Is it fat or cellulite that I have on my thighs?

“TL;DR: Subcutaneous fat (what we call fat) and cellulite are two distinct types of tissue.

You can differentiate between the two by looking at them, touching them and also with an ultrasound scan, where you can clearly see the differences from inside (ultrasound scan examples shown on this article).”

Fat vs cellulite

• Do I have fat or cellulite on my thighs (bum, stomach, arms…)?

• Firstly, cellulite and fat look different

• Secondly, cellulite and fat feel different

• Thirdly, cellulite and fat look different with an ultrasound scan

• Have a skin ultrasound scan at LipoTherapeia® and take a look inside your skin

• Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts

• Advanced, infrared / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia

• Discover our professional training in cellulite, skin tightening, radiofrequency and ultrasound

Do I have fat or cellulite on my thighs (bum, stomach, arms…)?

This is a very common question at the clinic, as most people are misinformed about what cellulite is:

• Cellulite is hypodermal adipose tissue, i.e. fat within the deepest skin layer (hypodermis)

• Fat is subcutaneous adipose tissue, i.e. fat under the deepest skin layer (hypodermis)

But how can we differentiate between cellulite and fat in our own body?

Firstly, cellulite and fat look different

It’s simple. At the clinic we offer the following simple way to help clients differentiate between fat and cellulite:

If you see small bumps, that’s cellulite, while if you see long ridges or very large bumps, that’s fat.

• The connective tissue ligaments (retinaculae cutis) that comprise the “honeycomb structure” of cellulite are thicker and spaced closed to each other, so cellulite is comprised of many small bumps

• The retinaculae cutis that comprise the “honeycomb structure” of fat are usually thinner and spaced apart from each other, so fat normally does not reveal any bumps. However, fat is separated by septae, i.e connective tissue sheaths. When adipose tissue enlarges, those septae reveal either long ridges or large bumps.

Secondly, cellulite and fat feel different

You can also differentiate between fat and cellulite by palpating it:

• Cellulite is the soft superficial tissue that is small enough to be pinched between your fingertips

• Fat is the soft deep tissue that is large enough to be grabbed in your palm

• (BTW, muscle is the harder, even deeper tissue that is large enough to be grabbed in your palm)

Thirdly, cellulite and fat look different with an ultrasound scan

You may also see

We are the first clinic in the world to offer cellulite ultrasonography as a service and have already performed thousands of cellulite/fat scans.

With ultrasound cellulite reveals a honeycomb structure while fat that does not cause bumps or ridges reveals a much simpler pattern.

Ultrasound image of cellulite. The cellulite globule looks flattened just due to the pressure of the ultrasound probe. Normally it is quite round.

Ultrasound image of normal fat and no cellulite, with superficial fascia denoted by the red ellipse

Have a skin ultrasound scan at LipoTherapeia® and take a look inside your skin

Now you can have a session of Cellulite Ultrasonography™ at our clinic in London and see for yourself and differentiate between cellulite, fat and any potential fibrosis/scar tissue (very common after liposuction, cellulite surgery and harsh non-surgical procedures).

Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts

At LipoTherapeia we have specialised 100% in skin tightening and cellulite reduction for more than two decades and 20,000+ sessions.

This is all we study and practise every day and have researched and tried hands-on all the important skin tightening equipment and their manufacturers.

As strong, deep acting radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation are the technologies of choice for skin tightening and cellulite reduction, we have invested in the best RF/ultrasound technologies in the world.

Furthermore, over the last two decades we have developed advanced RF and cavitation treatment protocols in order to make the most of our technologies, for maximum results, naturally and safely.

And for even better, faster results, we now combine our RF/ultrasound treatments with high-power red/infrared light LED treatment.

Our radiofrequency/ultrasound/LED treatments are comfortable, pain-free, downtime-free, injection-free, microneedling-free, 99.5%+ safe and always non-invasive.

And our focus is on honest, realistic, science-based treatment, combined with caring, professional service, with a smile.

We will be pleased to see you, assess your cellulite, skin laxity or fibrosis, listen to your story, discuss your case and offer you the best possible treatment.

Learn more or check prices and book an expert cellulite / skin tightening treatment at our London clinic (49 Marylebone High Street, W1).

Advanced, infrared / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia

At LipoTherapeia we are passionate about phototherapy (also known as photobiomodulation/PBM, red light therapy, infrared light therapy, blue light therapy, LED light therapy etc) and we use the most powerful equipment available today (up to 240mW/cm2), for best results and treatment of large body areas.

We use specialised therapy protocols for skin rejuvenation / anti-ageing, pigmentation / post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), moderate/severe acne, skin redness, sensitive/inflamed/irritated skin, wound healing, sports injuries / musculoskeletal pain and overall wellness / well-being.

Our LED phototherapy sessions are comfortable, deeply relaxing and super-safe and are great to enhance our radiofrequency/ultrasound treatments for skin tightening / cellulite reduction.

On our booking page you can book stand-alone phototherapy sessions or combine them with our other treatments, as an add-on.

Learn more or check prices and book an expert LED phototherapy treatment at our London clinic (49 Marylebone High Street, W1).

Discover our professional training in cellulite, skin tightening, radiofrequency and ultrasound

Do you want to deeply understand radiofrequency, ultrasound cavitation, cellulite and skin tightening?

Attend a half-day, 1-day or 2-day or 3-day professional consultancy / one-to-one masterclass and confidently offer your clients the safest, strongest and most effective treatment possible.

Service available via Zoom or at our central London practice.

Learn more or check prices and book an expert treatment at our London clinic (49 Marylebone High Street, W1)