“TL;DR: In this article we present 17 physiological causes and 16 lifestyle causes of water retention / edematous cellulite, followed by 42 tips on how to reduce it naturally.
Top 8 tips for quick results:
Have a hot and cold shower, at least on legs
Take centella asiatica, pine bark or diosmin and hesperidin supplements Keep your legs elevated, if possible
Have lighter food, mainly comprising salads, vegetables, berry fruits and lean protein (especially oily fish) and avoid saturated fats, sugar and refined carbs
Have some pressotherapy sessions
Use a low sodium, high potassium salt
Take up swimming
As a last resort, use graduated compression garments”
Water retention and oedematous cellulite
Water retention is a major cellulite factor: what causes it and how to prevent and reduce it
What causes water retention & oedematous cellulite? 17 physiological reasons.
Is it lifestyle or genetics that causes water retention?
What about oedematous cellulite? Does water retention cause cellulite?
What causes water retention and oedematous cellulite? 16 lifestyle factors.
My top 8 tips to quickly reduce water retention (water weight) on legs naturally
The full lost of 42 tips to help you reduce water retention and oedematous cellulite
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
Water retention is a major cellulite factor: what causes it and how to prevent and reduce it
A lot of our clients ask us:
What causes water/fluid retention on thighs, buttocks, lower legs or even the stomach?
Can/does water retention cause cellulite?
Does water retention make cellulite worse?
Water retention (also referred to as fluid retention, puffiness, swelling, oedema etc.) affects a large number of women and, to a lesser extent, men. Water retention occurs when the veins and lymph vessels can not remove water from the tissues efficiently.
Water retention can manifest occasionally (e.g. in the summer heat and/or if standing for long periods of time) or it may be chronic.
Symptoms can range from mild (e.g. cellulite or puffiness typically appearing on the calves, thighs, hips, arms and face) to severe (medical water retention / lymphedema).
Water retention can have many causes, both genetic and lifestyle-based. Check our comprehensive guide on the causes of fluid retention below and what you can do to prevent and reduce it.
What causes water retention & oedematous cellulite? 17 physiological reasons.
There are several physiological factors that cause water retention/oedematous cellulite, the most important of which being:
Vein wall / lymphatic vessel wall weakness and fragility: veins walls are partially damaged and herniate or leak blood/fluid into the tissues
Limited muscle contraction due to inactivity or excessive muscle static contraction due to standing all day (muscle contractions aid vein and lymphatic vessel tone and contraction)
Poor muscle tone of the vein/lymphatic vessel walls themselves: vein walls cannot effectively pump blood upwards
Valve failure on veins and lymph vessels: vein valves herniate leading to blood or lymph pooling or even flowing downwards
Low interstitial fluid turnover due to dehydration: tissues hold on to their water due to water scarcity, therefore little water leaves the tissues
High blood viscosity / coagulation: makes blood flow through small veins and capillaries difficult; increases in some health conditions and with the use of the contraceptive pill
High molecular weight hyaluronic acid build up in tissues, due to chronic inflammation
Constipation: obstructs blood and lymph flow in the abdominal area leading to blood and lymph pooling on the legs
Pregnancy: works in the same way as constipation; in addition increases retention of fluid due to excess estrogen production
Chronic low-grade inflammation: all inflammation by definition increases water retention
Impact injury: damage to veins and lymph vessels
Congestive heart failure: the heart cannot process blood fast enough and water is literally dumped in the tissues to reduce heart load (contraindication to lymphatic drainage massage, the heart itself must be treated first)
Kidney dysfunction: the kidneys retain sodium and water which then accumulates in the tissues
Post-operative lymph gland removal / other injury to the lymphatics, veins and lymph glands: removed glands call for special techniques to remove excess water from tissues (manual lymphatic drainage, specialised bandaging)
Excessive estrogen in the system: causes water retention
Excessive cortisol in the system: causes water retention
Albumin (blood protein) shortage: water cannot be carried away from the tissues to the blood due to the lack of this transporting protein
Is it lifestyle or genetics that causes water retention?
There are several reasons for the deterioration of function and integrity of the lymph and blood vessels.
Heredity/genes is one factor we think we cannot affect, but this could not be further from the truth: "bad" genes usually need bad lifestyle to be expressed, and vice versa, "good" genes need a good lifestyle to be fully expressed.
This practically means that even if you have excellent genes, a poor lifestyle based on stress, inactivity and junk food, will still lead to fluid retention.
Or, on the other hand, even you have poor genes, an excellent lifestyle will probably lead to very little or no water retention.
So lifestyle is what turns on or off your good or bad genes.
Furthermore, it is the only thing you can change, so instead of blaming your genes try to optimise lifestyle (stress, diet, exercise, sleep) in order to not suffer from water retention.
What about oedematous cellulite? Does water retention cause cellulite?
This is a common question at our clinic and the fact is that water retention and cellulite are inherently linked.
Most of the factors that cause water retention may also cause…
Loss of skin firmness
Low-grade inflammation
Connective tissue fibrosis
Superficial fat accumulation
…literally affecting all main aspects of cellulite.
This means that water retention is inherently linked to the problem of cellulite in most women. In cases where water retention is the main aspect of cellulite, we have what is called “oedematous cellulite”.
However, treatments that only deal with water retention and nothing else (such as manual lymphatic drainage massage) will not be able to reduce cellulite effectively, as cellulite is much more than water retention.
On the other hand, a good cellulite treatment plan should always effectively address both water retention as well as ALL other aspects of cellulite.
What causes water retention and oedematous cellulite? 16 lifestyle factors.
Here are 16 lifestyle factors that typically lead to water retention and cellulite, some of them by switching off your "good" genes and turning on "bad" genes:
Lack of blood vessel-nourishing nutrients: protein, antioxidants, polyphenols/carotenoids (so called plant antioxidants) and highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs)
Toxins, anti-nutrients and inflammation-producing foods damage the blood and lymph vessels or impair their natural function: saturated fats, oxidised fatty acids, hydrogenated fats, sugar, excessive alcohol and highly processed foods
Prolonged standing up, sitting down or crossing of the knees
Food intolerances or allergies lead to low grade chronic inflammation
Leaky gut syndrome allows undigested food particles, bacterial toxins and other substances to enter the circulation and irritate/inflame the lymph and blood vessels
The contraceptive pill or other hormonal contraception, such as patches, injections etc. increase blood viscosity and therefore capillary blood flow
Lack of sleep causes vein wall muscular tension and impairs vessel tissue repair
Inactivity / lack of exercise is detrimental to lymphatic and vein function
Constipation causes vein and lymph vessel obstruction
Pregnancy. Of course it is not a lifestyle factor but does cause water retention; works in the same way as constipation, but in addition leads to extra fluid retention due to the action of oestrogen.
Smoking causes vasoconstriction and blood vessel damage
Chronic excessive caffeine intake leads dehydration and consequently low tissue water turnover. This in turn leads to toxin and waste product accumulation and poor lymph drainage.
Not drinking enough water has exactly the same effect as excessive caffeine has on your tissues, i.e. poor fluid drainage leading to water retention
Certain medicines, especially cortisone/corticosteroids, lead to water retention due to their action on the kidney, blood vessels and other tissues of the body
Chronic stress has the same effect as corticosteroids - just milder - as it leads to excessive and chronic cortisol release
Excessive weight puts an enormous pressure on your vessels, as well as contributing to low grade inflammation
As you can see, with today's unhealthy lifestyle, there are plenty of reasons to develop water retention, and therefore it is no wonder that most women suffer from it to a greater or lesser degree.
The good news is that, since water retention is caused by an unnatural lifestyle, it can also be reduced by following a natural lifestyle and working with natural treatments.
My top 8 tips to quickly reduce water retention (water weight) on legs naturally
Here are 8 tips for quick results with water retention reduction, followed by the full list of 42 tips:
Have hot and cold showers or plain cold showers, at least on my calves and thighs
Take a maximum dose centella asiatica supplement (proven to help beat water retention better than compression garments) or the diosmin+hesperidin supplement mentioned below (if in doubt, ask doctor’s permission first)
Keep your legs elevated at night or even during the day, if possible
Have lighter food, mainly comprising salads, vegetables, berry fruits and lean protein (especially oily fish) and avoid saturated fats, sugar and refined carbs
Have some pressotherapy sessions
Use a low sodium, high potassium salt, ideally an one with a ratio of 2:1 potassium to sodium
Take up swimming
As a last resort, use graduated compression garments, but in a cool room (such garments are not fun in the summer)
The full list of 42 tips to help you reduce water retention and oedematous cellulite
First and foremost, stay active. The more your muscles contract, the more they help your veins pump blood and lymph vessels pump lymph from your extremities (where water retention is at its worst) towards your heart. Try walking, running or cycling, if possible, (but, of course, not in the heat).
If walking or running is too much for you, try swimming. With swimming you reap the benefits of exercise on circulation, without having to fight gravity.
Replace common salt with low-sodium salt. Sodium is known to retain water in your body, while potassium is a diuretic. Low-sodium salts typically contain 67% potassium with only 33% sodium (sometimes 50%-50%).
Have a cold shower or a contrast shower. Both cold showers and hot-and-cold (contrast) showers stimulate blood and lymph vessel contraction and therefore blood circulation and lymph drainage, respectively. If you cannot have a full body cold or contrast shower, have a legs-only one.
Have berry smoothies, berry juices and berries. All berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, you name it) contain polyphenols and carotenoids, which help support your blood and lymph vessels, plus fibre for your gut and very few calories.
Have lots of vegetables and salads (rich in carotenoids, polyphenols and fibre) and also vegetable juices - without apple or carrot juice in them.
Try centella asiatica extract, bilberry extract, horse chestnut extract, red pine bark or flavonoids with vitamin C. These supplements, popular in France, Germany and Italy, are widely available in the UK these days and are proven by multiple studies to help boost circulation and fight water retention. The flavonoid combination of diosmin and hesperidin, specifically, has been used for several decades in Europe and is extremely popular with women who suffer from fluid retention.
Massage your lower legs and thighs with firm, long upward movements - or have your partner to do it for you. Even a few minutes a day are enough to bring valuable relief. You may use a simple vegetable oil or add a few drops of essential oils of fennel, lemon or mint to it.
Have herbal teas, such as dandelion leaf tea, nettle tea and fennel tea, which are known to have a natural diuretic effect on the body
Do some vibration plate training, which is proven to boost circulation
Keep your legs elevated. If you work from home, put your legs on a stool while working on the computer. At night, and if possible during the day too, place a couple of cushions under your legs for half an hour or more.
Have lots of fruit - not just berries. Fruits are rich in the diuretic mineral potassium, especially bananas, watermelons and peaches.
Use graduated compression stockings, leggings or flight socks. However, try not to be too dependent on them, as with long-term use they tend to weaken your own circulation/drainage function. These garments can also be too hot in the summer, but as an emergency measure, worn in a cool room, they can help a lot.
Have a manual lymphatic drainage massage treatment. For the more frail ones or those more severely affected by water retention, with puffy, sensitive and painful legs, MLD is the treatment of choice, as it is very mild.
Have a normal massage treatment, if you cannot find an MLD treatment. Any relatively firm massage treatment that includes upward long strokes (effleurage) and some kneading (petrissage) and skin rolling (palper-rouler) will help boost circulation and lymphatic drainage and provide valuable relief.
Lose weight. This may sound like quite basic advice and not suitable for immediate relief, but it is one of the best things you cannot do for fluid retention in the long run.
Avoid sugar. Sugar is known to cause glycation and chronic, low-grade inflammation, both of which negatively affect the function of your blood vessels.
Avoid saturated fat, such as fatty meat, butter, as well as palm fat and coconut fat contained in many prepared/manufactured foods. The saturated fatty acids are more solid, in relation to any other fatty acids, and impair blood circulation.
Get rid of hydrogenated/trans fats, which are well-known to increase inflammation. Trans-fatty acids are usually found in pastries, pasties, margarines, biscuits, cookies, muffins, fried food and generally low quality prepared food.
Avoid frying. Frying results in peroxidised fatty acids and AGEs, which are known to cause inflammation.
Avoid omega-6 oils and foods rich in omega-6. The Western diet contains up to 20x more omega-6 in relation to omega-3, when the correct ratio is 4x omega-6 in relation to omega-3. Excess omega-6 fatty acids are well-known to cause inflammation. Omega-6 fat is found in sunflower oil, seeds, many nuts (macadamia nuts, sunflowers and sesame seeds have a very high content of omega-6), fatty meat and chicken and processed/prepared food.
Boost your intake of omega-3 fat instead. Omega-3 fatty acids, contained in walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds and flax seed oil, all contain omega-3 fatty acids.
Have oily fish or take some fish oil. Oily fish and fish oil contain the highly unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (HUFA) EPA and DHA, which help control inflammation, reduce blood coagulation and improve circulation. Sardines, mackerel, herring, salmon, trout and halibut are all good examples of omega-3 rich fish. If you are a vegan, you can take vegan EPA / DHA supplements.
Have extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), as a general use oil (and as mentioned above, don’t fry or cook at high temperatures). EVOO contains mainly omega-9 with lots of natural antioxidants in it, meaning it does not have the potentially pro-inflammatory profile of omega-6, but neither the benefits of omega-3. Given, however, that we cannot have too many omega-3s, neither too many omega-6s, nor too much saturated fat, omega-9s are the fatty acids to go for the vast majority of our fat calories. Omega-9 is also found rapeseed oil (only have cold-pressed), avocado and some nuts, such as almonds.
Cut down on smoking and vaping. Both tar and nicotine are known to have a negative effect in blood vessels and circulation.
Have some turmeric. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is known for its anti-inflammatory action.
Drink two litres of water a day. It may sound counterintuitive, but dehydration makes your body hold on to excess water, thereby increasing water retention.
Have some coffee or tea, but avoid excessive caffeine intake. Caffeine is a diuretic and it can make a quick difference in the short run, but excessive caffeine intake is known to increase water retention in the long run.
Cut down on alcohol. Alcohol is a known diuretic but has a negative impact in several systems of the body, so drinking alcohol is not a great idea when suffering from water retention in the heat.
Get rid of your constipation. Constipation can increase water retention by inhibiting the function of blood and lymph vessels in the pelvis area via compression. A couple of tablespoons of ground flaxseeds or chia seeds with two large glasses of water or juice every day can return most people to regularity. Vegetables, fruits and drinking lots of water are also essential to better bowel function.
Avoid dairy. Most adults are to some extent intolerant of dairy. Some are severely intolerant, suffering from a variety of symptoms, including gastrointestinal problems, constipation, low-grade inflammation, water retention and low energy. Replace milk and yoghurt with a vegan option and avoid cheese.
Try an elimination diet or a food intolerance test. Food intolerances can contribute to water retention and there are two ways to identify your food intolerances: an elimination diet or a test.
Get rid of "the pill". The contraceptive pill is well-known to impair circulation in many women. Have a chat with your GP regarding other forms of non-hormonal contraception, such as a non-hormonal copper coil.
Have a pressotherapy treatment. Pressotherapy (alternate compression therapy) is a great way to eliminate excess fluid. You can also buy a pressotherapy machine for home use. Those may not be as good as professional machines, but you can use it every day, for maximum benefit.
Do some calf flexions. Your calf muscles are known as “the second heart”, helping drain water from your calves. Do 50 calf muscle contractions at a time (e.g. calf raises), a few times a day to boost lower leg circulation.
Have some vitamin K2, which is known to help protect blood vessel integrity.
Don’t waste your time with dry body brushing. Dry brushing is the worst advice one can give for a water retention sufferer, as they could apply themselves / receive professionally a much more effective massage with a little oil and long strokes and kneading, instead of scratching the epidermis with silly dry brushing.
Eat enough protein: Protein is normally not associated with leg health and wellness, but considering that skin and blood vessels are made of protein, it make sense to get enough in order to be able to repair your skin and blood vessels. Most women do not have enough protein, due to their avoidance of meat, but with the huge choice of quality and tasty vegan and whey protein powders available these days, there is no excuse being deficient in protein.
Have more magnesium. Magnesium is known to help alleviate premenstrual fluid retention, plus it is a mineral that participates in 300 processes in the body and one that most people are deficient in. Have more vegetables and vegetable juices or take a magnesium supplement (just avoid magnesium oxide which causes diarrhoea).
Have some high flavanol cocoa. High flavanol cocoa is proven to improve arterial function and these days you can find high flavanol cocoa powder in most health food stores and on the internet.
Invest in air conditioning: I know it sounds obvious and may be a bit expensive in the beginning, but it is absolutely sane advice and it works out cheaper than endless massages and pills and suffering in the long run.
See your GP: If in doubt, or if you suffer from severe water retention, see your GP to identify any underlying health problems that may make you retain water.
Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts
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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.
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