Unfortunately, there is no long term solution to cellulite. However there is some hope. A preparation known as aminophylline cream applied to the affected area twice a day reduces cellulite in some people. At this time aminophylline cream is only available through a prescription. It is not an over the counter preparation so do not go searching for it on the shelves of the local pharmacy The regular use of this cream in combination with the following suggestions should help to improve the look of the thighs and buttocks of women afflicted with cellulite:

* Maintaining lower fat stores with a well balanced low fat diet.

*Avoiding anything that encourages deep fluid retention, such as too much salt in the diet and too many diet drinks. In this case, the hormonal balance should also be evaluated.

Tone the muscles with daily buttocks, hip, and thigh exercises so that the fat cushion is sitting on a firm base. Exercises such as vigorous walking, swimming, and cycling are particularly helpful.

*Vigorously massage the areas of cellulite for 10 minutes each day to break down the fibrous mesh and the larger fat globules. Applying a hot water bottle or heating pad to the area prior to vigorously manipulating the area with aggressive judo chops will help, but care must be taken not to overheat and bum the skin. Follow the massage with an ice pack.

*If all else fails and you are desperate a combination of surgical liposuction to remove fat from the bulges and fat transfer to place fat in the dimples may even out irregularities and permanently remove some of the fat stores.

Few skin problems are more mysterious and cosmetically aggravating to women than cellulite. Heredity plays a large role in determining whether or not a person will be plagued with cellulite, although other factors such as weight and muscle tone are important as well. Despite low body weight and good muscle tone, some people still have marked cellulite. Others are blessed with a wonderfully uniform fibrous collagen net that leaves the skin even and smooth.

The bumpy, puckered, and dimpled irregularities of fat collection which occur over so many women's buttocks, hips, and thighs are called cellulite. These areas are often the first to attract fat and the last to lose it. Men are less likely to have problems with cellulite because of differences in hormonal make up and in their pattern of fat distribution.

A mesh of collagen fiber holds the fat under the skin. The bumps, dimples, and accompanying shadows of cellulite are simply the fat pushing out of the holes in the mesh. In order to reduce cellulite, the amount of fat must be reduced, the supporting muscles must be toned up, and the surrounding and intertwining protein mesh work needs to be altered. Although cellulite is difficult to get rid of, a proper diet will reduce the fat, exercise will tone the underlying muscles, and vigorous massaging will break down the protein mesh work and the fat stores, helping to improve the appearance of this condition.

Hard, slightly pitted flesh and lumps and bulges on the upper thighs and buttocks, which won't go away even when you lose weight. are generally caused through fluid retention and an accumulation of toxic waste in the tissue. Regular massage with a rough bath mitt or hemp glove and a special ivy- or seaweed-based cream can work wonders in decongesting and break-ing down these fatty deposits. Also try to eliminate most of the salt and spices in your diet and drink at least six to eight glasses of water or herb tea a day. The best exercises to shape up and firm the thighs are swimming, fast walking, dancing and gym exercises.

Most women who have cellulite would concur that it is almost indestructible. Maintaining a low body weight and lower fat stores helps but is no guarantee that this problem will not creep into your life with advancing age.

Heredity and hormonal changes play a role in the creation of this localized change to the smooth skin surface of the thighs and buttocks. The connections between the coating of the muscle and the skin stretch in some areas and contract in others creating a fibrous mesh. The fatty layer between the skin and the muscle thickens and pushes out of the holes in the mesh creating the uneven cobblestone appearance of cellulite.

Heat generating massaging creams, superficial suction devices, and electronic muscle stimulators are some of the techniques for which claims have been made that they work to reduce cellulite. It is doubtful, however, whether these techniques provide permanent results. They irritate and inflame the superficial tissue resulting in an accumulation of fluid (or edema). This layer of fluid behaves like a water cushion in the skin's second layer (over the fatty third layer). This effectively masks the cellulite, temporarily disguising but not solving the problem. The effect is similar to that of agents used to cause irritation, fluid shifts, and swelling of the skin to temporarily puff up and iron out wrinkles.