Cellulite affects as many as 90 percent of women, regardless of size and shape. But still, that doesn't make lumpy skin any easier to live with. What is it, really? How did you get it? And most importantly, can you ever get rid of the dimples? Check out this cellulite guide for answers to these questions and more.

What is cellulite?

Cellulite appears as areas of dimpled and lumpy flesh on the thighs or bum. The cottage cheese appearance is caused when the fibrous tissue that connects the skin and deeper layers of tissue becomes filled up with pockets of fat deposits that bulge and produce the classic bumpy appearance of cellulite. The more excess fat a woman has, the more severe the problem.

Who gets cellulite?

Whether you get cellulite or not is very much predetermined by your genetics. That's why even thin women aren't spared from the orange-peel syndrome. If your mother has cellulite, chances are you'll have it too. Women who are prone to cellulite develop the lumps during their teenage years, which can progressively become more obvious with age.

Why are women so much more likely to get cellulite, compared to men? Experts believe this is because of the structural differences in the skin layers of the two sexes. Men rarely develop cellulite because their network of fat cells reside deeper within the skin, while women's are nearer to the surface, causing the dimpling effect to be more apparent.