Cellulitis

Table of Contents:

1. What is cellulitis?
2. Prognosis
3. Symptoms
4. What medical tests are performed?
5. Causes of cellulitis
6. Prevention
7. Treatment
8. Medical specialist

What is cellulite?

Cellulitis is characterized by the appearance of dimpling around the thighs, buttocks and other areas of the body where there are areas of fat close to the skin. It is a common bacterial skin infection that can become potentially serious.

The skin that is affected looks red and inflamed, and is usually painful and warm to the touch. Cellulitis can occur on the arms, face or other areas but usually occurs on the skin of the lower legs.

We can distinguish between three types of cellulite:

• Hard cellulite: common in young women, it is one of the first external signs of cellulite. The skin is tight and grainy and gives the sensation of being well adhered to the muscle.
• Soft cellulite: soft touch skin, present mainly in areas where there is an accumulation of fat.
• Edematous cellulite: the least frequent and the most complicated to treat. Caused by poor circulation, aggravated by fluid retention.

Prognosis of the disease

Cellulitis is not a serious pathology and, in general, it is not contagious. If the pathology is not properly treated, the infection can spread to the lymph nodes and bloodstream. These cases are very delicate, as they can quickly become life-threatening.

Symptoms of cellulitis

Cellulitis causes various symptoms and signs that generally affect one side of the body. Among the most frequent symptoms we find:

• Swelling
• Red area on the skin that tends to expand
• Pain
• Tenderness
• Feeling of warmth
• Fever
• Red spots
• Orange peel
• Blisters

Cellulitis is a bacterial skin infection.

Medical tests for cellulitis

The specialist can usually diagnose cellulitis by looking at the patient’s skin with a physical examination.

In other cases, the physician may perform blood tests or other tests to rule out other conditions.

What causes cellulite?

The cause of cellulitis is infection of the skin by bacteria. The most common are staphylococcus and streptococcus bacteria.

There are many types of bacteria on the skin, and when a breakout occurs, they can cause a skin infection. Some of the risk factors are:

• Ruptures or peeling of the skin between the toes.
• Injury or trauma with a break in the skin
• Insect bites or stings
• Ulcers
• History of peripheral vascular disease

Is it preventable?

There are several precautions that can be followed that can reduce the risk of suffering cellulite or other infections. There are a series of recommendations that can help us fight cellulite and localized fat.

To begin with, when we have a wound on the skin we must follow the following steps:

• Wash it every day with soap and water
• Apply a protective cream or ointment
• Cover it with a bandage
• Observe possible signs of infection

It is important that people with poor circulation or diabetes follow additional precautions. This will help avoid skin lesions:

• Examine the feet daily
• Moisturize the skin regularly
• Cut toenails and fingernails carefully.
• Protect feet and hands with shoes and gloves.
• Treat skin surface infections promptly.

In case cellulitis recurs, the specialist may recommend a series of preventive antibiotics.

Cellulite treatments

The treatment is based on the use of a subdermal technique that produces a change in the texture and appearance of the skin. The most frequent are:

• Manual lymphatic drainage
• Mesotherapy
• Radiofrequency
• Ozone therapy
• Liposuction
• Liposculpture

Any treatment against cellulite must be combined with a healthy diet and regular physical exercise.

Which specialist treats it?

Cellulite can be treated by a specialist in Nutrition and dietetics or in Aesthetic Medicine. You can find the specialist who best suits your needs in the Top Doctors medical directory.