How to treat cellulite in smokers

Most people are aware of the negative health consequences of smoking, but did you know that it increases the incidence of cellulite? Of course, the first recommendation would be that the patient quits smoking but, in the meantime, smoking-related cellulite can be treated.

What is cellulite?

Cellulite occurs due to an increase in subcutaneous fat tissue. It forms nodules and it is essentially an alteration of the subcutaneous connective tissue – with an increase in the viscosity of the fundamental substance and a reduction of the venous-capillary and lymphatic circulation and fibrin production. All these functional and physiological changes produce disorders of fat cells and connective tissue, and circulatory disorders.

How does tobacco affect cellulite?

The nicotine in tobacco is the most powerful oxidising agent that exists and is harmful to all the organs of the body.

Cigarette smoke contains a mixture of dangerous chemicals such as ammonia, methanol, acetylene, benzene, and formaldehyde. These substances generate an increase of free radicals in connective tissues, accelerating the destruction of collagen which is the most important structural protein of the skin.

In the circulatory system, the intake of tobacco increases the consumption of oxygen by the tissues. This contributes significantly to a slowing of the microcirculation, capillary, venous, and lymphatic functions, causing a process of early ageing of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, as well as an early ageing of all organs in general.

Fat cells increase in size because they are saturated by the residues generated by slower circulation and which they are not able to eliminate. In some places the fat cells collapse which results in a decrease in the quality and quantity of collagen. This hardens the tissues and causes fibrosis that encloses fat cells. Those traps of fat are those are seen externally on the body and the appearance is popularly known as orange peel skin.

Treatments for cellulite in smokers

Carboxytherapy

Carboxytherapy is the subcutaneous administration of carbon dioxide gas (CO2), which increases the amount and speed of blood flow, improving microcirculation and lymphatic drainage in the treated area. This produces an improvement in the metabolic reactions causing a decrease in fat volume.

Acoustic shock wave

These are highly energetic acoustic waves oscillating at high frequencies. They produce a vibration that breaks the fibrous septa present in the tissues with cellulite. They generate vasodilation and lymphatic drainage of the area, as well as a stimulation of the metabolism of fat cells, thereby reducing their size.

Alidya

This is an injectable treatment with a formula designed to solubilise and dissolve extracellular toxic elements, alkalinise the extracellular matrix, improve tissue oxygenation, provide the necessary components for matrix reconstruction and normalise the physiological function of adipocytes in adipose tissue.

Alidya is made of a mixture of amino acids and a chelating agent, associated with an alkalinising system of the extracellular space, designed to return balance to the structure of adipose tissue.