Causes of cellulite:
- lack of physical activity
- smoking
- excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages
- poor nutrition
- hereditary factor
- hormonal imbalances
- sudden weight gain or loss
- thyroid dysfunction
- incorrect treatment, excessive medication
- frequent stress
- varicose veins
Why does cellulite appear?
Many people know that women most often suffer from cellulite. There is an explanation for this. The hormone estrogen has a negative effect on the activity of blood vessels, as a result, metabolic processes and blood microcirculation are disrupted.
The most common causes of cellulite can be:
- Nutrition. Eating foods high in saturated fat may cause cellulite. This problem is faced by people who eat a lot of spicy and salty foods, which retain fluid in the body, which causes swelling.
- Working “on your feet” or, conversely, a lifestyle that leads to stagnation of the lymphatic flow.
- Frequently wearing shoes with heels or clothes that are too tight.
- Smoking.
- Stressful conditions and prolonged unrest.
- Pathologies of internal organs and diseases of the circulatory system (varicose veins).
- Hereditary predisposition and body structure.
Anti-cellulite massage: the correct technique to perform at home
A course of procedures for home use consists of 10-15 procedures lasting 30 minutes.
- Do not eat food for one to two hours before the procedure at home.
- Take a shower, cleanse your skin
- Warm up your hands by rubbing one palm against the other for a few seconds.
- Apply the cream or gel to the skin of the buttocks and thighs. During the procedure, you can use natural citrus fruit oils
- Before starting the session, study the structure of the body's lymphatic system. During the procedure, it is impossible to exert strong influence on the lymph node areas
- At the beginning of the independent procedure, use the technique of smooth massage movements - stroking for 2-3 minutes. According to the location of the lymphatic system, movements should be directed from bottom to top
Gradually increasing strength, use the following massage movements:
Patting (light claps on the surface of the treated area)
Kneading (successive gripping, lifting, squeezing, kneading, rolling out muscles)
Pinching (intensive pinching of the skin of the legs and buttocks)
Rubbing (the technique is based on shifting the skin under the hands. Rubbing is similar to kneading, but is more intense and strong)
Vibration (this massage technique can be applied using the fingertips, hand, base of the palms, fist. The vibration technique consists of performing continuous or intermittent oscillatory movements)
Impact technique (chopping with the edge of the palm, one or two at a time)
Be careful with massage movements in the area of the inner thighs. Thin skin and a large accumulation of lymph nodes make this area very sensitive to mechanical stress. Strong pressure can lead to a negative effect from the anti-cellulite procedure, especially at home
- At the end of the procedure at home, with a relaxed hand, repeat the stroking technique to relax the body.
- Take a shower and rinse off any remaining massage product.
- Avoid eating for 2 hours after the procedure at home. This is necessary to achieve a more effective result.
Anti-cellulite massage of the abdominal area
- Do not eat food for one to two hours before starting the home self-care procedure.
- Take a shower, cleanse your skin
- Warm up your hands by rubbing one palm against the other for a few seconds.
- Apply anti-cellulite cream or gel to the abdominal area. You can perform the procedure yourself using special essential oils: juniper, orange, lemon
- Take a pose lying on your back with your knees bent. For comfort, place a pillow under your head
- At the very beginning of performing a massage technique for cellulite at home, use the technique of smooth massage movements - stroking the abdominal area for 2-3 minutes. Make all movements from bottom to top
- Increase the strength and intensity of your movements. Be careful, especially at home! During the massage session, do not put strong pressure on the abdominal area and internal abdominal organs!
- Repeat the massage movements for 10-15 minutes, then go back to stroking the abdominal area (1-2 minutes)
- Do not get up immediately after finishing your home massage session, rest in a lying position for 2-3 minutes
- Remove any remaining massage oil from your abdominal skin
Preparing for self-massage
Before you begin a home anti-cellulite massage, you should carry out the preparatory procedures correctly.
Preparation allows you to achieve the most positive results and provide an anti-cellulite effect in a short time.
Before you start massaging, you need to take a contrast shower, paying special attention to the hips and abdomen.
Further actions are performed in the following sequence:
- Stroking from the knees up. First, perform 3–4 light strokes on the outer sides, and then on the front and inner sides. For each zone, repeat the approach twice.
- Moving the roll of fat skin. Gather the skin roll at the knee, then move it along the legs, moving upward. Massage the outer side of the thigh first, then the front and inner. The number of approaches for each zone is two.
- “Kneading” problem areas. Grab the fold of skin with your hands, where the largest amount of fat deposits is located, and “knead” like dough.
- Rubbing in anti-cellulite cream. Apply a special anti-cellulite cream to warm skin and rub vigorously into the skin using your palms.
- Kneading problem areas. The palm should be clenched into a fist, and the knuckles should be drawn upward from the knees. First, the outer side of the thigh is involved, then the front and inner.
- Intense spanking. Use your palms to vigorously spank the outer, front and inner thighs.
- Gentle stroking. After intense spanking, you need to gently stroke your thighs on all sides.
After such preparation, the skin on the thighs should turn red and the anti-cellulite cream should be completely absorbed.
Then you can proceed directly to home anti-cellulite massage.
Anti-cellulite massage of the arms
It is important to start doing a home anti-cellulite procedure the moment you see the first signs of its appearance: loose or sagging skin on the inside of the arm. Timely massage delivers the best effect and helps prevent the appearance of deep cellulite. A properly performed anti-cellulite massage at home will not only improve the condition of the skin, but will also give results in the form of reducing the size of unwanted fat deposits. Time: 10-15 minutes for one hand.
- Apply cream or gel to the body for the session
- Do light anti-cellulite stroking with one hand (in the direction from the shoulder to the hand) for 2-3 minutes. During a self-massage session, work on the outer and inner parts of the arm
- Gradually move to the active rubbing technique
- Perform the pinching and patting technique
- At the end of the anti-cellulite session, again make several intense movements - stroking
- Remove any remaining massage oil from your hands
Features of anti-cellulite massage
If the patient has lymphostasis, then several lymphatic drainage procedures are first performed to improve lymphatic drainage. A course of anti-cellulite massage includes 8-10 procedures (the exact number depends on the severity and stage of cellulite). The first results can be seen after 5-6 sessions. The effect is manifested by a reduction in the volume of problem areas, the disappearance of the “orange peel”, and an improvement in the structure of the skin.
After an anti-cellulite massage session, redness of the skin and bruises may appear. This is considered normal and is associated with the characteristics of the blood vessels and their location. Mild muscle soreness is also possible, especially if the muscles are untrained.
Aids
Manual anti-cellulite massage is not the only way to get rid of the appearance of orange peel. At home, manual equipment can be replaced by an equally effective one - a can. Using cups, you need to perform circular movements on the surface of the problem area. Cups can be used independently for an effective massage against cellulite in any area at home and in everyday life: thighs, buttocks, arms, abdomen.
Special roller and vacuum electric devices can facilitate the process of performing a massage session.
If you are not allergic to bee products, use fresh natural honey instead of massage cream or oil. Honey accelerates the effect of removing toxins from the body and has an overall healing effect on the body.
In between performing anti-cellulite massage on your own, to enhance the results at home, it is useful to take medicinal baths using sea salt.
It is convenient to do the procedure using a wooden drainage brush with natural bristles. Be sure to study the structure of the lymphatic system before starting a massage session. The procedure using a brush is performed on dry skin without oils and creams.
Self-massage will give you a good effect at home, but to achieve better results, you can learn from real specialist massage therapists in the courses of our school of masters!
Author of the article:
Practicing: 15 years, Teaching: 8 years
Indications for anti-cellulite body massage
Massage treatments are recommended:
- for the prevention of cellulite;
- eliminating noticeable “orange peel”;
- getting rid of local fat deposits;
- normalization of cellular metabolism;
- improving intestinal functions.
A course of anti-cellulite massage provides a lot of positive effects:
- improvement of capillary blood circulation;
- activation of metabolic processes between cells and intercellular fluid, which improves their trophism and renewal processes;
- accelerating the removal of metabolic products from the intercellular space, thereby solving the problem of stagnant processes in tissues leading to cellulite;
- improvement of lymph flow;
- increased muscle tone;
- improving the elasticity of connective tissues;
- opening skin pores, activating skin respiration, providing tissues with oxygen;
- improving the structure of the skin by normalizing the activity of the sebaceous and sweat glands;
- strengthening the immune system by normalizing the functions of the lymphatic system.
