Want to Get Rid of Cellulite?

The Los Angeles area is home to dazzling Hollywood back lots as well as fluorescent-lit porn sets—two booty-conscious business arenas. Is it any wonder that a true cure for cellulite would be discovered by a dermatologist from this city of dreams? Howard Murad, MD, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at UCLA and the creator of Murad Skincare, has spent the past 30 years studying how internal factors affect skin aging. Recently he turned his focus to dimpled posteriors. His revelation? “Cellulite is a circulation issue, not a fat one,” he says. “Fortify the blood vessels through diet and you’ll firm skin, reducing lumps.” His new book, The Cellulite Solution (St. Martin’s Press), lays out an eight-week plan for a body overhaul, including a seven-day diet centered on nutrients that reinforce blood vessel walls.

Q: Can you really make cellulite a distant memory?

HOWARD MURAD, MD: I think so. When I evaluated male and female patients, the women were more likely to have cellulite as well as spider veins and thigh bruising. Clearly hormones—and genetics—are part of the reason. Broken capillaries indicate damage to the superficial layers of skin. To me, there had to be a link between those ruptured blood vessels and cellulite.

Q: What’s the connection?

HM: Weak blood vessels can’t carry as many nutrients to the dermis, so it deteriorates along with the circulatory system. This causes the bands of fibers surrounding fat cells in the skin to harden. They contract around fat, pushing it out and creating cellulite’s bumpy appearance. Exercise burns smooth body fat, not the hard dermal kind. Strong blood vessels increase circulation in outer skin layers, fortifying the dermis, which will hold down dermal fat and keep it from poking toward the surface.

Q: How do you know that your theory is correct?

HM: We did a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 34 women in which we gave half supplements containing blood vessel- and connective tissue-reinforcing nutrients such as glucosamine, used to generate hyaluronic acid. After eight weeks, the testers taking those pills had a 78 percent increase in skin firmness, making their cellulite less visible. We also noticed that they had less overall swelling and bloating.

Q: Are your supplements the only answer?

HM: You can get a lot of what you need with the right foods. The key building blocks are amino acids, the proteins in beans, whole grains, and seeds; essential fatty acids, found in flaxseed, walnuts, and cold water fish; and lecithin, in soy and whole eggs.

Q: So are topical creams total bunk?

HM: Topical preparations shouldn’t be underestimated—they will help somewhat by tightening skin. But they don’t make a big difference in terms of circulation. Endermologie should boost blood flow, but whether that actually happens, I don’t know.

Q: Are there cellulite reduction remedies that do work?

HM: I like dry brushing with a natural-bristle brush. It increases blood supply to the epidermis, stimulates the lymphatic system to get rid of toxins, and exfoliates, encouraging cell growth.

Q: Salmon is often touted as a skin superfood. Does your plan have a miracle ingredient?

HM: I don’t think there’s any single wonder food, but the closest is probably the goji berry. It contains amino acids, trace minerals, anti-inflammatories, and ounce per ounce, 500 times the vitamin C of an orange and more beta-carotene than a carrot. The taste is close to that of a fig. I like to snack on them and pine nuts.

Q: Is it true that you don’t give Botox shots?

HM: Yes. I haven’t used fillers in over 10 years either.

Q: You must be the only dermatologist in L.A. who can say that.

HM: Probably one of the few in the entire country. Botox erases a wrinkle, but the skin itself is unchanged. My approach is more philosophical; I recommend improving skin quality through diet. The furrow won’t disappear, but the whole face will be firmer and softer. After that, if people desire procedures, there’s a plastic surgeon in my office who offers injections. But most of my patients find that once their skin looks better, they don’t want the other stuff.