What is cellulite?
Simply put, cellulite is the buildup of fat underneath the skin. However, it is a little more complex because the exact mechanism of cellulite is not known. Cellulite is believed to occur when fat tissue connects with other tissue in a way that causes dimpling of the skin. This occurs below the epidermis in the dermis and fibrous septae, located above subcutaneous fat.
This means cellulite is not actually fat. It has more to do with how the collagen fibers between the skin and muscle separate the subcutaneous fat tissue into pockets. During the aging process since skin becomes thinner and loses elasticity, the rippled connective tissues become more noticeable over time.