Summary
There are three common skin problems associated with weight gain and loss. Cellulite, flabby skin, and stretch marks. To understand what is going on there follows a short tutorial on fat in the body. This material is primarily from a presentation by Dr. David Hill and gives a simple, but thorough, understanding of fat in our bodies.
What and Why of Fat
Body fat cells, also known as adipose cells or adipocytes, are like other cells in our bodies except they are specialized cells that contain a large droplet of lipid or fat. The number and size of fat cells varies from one body structure to another, and from one person to another. Clusters of fat cells make up adipose tissue or what we call “body fat.”
Fat has several important functions in the body.
• First, fat provides protection or “padding” for vital organs and structures acting as a shock absorber in the body. High amounts of adipose tissue is stored beneath the skin around the stomach, hips, and buttocks providing protection for vital organs.
• Second, fat provides insulation that helps slow heat loss through the skin.
• Third, and the primary function of adipose tissue or body fat, is energy storage. Our bodies make energy from the food we eat. One of the primary methods the body has to store energy is fat.
Excess storage of fat is a health risk for most. This occurs as fat cells are formed and swell up like balloons from foods eaten. When other forms of dietary nutrients used to produce energy in the body are scarce, fat cells deflate by releasing their lipids into the blood stream. Unfortunately fat cells do not “die” when they release their fatty contents and can re-inflate as more unused calories are converted to fat.
The process of creating new fat cells is called ADIPOGENESIS. The release of stored lipids from fat cells to be used for energy is called LIPOLYSIS. Managing a healthy body fat percentage includes reducing adipogenesis so fewer fat cells are formed, and increasing lipolysis so more of our stored fat is used for energy.
Cellulite
This dimpling or orange peel appearance of the skin on
the abdomen, buttocks, hips, or thighs comes from fat cells
in the inner layer of the skin. Unlike the fat cells
in the interior of our bodies that give the common unsightly
signals of being overweight these fat cells are not readily
used for energy in the body and therefore do not respond to
diet protocols the same. The reason for the dimpling
appearance is that in this layer of the skin the fat cells
are deposited between connective tissue or cords. As
the fat cells volume exceeds the length of these connective
tissues bumps or dimples are visible on the surface of the
skin.
Two other factors come into play. As we age the outer layer of the skin becomes thinner and less elastic therefore, the dimples become more apparent as we age. Secondly, the connective tissue is vertically oriented in women but crisscross in men. Hence, the dimples are more visible in women.
Flabby Skin
Flabby or loose skin is similar and different than cellulite. Many times as someone looses weight they loose fat cells and muscle tissue. If this is done rapidly the overlying skin cannot tighten as quickly the underlying tissue is eliminated. Also many times as you “pinch” flabby skin you will feel there is still quite a lot of underlying fat yet to be removed.
To eliminate flabby skin the most common advice is to use a slower weight loss procedure to allow the skin to adjust more evenly. This might not always be possible or advisable. Beyond this the procedures address the three components of the problem.
1) Continue to loose the excess fat below the surface of the skin (love handles) using diet techniques discussed in the material following.
2) Tone the underlying muscles. This requires the dreaded exercise and should be targeted at the areas below the sagging skin.
3) Nourish and tone the skin with essential oils, massage and other skin firming techniques so that it can steadily rebuild to its more normal structure. There is debate on how successful this can be with large amounts of excess tissue and some suggest cosmetic surgery is the only option. It would seem prudent to nourish and tone the skin for lengthy periods of time before resorting to the risks of surgery.
Stretch Marks
As skin is stretched with added fat cells (or during pregnancy) the dermis or middle layer of the skin that includes blood vessels may be stretched to the point that it tears and microscopic bleeding occurs. This tear with blood then is visible through the epidermis and is seen as a stretch mark. It will initially be a deep reddish or purple color and fade with time. For many the scarring will not completely go away without some treatment.
These marks typically appear on the abdomen, breasts, buttocks, thighs, or upper arms. Essential oils, with their healing properties that cause tissue to rebuild, are an excellent source of help.
[to facilitate searches also striae atrophicae,stria, fat cell, adipose, apidose, adipos, cellulite, lipolysis, liposis, adipogenesis]
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