As we continue with our week of cellulite reflection, I wanted to figure out a way to give CI readers an opportunity to get more involved in the investigation. One of the main reasons I’m so excited to have a blog about cellulite is because it gives me the chance to connect with women around the world who share my passion for piecing together the cellulite puzzle. I believe that those of us who suffer from cellulite possess valuable information even the cellulite “experts” might not yet understand. This is why I send out occasional “Requests for Information” (RFI) from CI readers, so I can gather this data and integrate it with other research.
For example, a lot of the “experts” claim that cellulite is harmless and cosmetic. But after sending out an RFI, I learned that cellulite is physically painful for a lot of women (not just me). My traffic statistics confirm this evidence, since one of the most commonly googled terms by readers who find this blog is “why does my cellulite hurt.” The fact that cellulite can be painful is usually overlooked by the medical experts, but it’s a driving force here at the Cellulite Investigation. How can cellulite truly be harmless if it’s painful for so many women?
I believe we already have the answers to many of the mysteries surrounding cellulite –maybe not individually, but on a collective level. The information would become clearer if we could aggregate our disparate experiences. Is cellulite related to weight gain? We should know. We’re the ones obsessing over every added pound and meticulously observing each lump and dimple. Do cellulite creams work? We should know. We’re the ones spending billions of dollars a year on them. Does cardio increase or decrease the appearance of cellulite? We might find out if we carefully consider our collective experience on the matter.
In order to start gathering this valuable data, I’m launching a new series called Cellulite Stories. Each post will be based on a standard set of questions about your individual experience with cellulite. When did you first notice it? How has it changed over the years? What treatment options have you tried? Etc. You could also post sequels after trying a new approach, such as dry brushing or a marked change in diet, so we can document the results in our great big, dog-eared cellulite file. Of course, this data will all be anecdotal, but I happen to think anecdotal evidence is underrated these days. It’s true, what works for one woman might not work for another, but the more Cellulite Stories we document, the better we’ll be able to see the overall picture.
So here’s your chance, HarbourHouse, Rosy, Amandalynne. You might not think your Cellulite Story is significant on it’s own, but maybe it will reveal a special insight in conjunction with latebloomer’s or PCC’s, or when read by a women in Paris who notices a fine point the rest of us didn’t see. I’m working on establishing a format for our Cellulite Stories and I’ll post it next week. Until then, I’d love to hear any thoughts or suggestions you might have on our new investigative endeavor. And most importantly, please let me know if you are interested in sharing your Cellulite Story. It just might provide a piece of the puzzle we’ve been missing.
*Image I by Hilde Vanstraelen
Image II by Hannah Chapman
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I'd be happy to weigh in when you get your format fine-tuned. I'm trying everything I read here and in the guru's book; I know it will all take time, but I'm heading south for a vacation by the sea in February, and oh would I love to have started my cellulite "moving" by then! I'll really appreciate reading about other women's trials and tribulations and, even more, about their victories, large or small! Surely between us we can make make progress!
Do women in Paris even get cellulite??
Yay, latebloomer! I'm so excited that you're up for participating in the Cellulite Stories endeavor. I really do think that we will make much faster progress collectively, than if each of us trudged along in isolation.
As for the Parisians, I do think women in Paris get cellulite. Why else would France be the birthplace of so many cellulite creams and treatments? But I would guess they are probably much more vigilant about treating cellulite when it does appear. I have a friend who is half French, and she started to do some digging for me. Her aunt, a french women who is very health conscious and has no cellulite, said she would get some French articles to add to our investigation. Should be interesting!
A seaside vacation sounds lovely, and excellent motivation for swinging a cellulite regimen into full gear! I read that in Brazil, women sit at the water's edge and rub sand over their legs as a type of coarse exfoliation. I'm sure the salt water will be therapeutic, as well.
hi I'd love to take part! As someone who has only recently cottoned onto the horror that is a bum-ful of cellulite, I'd be excited to chart my progress and read about others' accounts. I just moved back to London (new flat, new job!) and have not had time to invest in a body brush yet, so I really am at the beginning.
Yay! So excited to get our little Cellulite Stories team going. And it is turning out to be quite the international affair, which should make it even more interesting.
I just posted the guidelines for crafting your Story. All you have to do is write short replies to five questions, and email them to Analyst (at) CelluliteInvestigation (dot) com. You can read more at the following post:
Five Questions for Crafting Your Cellulite Story
Thanks for participating in the case! Should be fun (and hopefully productive, as well!)