The beauty and diet industries might make us believe cellulite is a problem to be fixed, or at least concealed. But in fact, 90% of women have it at some point, osteopathic physician Lionel Bissoon told Scientific American. And in a recent Instagram post, fitness trainer and blogger Anna Victoria calls out how ridiculous it is that we still fear it.
Two photos show Victoria with and without the cellulite on her arm visible, People reports. “Lighting. Is. Everything. 99% of pictures you see on social media are taken in the best possible lighting and that ain’t no accident,” she wrote.
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"Yes, cellulite on your arms is a thing! I've had it since the beginning of my journey and while it's lightened up since then, it's still not totally gone...because I'm human. Seriously, girls, stop thinking you're the only one with cellulite and that it's some kind of disease!" Unfortunately, she then gives advice on how to reduce cellulite, which contradicts her original message: There's (seriously!) nothing unhealthy or unsightly about it. According to WebMD, it doesn't indicate a weight problem or any other medical problem, and the only reason to get rid of it is personal aesthetic preference.
Victoria and WebMD do agree on one thing: If you really want to get rid of cellulite, creams and other products created for that purpose don't work in the long run, so don't waste your money.
Other celebs including Ashley Graham and Lena Dunham have spoken out against cellulite shaming. Dunham recently posed on the cover of Glamour with the cellulite on her legs unphotoshopped, writing on Instagram, "Thank you to the women in Hollywood (and on Instagram!) leading the way, inspiring and normalizing the female form in EVERY form, and thank you to @glamourmag for letting my cellulite do the damn thing on news stands everywhere today."
Amen to that. No more stigmatizing the way women look, please.