The dreaded c-word was first used in Europe in the 1920’s and started popping up in American publications forty years later, starting with a famous one-liner in Vogue magazine: “Like a swift migrating fish, the word cellulite has suddenly crossed the Atlantic.”
French-born Nicole Ronsard was a beauty salon owner in New York City when she wrote her first book, entitled Cellulite: Those Lumps, Bumps, and Bulges You Couldn’t Lose Before
As Beyond Cellulite testifies, the lymph theory of cellulite is nothing new. Ronsard’s description of “the cellulite syndrome” and “the all-important lymph” serve to support her assertion that cellulite isn’t something that just happens. One of the major goals of her anti-cellulite strategy is to improve microcirculation, or circulation of the capillaries. As Ronsard explains,
“Our trillions of cells are ceaselessly at work to nourish, repair, and renew themselves. This ongoing activity, called cell metabolism, generates wastes that must be removed promptly… When waste products build up, they impede microcirculation to cells and tissues, decreasing the amount of oxygen and nutrients carried to the cells as well as reducing wastes eliminated from the cells.”
The result, Ronsard claims, is “tissue sludge,” which manifests itself as the dreaded cellulite.
Of course, Ronsard’s approach for treating cellulite centers on effective exercise and eating right. No surprises there. She recommends walking, bicycling, swimming, etc. –“all things in moderation” (a very French approach, a la Mireille Guiliano’s French Women Don’t Get Fat
Chapter Seven, entitled “Skin Workout,” provides a solid explanation of dry brushing and self-massage techniques while Chapter Eight deals with stress management and visualization (very Louise Hay).
It’s impressive that Ronsard published her first book on cellulite over 35 years ago, and yet her material remains fresh and pertinent to our Cellulite Investigation today.
