Cellulite is the name for the dimpled or lumpy skin that’s commonly found on someone’s thighs, butts, stomachs, hips, and arms. Cellulite forms when fat cells beneath your skin push up against your skin’s connective tissues—known as fibrous bands, or septa—causing the skin to dimple or pucker, explains board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, MD. It’s important to note that everyone has these fat cells, regardless of what you eat or how frequently you exercise, and that cellulite is completely harmless and extremely common, says Dr. Ip.
Though everyone and anyone can get cellulite, it’s especially common in women and people with vaginas, because their fat cells are contained in “chamber-like structures that favor the expansion of fat tissue into the dermis,” says Dr. King. Basically, it’s a ~gift~ you’re born with. Meanwhile, men and people with penises have criss-crossing connective tissue structures, making it more difficult for fat to push through and create dimpling.
Still, your body’s structure only plays a role in whether or not you develop cellulite. The other determining factors include hormones, genetics, age, weight, eating habits, pregnancy, activity, and how much collagen and estrogen you naturally have in your skin. Which, again, is why cellulite is so common in humans.