Cellulite Factor

Almost all women have or believe they have cellulite.As it is more common to expose the body in certain cultures and in sunny countries such as Brazil,cellulite is of great concern to many women and also represents a problem of great social impact.  In today's globlalized culture, physical well-being,including care taken with appearance,is highly valued.From this perspective,it is very important to evaluate the impact on quality of life (QoL) of such cosmetic problems as cellite, wrinkles and aging.The fact that these have an impact on the QoL is indirectly shown by the growing interest in the investigation and treatment of these problems, which until recently were considered to be of minor singnificance. New studies involving QoL will benefit all those who suffer to a greater or lesser degree from these problems,and will be of great value in ssessing the need for new scientific research into the treatment of these problems.

   Medical treatments traditionally focused on quantitative factors,such as the reduction of morbidity and mortality and the assessment of treatment safety and social markers of health.Qualitative factors,such as patients' perceptions of well-being and capacity to perform activities of daily life were not a primary aim.In recent decades,however,the measurement of patient's quality of life and the evaluation of different treatments have been the focus of growing attention.

   Sarwer et al. published a review of the literature that focused on psychological and social-cultural aspects,their relation to physical appearance, and their influence on the decision to undergo cosmetic treatments[1].Their study revealed that in the 37 different cultures studied,men and women gave greater priority to sexual attraction in the choice of partners than to aspects of personality such as independence, emotional and maturity [1].Dermatological diseases and cosmetic problems significantly affect self-esteem.As the symptoms are visible,the discomfort and psycho-emotional effects are frequently more serious than the physical alterations caused by the disease.Thus,it becomes very important to assess and quantify the emotional and social parameters in these patients,in order to understand the disruption that the problem causes in various daily activities.This will facilitate the follow-up and treatment evaluation,and consequently allow for improvements in the QoL of the patients.Read more...