Do all women have pre-cellulite?
Do all women have pre-cellulite on their arms and legs when they do the pinch test? Does this mean that those areas will continue to advance if diet/lifestyle changes aren't made? (Reader's Question)
All women had a "pre-cellulite" fibrous structure on superficial connective tissue found within their hypodermis itself (lower skin) and under the hypodermis. In the absence of sufficient fat, water retention, or both, the structure is either not visible or or barely visible by a pinch test. This is the pre-cellulite: cellulite structure, just visible by pinching test. This is natural and normal. Of course, "not visible at all" is better than "barely visible", but at this stage, both are absolutely good.
Men also have this structure, especially if exposed to estrogenic factors, such as estrogen from plastic, estrogen produced in their fat cells (yes, fat cells do produce estrogen), and even sex change hormones. However, most men, although having this structure minimized, are also hidden under the hair, so it is irrelevant.
To answer the second part of the question: yes, if diet/lifestyle is unhealthy the cellulite will always develop from pre-cellulite in most women and some men.
The different cellulite stages:
However, in women, in most cases, there is enough amount of fat within the skin itself or under the skin to make the actual cellulite structure visible. In this case, we are talking about cellulite. This is the "stage 1" cellulite, which is clearly visible by a pinch test.
Stage 2 refers to cellulite clearly visible while standing, while stage 3 refers to cellulite clearly visible while lying down. Of course different aspects of the same thighs will have different stages of cellulite progression, perhaps stage 3 on the buttocks and saddlebags, stage 2 everywhere else etc.
Isn't cellulite just a normal aspect of being a woman?
Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, and cellulite due to it's ubiquity may be considered today as a common aspect of the female physique.
However, this does not mean that cellulite is not normal (in he absence of sugar consumpttion, drinking, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, overweight or all of the above cases, cellulite does not exist or is minimal), or that is unhealthy (cellulite is characterized by water retention, inflammation and fibrosis - definitely not the healthiest physical changes).
Obesity and overweight may be more and more accepted aesthetically and socially in today's Western world, a world where people feed themselves with bucketloads of sugar and cheap fat and carbs every year. However, obesity and overweight are not "normal" and are unhealthy, and are the main cause of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer in a variety of other conditions.
In the same way, pre-cellulite is normal, but cellulite is neither normal nor healthy.
