Beach Week: The Battle Against Cellulite

Beach season is here and what you probably don't want showing on the beach... is cellulite . An estimated 80-90 percent of women have it! The American Academy of Dermatology says there is no "proven permanent cure" for cellulite. But that doesn't stop companies from marketing new treatments. The latest are Velashape and Smoothshapes, which are treatments performed in a doctor's office. But do they work?

Watch the report from Fox 5's Dr. Sapna Parikh (video, left).

Keep in mind, treatments in a doctor's office can be very expensive and you may have to repeat the process several times to see results. There are various methods you can try at home. But before you buy anything, it is important to know a few basic facts about cellulite.

So, what is cellulite? Basically it is trapped pockets of fat close to the skin's surface that cause the skin to appear dimpled (the "cottage cheese" look). It tends to develop in hips, buttocks and thighs. Cellulite is not related to body weight -- you can be fat, or thin. Once you have it, exercise and diet will not necessarily banish it but a lousy diet and unhealthy lifestyle certainly won't help.

Cellulite affects mostly women and can be the byprduct of several factors, including hormones, lack of exercise  or possibly childbirth.

Below are links to more information and resources about cellulite:

MEDICINE.NET

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE ONLINE

MANAGECELLULITE.COM

Some people try to battle cellulite with clothing. One example is "fat-busting" undergarments that claim to eliminate that dreaded dimpled skin.

'CELLULITE FIGHTING' UNDERWEAR

There are also natural remedies you can try at home.

The links below spotlight two natural treatments.

FREE-BEAUTY-TIPS.GLAM.COM

BODY COFFEE INVIGORATING BODY POLISH

However, we stress nothing has been proven to be a permanent cure for cellulite.