How to Get Rid of Cellulite: What Causes It and What Actually Helps

Few body concerns attract more product claims, and less evidence, than cellulite. It is also normal: most women have it, including very fit women, and it does not harm your health. This guide explains what cellulite is, which options have real evidence and how long their effect lasted in studies, and what manual body sculpting at our Beverly Hills studio can and can't change.

What causes cellulite?

Cellulite comes from the way your skin is anchored to the tissue underneath. Thin, tough bands of connective tissue, called fibrous septa, run from the skin down toward the muscle. Fat sits in pockets between them. Where the bands pull down and the fat pushes up, the skin dimples. Cleveland Clinic describes it as fibrous bands that tighten unevenly, letting the fat beneath push upward.

A 2020 review in Dermatologic Surgery by Bass and Kaminer puts these fibrous septa at the center of how cellulite forms, rather than fat alone. One caveat in fairness: the authors have reported ties to Endo, the company that made the cellulite injection Qwo, so it is not an independent review. Other sources describe the same model.

Several things shape who gets it and how much:

• Sex. Cleveland Clinic puts cellulite at 80% to 90% of women after puberty and fewer than 10% of men. One explanation is structural: in women the bands tend to run parallel, straight up toward the skin, while in men they crisscross, which spreads the pull.
• Hormones. Higher estrogen may contribute, which fits with cellulite often appearing or changing in adolescence and pregnancy.
• Genetics and age. Family patterns, skin thickness and age all affect how visible it is. Skin loses elasticity with age, so dimpling can show more.
• Weight. Extra body fat can make cellulite more visible, but fat is only part of the story.

What cellulite is not: a buildup of toxins, trapped lymph, or a sign that you are doing something wrong. None of the medical sources we used describes it that way.

What makes cellulite more or less visible?

The bands themselves don't change much, but the tissue around them does. Losing weight helps some people, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), but loose skin after weight loss can make dimpling more noticeable. Building muscle can make the skin over it look smoother and firmer; Cleveland Clinic notes that this takes two to three months or more of regular exercise.

That is also why before-and-after photos need care. A fair comparison uses the same light, pose, distance, time of day and muscle position, and it says how long after the treatment the "after" was taken.

Is it cellulite, or something else?

A few conditions can look similar and need a doctor rather than a cellulite treatment.

• Lipedema is a medical condition in which fat builds up in the lower body, and sometimes the arms, but usually not the hands or feet. Unlike cellulite, it is often painful, tender to the touch and prone to easy bruising and swelling. A 2021 US consensus on lipedema care treats it as a distinct condition that needs clinical assessment. It is not "advanced cellulite." You can have both.
• Cellulitis, despite the similar name, is a bacterial skin infection: red, warm, painful skin, sometimes with fever.
• Irregular skin after liposuction is a separate issue from everyday cellulite, and its aftercare belongs to your surgeon's plan. Our guide to lymphatic care after liposuction explains how that works.

What actually helps cellulite?

You can soften cellulite. You can't reliably erase it. A 2025 systematic review in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery pooled 24 randomized trials with 2,084 participants across many treatment types and found the studies varied widely and mostly followed people for a short time. With that in mind, here is how the main options compare.

Do procedures that release the bands work?

These have the longest follow-up of anything for cellulite, with real trade-offs. They are performed by physicians, not at a spa.

Cellfina releases the bands under each dimple with a small blade inserted under the skin. Its FDA clearance describes long-term improvement in the appearance of cellulite on the buttocks and thighs of adult women, with no significant loss of benefit through five years of observation. The study behind it was open-label and had no comparison group. It started with 55 women; 45 were still followed at three years and 37 at five, when the average improvement was 1.8 points on a 0-to-5 severity scale. That is strong for this field, and it is still one study of selected patients, not a promise for every person.

Avéli is a newer device that hooks each band through a small opening, about 3.5 mm, under local anesthesia, and cuts it. In the company-sponsored pivotal study, 74 women were treated and 68 were analyzed. Severity improved by an average of 1.5 points at three months. There was no control group, and the authors are consultants to or shareholders of the sponsor. Bruising occurred in 59 of the 68 women.

Cellulaze places a laser fiber under the skin. Its FDA clearance is for short-term improvement in the appearance of cellulite, with effectiveness judged on photos at three months, so treat claims of results "for years" with care.

Qwo, an injection meant to loosen the bands, is no longer a standard option. Its maker, Endo, announced in December 2022 that it would stop producing and selling it, citing concerns about bruising and prolonged skin discoloration.

Fat reduction is not the same thing as band release. If you are weighing devices that target fat, our guide to how non-surgical body sculpting methods compare sets out what each is cleared for.

Do creams and shapewear help cellulite?

Some creams help a little, for as long as you keep using them.

• Retinol. The AAD says a 0.3% retinol cream may have a small effect, and that it takes about six months or longer to tell. Cleveland Clinic notes that some creams cause skin reactions, so patch-test first.
• Caffeine. In a 2026 randomized, double-blind trial, 24 participants used a specific 2% caffeine nano-cream on one thigh and a placebo cream on the other for 12 weeks. Scores fell from 3.96 to 2.50 on the caffeine side and from 3.88 to 2.83 on the placebo side. So the placebo cream helped too, and the result applies to that formula, not to every caffeine product. The AAD adds that any effect needs daily use.
• Caffeine-infused shapewear. In 2014 the Federal Trade Commission settled with two companies over claims that caffeine-infused garments would reduce cellulite and slim the body. Norm Thompson agreed to $230,000 and Wacoal America to $1.3 million, both for consumer refunds.

Does massage or lymphatic drainage help cellulite?

Briefly, and only for the look. No massage has been shown to remove cellulite.

For endermologie, a suction-and-roller massage device, the AAD says study results vary and any improvement is temporary: cellulite tends to return within a month after sessions stop. Cleveland Clinic says there is no evidence that handheld massagers, foam rollers or cellulite rollers improve the long-term appearance of cellulite.

Lymphatic drainage has been studied mostly in a different group of people. In a randomized trial of 30 women with cellulite after thigh liposuction, two manual lymphatic drainage techniques with bandaging were compared over eight weeks. Both groups improved, with no difference between them, and there was no untreated group, so natural healing after surgery can't be ruled out. That says little about everyday cellulite in women who haven't had surgery.

The idea that drainage "drains cellulite" misreads the cause. Cellulite is not a pocket of trapped lymph; it is skin tethered by bands. Lymphatic work can leave legs feeling lighter, and you may like how your skin looks afterward, but the bands are still there. For the wider picture, see which lymphatic drainage benefits hold up.

What doesn't help cellulite?

This is the part most product pages leave out.

• Dry brushing. Cleveland Clinic says claims that it reduces cellulite are unproven; it puffs the skin up temporarily, so any smoothing is short-lived. A PubMed search run for us in November 2026 found no indexed studies of dry brushing for cellulite or lymph flow.
• Detox teas and cellulite supplements. Cellulite is not caused by toxins, so there is nothing for a tea to flush, and the AAD finds no evidence that any supplement reduces cellulite.
• Liposuction and fat freezing. The AAD says liposuction is not a cellulite treatment and can make dimpling more obvious, and cryolipolysis can remove small fat pockets but not cellulite.
• Wraps and steam for inches. Wraps can leave skin soft and warm, and heat feels good. A change in measurements right after a wrap is mostly fluid and returns. If you are curious about heat, read what steam and sauna can do for skin.
• Exercise alone erasing dimples. Strength work can improve how skin sits over muscle and is worth doing for your health, but it doesn't remove the bands.

What can we do for cellulite at LIMFAERA?

At our Beverly Hills studio, we can help your skin look smoother and your legs feel lighter for a while. We can't remove cellulite, and we won't promise inches off.

Our main body treatment is LinfoModellante®, a hands-only method Elizaveta studied with its creator, Manuela Shala, in Europe in 2022 and in Los Angeles in 2026. A legs session is 90 minutes and $300; packages are 4 sessions valid for 1 month for $990, or 8 sessions valid for 3 months for $2,040 (prices as of November 2026). We photograph you at the start and end of a course, in the same light and from the same angle, so you can see for yourself what changed and what didn't.

Two gentler options are about how your skin and body feel, not about cellulite. Our herbal body wraps use STYX Naturcosmetic formulas in a 120-minute ritual for $240. Our cedar body roller sessions take 45 minutes, you stay dressed, and they cost $75, with a $50 trial for new clients. Any smoothing either one gives is temporary.

We don't do subcision, lasers or injections, and our work is non-medical body care. If your legs are painful, bruise easily or look like lipedema, see a doctor before booking; diagnosed lipedema or lymphedema belongs with a doctor and a certified lymphedema therapist. After liposuction or a cellulite procedure, your doctor decides when hands-on work can start, and we need your surgeon's written clearance for post-op sessions. Our guide on who should skip lymphatic work lists other reasons to wait.

[ FAQ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get rid of cellulite permanently?

No method has been shown to remove it completely and permanently. The longest data come from Cellfina, a doctor's procedure whose FDA clearance describes benefit maintained through five years in the women still followed. That is one study, not a guarantee for every person, and most other options fade within weeks or months.

Why do slim or athletic people have cellulite?

Because cellulite depends mainly on the structure of the fibrous bands under the skin, not only on body fat. Cleveland Clinic notes it's common for very lean people to see it, and the AAD says most women, even very fit women, have cellulite.

Does lymphatic massage help cellulite?

Not as a treatment. Trials of lymphatic drainage for cellulite were done mainly in women recovering from liposuction, and they had no untreated group. It can leave legs feeling lighter for a while, but it does not release the bands that cause dimpling. Learn more about what lymphatic drainage massage is.

Does dry brushing get rid of cellulite?

No. Cleveland Clinic calls the claims unproven and explains that brushing puffs the skin up for a short time, so any smoothing fades. We also found no indexed studies of dry brushing for cellulite. Brush gently if you enjoy it, but don't expect it to change dimples.

Do caffeine creams or retinol work for cellulite?

A little, at best. The AAD says 0.3% retinol may have a small effect after about six months, and caffeine creams need daily use. In a 2026 trial of one caffeine nano-cream, the placebo side improved too. Neither has been shown to remove cellulite.

What is the difference between cellulite and lipedema?

Cellulite is a cosmetic dimpling of the skin and doesn't hurt. Lipedema is a medical condition: fat builds up in the legs or arms, often with pain, tenderness, swelling and easy bruising, and usually spares the hands and feet. Lipedema needs a doctor's assessment.

Does CoolSculpting or liposuction remove cellulite?

No. The AAD says cryolipolysis can remove small fat pockets but not cellulite, and that liposuction is not a cellulite treatment and can even make dimpling more obvious. Reducing fat and releasing the bands are different things.

Sources

1. Cellulite: What It Is, Causes, Location & Treatment, Cleveland Clinic, 2021
2. Insights Into the Pathophysiology of Cellulite: A Review, Dermatologic Surgery, 2020
3. Cellulite treatments: What really works?, American Academy of Dermatology, undated
4. Standard of care for lipedema in the United States, Phlebology, 2021
5. Comparative Analysis of Cellulite Treatment Modalities: A Systematic Review, Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, 2025
6. 510(k) K192185: The Cellfina System, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2019
7. Multicenter Pivotal Study Demonstrates Safety and Efficacy of a New Cellulite Procedure: 3-Month Results, Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 2023
8. 510(k) K102541: Cellulaze, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2012
9. Endo to Cease Production and Sale of Qwo (collagenase clostridium histolyticum-aaes), Endo, 2022
10. Clinical Effectiveness of a Novel Caffeine Nano-Cream for Cellulite Reduction: A Randomised Double-Blind Trial, Pharmaceutics, 2026
11. Norm Thompson Outfitters and Wacoal America settle FTC charges over weight-loss claims for caffeine-infused shapewear, Federal Trade Commission, 2014
12. Vodder manual lymphatic drainage technique versus Casley-Smith manual lymphatic drainage technique for cellulite after thigh liposuction, Postepy Dermatologii i Alergologii, 2022