most chronic types of cellulite. This physiological restructuring of the tissues is obtained thanks to the vascular, metabolic and purification activities, as well as the remodeling of the connective system.
Step 5: Toning and Relaxing Effect
To create harmonious distribution of a woman’s curves it requires a state of physiological, metabolic, and circulatory equilibrium of the different layers of the skin, and a firm muscle base.
Mechanical oscillations, caused by the Endosphères Therapy device, with a specific amplitude and frequency can act on the muscles and tendons. The vibrations stimulate the receptors in the skin, muscle, periosteum (connective tissue enveloping the bones), articular capsules (joint capsule), and ligaments which causes a reflex of contractions and relaxation. Over time, periodic vibration stimulation is considered have a powerful restorative effect on muscle tissue and neuromuscular reactions. The vascularizing action generated by Endosphères Therapy improves the uptake of oxygen and nutrients, favoring muscle reactivation which improves tone, elasticity, and muscular resistance. The toning activity caused by Endosphères Therapy effectively treats contractures, trigger points, and fascia-muscle inflammation related issues that may be causing pain and reduced flexibility.
ENDOSPHÈRES THERAPY TREATS THE ROOT CAUSE OF CELLULITE
As we have learned, there are many factors that contribute to cellulite, and it is a chronic degenerative dysfunction of the connective tissue. There is not a cure for
cellulite, but the appearance can be reduced and maintained. When it comes to treating cellulite, it is important to have a therapist that understands the anatomy of the entire body (especially cellulite), the grades of cellulite, and the stages of the treatment process so they know how to address your specific underlying issues.
Many treatment methods are effective; however, they may only treat the superficial symptoms. Endosphère Therapy is our favorite treatment because it not only treats cellulite, but it also improves circulation, lymphatic drainage, inflammation, aches and pains, muscle tone, bloating, skin tightening, hormone regulation, and more, while restoring your body’s natural shape.
It’s natural remodeling.