If you spend any time at all watching television, reading newspapers of magazines or surfing the Internet and World Wide Web, you have encountered references to what is known commonly as cellulite. With that said, and while you may have heard of it oftentimes, you still may not fully understand what is cellulite nor why people end up afflicted with cellulite. Through this article you are provided an overview of both what is cellulite and why some people end up with cellulite on their bodies.

In basic terms, cellulite is a condition that can occur in regard to the bodies of some women and men. (Women tend to complain of cellulite more frequently; however, it definitely can be a problem - and sometimes serious - for both women and men alike. It is more commonplace with women, nonetheless.)

Cellulite is identified with the skin of an individual taking on what might be best described as an extremely dimpled appearance. People can start experiencing cellulite problems in the aftermath of puberty.

While it is accurate to state that cellulite technically can appear on any part of a person's body, the reality is that in the vast majority of cases cellulite will present itself in the pelvic region, abdomen and lower limps.

The term cellulite itself first came into use in the 1920s to describe this troublesome condition. In addition, many people have assigned some very descriptive and fairly widely used terms to describe the appearance of cellulite more succinctly. For example, cellulite has been described as cottage cheese, orange peel syndrome and hail damage.

Some people have confused cellulite with cellulites. They are not one in the same and are not related. Cellulites is an infection of the skin and connective tissues.

The fact is that the actual causes for cellulite are not well understood as of this point in time. While there has been a considerable amount of research on the subject, the reasons why some people get cellulite and others do not is unclear.

Some experts suggest that cellulite is caused in some individuals because of the manner in which fat cells and connective tissues interrelate in the bodies of some individuals. For example, women tend to have more inflexible connective tissues. Therefore, when interacting with fat cells that are expanding, this inflexibility can cause the appearance of cellulite. (This accounts for the fact that more women end up suffering from cellulite than do men.)

Other experts maintain that there hormonal and dietary influences associated with cellulite. Indeed, it is recommended that a person maintain a healthy and balanced diet as one step to take in order to reduce the appearance of cellulite or in order to avoid it in the first instance.