Cellulite Treatment - The History of Cellulite
Featured Article
A historical look at
cellulite through
the lens of
Dr. Robert Wallis.
Where did cellulite come from? How did the modern woman suddenly become afflicted with this condition in the last 30 years? It seems to be growing in epidemic proportions.
Think about this for a moment; 90% of women are affected by cellulite. If there was another medical condition where 90% of the female population was affected, we would be bombarded with cellulite prevention information about this devastating condition, news on research and development, and promising new cellulite treatments would be every where. Pharmaceutical companies would be rushing to tap into the cellulite gold mine. It's every woman's fantasy to entertain the above when it comes to cellulite. However, dreaming will not get rid of it, but learning about cellulite as a disease of aging will assist one with prevention, and finding effective medical treatment such as Mesotherapy to get rid of cellulite and promote smooth legs.
Cellulite is the Modern Woman's Dilemma
Cellulite is truly a modern phenomenon as pointed out by Dr. Lionel Bissoon in his best selling book, The Cellulite Cure. But before delving into the history of cellulite lets look at the word "cellulite" itself. As per Dr. Bissoon, the word is of French origin and believe it or not, it was really introduced in and around 1923 by the French authors Alquier and Paviot. By the way, it is really pronounced cell-u-leet and not cell-u-lite. It was not until 1972 that cellulite became a household word to most women. Thanks to Nicole Ronsard's best selling book, Cellulite: Those Lumps, Bumps and Bulges you Couldn't Loose Before.
Cellulite Was a Sign of Prominent Social Status
Candaules, King of Lydia...
by William Etty (1800's)
In earlier times cellulite was the mark of wealth, high social status, attractiveness, and sexiness. It was really symbolic of someone who lived the good life. For example: they ate richer foods, were driven everywhere, and work was handled by their servants. We can see the association between cellulite and social status in Victorian Age nude paintings. Typically, the upper class were displayed in art during this time period, so along came the cellulite. Imagine in today's world, someone putting their cellulite on display because of all the aforementioned reasons. They would not elicit very much positive attention.
The Three Common Factors of Cellulite
Dr. Bissoon looked at the historical aspects of cellulite. In his research he found three factors which lead to epidemic proportions of cellulite:
- Changes in our modern diet.
- A reduction in our activity levels.
- Changes in fashion (specifically, women's under garments.)
For a complete discussion on the topic, I refer you to, The Cellulite Cure. Early evidence of cellulite comes to us today in the form of old paintings and photography. There are very few historical texts on cellulite. There is one article quoted in the medical literature dating back to the latter half of the 1800's and an article predating Alquier and Paviot's (1923) article in 1904. These few articles are of significance because cellulite was not as widespread a problem as it is today.
