Your biggest insecurity? Your thighs. Not only do you find them too large, or at least on the thick side, but they’re also covered in the bumps and dimples typical of orange-peel skin. A real source of frustration… You may even wonder whether having ‘big’ thighs plays a role in your cellulite. Here, you’ll find the connection between the two and the answer to the question ‘do you need to slim your thighs to reduce orange-peel skin?’. You’ll also find the everyday habits covered further down: diet, exercise, lifestyle and targeted treatments. Here are some explanations and tips!
Body shape and cellulite: two different things
First, let’s get one thing straight: 80 to 90% of women have or will have cellulite at some point in their lives. Superficial lipodystrophy is caused by a combination of factors — hormonal, hereditary, circulatory, and sometimes lifestyle-related. It can affect all women, slim or curvy alike. It results from an accumulation of fat and water in the deeper layers of the skin, giving it that characteristic bumpy appearance (commonly known as orange-peel skin). An almost universal phenomenon, yet one that causes enormous self-consciousness in women. Some very slim women will have very pronounced cellulite, while others, despite being curvier, may show barely any orange-peel texture at all. Cellulite is a bit like a lottery: its contributing factors are so random and variable that it’s very hard to predict who will be more or less affected!
What’s more, we shouldn’t talk about cellulite in the singular — there are actually different types. The type of cellulite you have can be very telling about your lifestyle. Aqueous cellulite, for instance, is not so much linked to diet or exercise, as it depends largely on the quality of a woman’s veno-lymphatic health. And veno-lymphatic insufficiency is primarily hereditary. So you can suffer from significant water retention, develop aqueous cellulite, without necessarily being overweight. Yet you may still have fuller thighs, rounded hips and heavier-looking legs — not because of excess weight or poor lifestyle habits.
Finally, it’s worth defining what we mean by “big” thighs. Are your thighs large because you carry a little extra weight? Are you very muscular in the thighs due to intense physical activity (horse riding, cycling, weight training), so that the muscle volume gives your thighs a full, rounded appearance? Do you have a naturally sturdy frame and build, making your thighs and legs look larger? The reason behind your fuller thighs can be a key piece of information. Because a very athletic person with well-developed quadriceps is actually less likely to show cellulite than a slimmer person with finer thighs whose erratic diet leads to adipose cellulite that is far more visible.
Do you need to slim your thighs to get rid of cellulite?
The answer is nuanced:
- If you have adipose or fibrous cellulite, meaning it’s directly linked to your lifestyle (a rich diet, little or no physical activity), diet and exercise are among the levers worth considering (see also our tips for caring for your thighs).
- That said, losing centimetres around your thighs won’t necessarily make your cellulite disappear. Cellulite remains complex: it involves fat, water and connective tissue all at once. Losing centimetres around the thighs alone won’t solve everything, and may not be enough to smooth out the bumpy texture of the skin!
Big thighs and cellulite: tailoring your approach to your situation
Fuller thighs don’t all have the same cause, so the approach to take isn’t the same either. If the volume comes from carrying a little extra weight and adipose cellulite, diet and regular exercise are your first levers. If your thighs are mainly muscular, or you have a naturally sturdy frame, strength training can have its place in a routine suited to your body shape. If they tend to swell because of water retention, favour water-based sports, avoid clothes that are too tight and consider cold water jets.
And if orange-peel skin also affects your bottom, the tips below apply to that area too.
What can you do to get rid of cellulite when you have fuller thighs?
To visibly reduce the appearance of cellulite, the key is to address its various components and/or contributing factors.
1- Focus on diet
Whether you have fuller thighs or not, diet is part of a balanced lifestyle. It should:
- Be low in sugar and saturated fats, as too much of them can contribute to fat build-up.
- Be low in salt, as too much of it can encourage water retention.
- Be rich in lean proteins.
- Include plenty of fruit and vegetables, as a source of vitamins and minerals.
- Be rich in water.
The advice is to fill your plate with whole or minimally processed foods, varied and home-cooked (so you can control the amount of salt and fat added). It’s also important to eat until satisfied — not too much, not too little — and never skip meals. Hydration should be adequate, at around one and a half to two litres per day — water, herbal teas, tea, juices and homemade smoothies , broths and soups.
2- Getting active with exercise
Whether you want to slim your thighs, tackle cellulite, or both, the key is to maintain regular physical activity. It should be built around three pillars:
- Daily movement, if only to keep your legs moving throughout the day. A daily walking routine of at least 30 minutes is recommended. Certain small actions should also become positive habits: taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking or cycling instead of driving, pacing about while on the phone, getting up regularly if you work at a desk…
- Long endurance sessions, 2 to 3 times a week. Some sports are often mentioned when it comes to cellulite, such as water-based activities (swimming, aqua aerobics, aqua cycling). You can also opt for other activities, such as cycling, the cross-trainer, rollerblading, skipping or Zumba… To mix things up, dance, Pilates or step aerobics are also worth considering. Finally, if your thighs are fuller because you’re prone to water retention, steer clear of high-impact sports involving repeated jolts (tennis, athletics, boxing, skipping rope).
- Regular strength-training sessions to work the thigh muscles. Certain core exercises, such as the wall sit, along with fitness moves (like Donkey Kicks, squats and lunges), are particularly well suited. Yoga is also worth a try, as it works the deep muscles. It can also help you improve flexibility. Poses such as Warrior II, Downward Dog, Half Moon and Eagle are a good way to work the legs.
3- General lifestyle habits
Certain lifestyle factors can also contribute to cellulite formation and/or fat accumulation around the thighs. For example:
- It’s essential to cut back on, or ideally eliminate, harmful substances such as tobacco and alcohol. Smoking weakens veno-lymphatic health and therefore worsens venous insufficiency, which is a key driver of cellulite. As for alcohol, it is extremely calorie-dense and nutritionally empty — it provides nothing but fast sugars, which, in excess, can be stored as fat.
- It’s best to avoid clothing that compresses the legs and thighs too tightly, as this can restrict blood flow and worsen the water retention that contributes to aqueous cellulite and/or swollen thighs.
- Sun exposure and heat are not ideal for cellulite, as warmth increases the permeability of blood vessel walls.
- Cool showers and cold water jets, applied from the bottom upwards, are recommended for a pleasantly fresh feeling on the thighs.
- Of course, quality sleep and avoiding stressful situations are part of a balanced lifestyle. Poor sleep and stress are often linked to weight gain and cellulite.
4- Targeted treatments
Finally, to look after your ‘big’ thighs and/or your cellulite, you can adopt a targeted skincare routine.
- For targeted care of “big” thighs, the thigh care programme contains products designed for this area. Treatments to apply morning and evening (cryo gel in the morning, night cream in the evening), 2 thigh belts (inspired by cryotherapy treatments), a pair of shorts (harnessing smart textile technology, micro-encapsulated with actives) and a 21-day coaching programme (targeted sports routines and recipes for legs and thighs).
- If you’d like to look after your orange-peel skin, the Maxi Anti-Cellulite Pack is well suited. It includes a skincare routine, with a cellulite scrub to use 2–3 times a week and a cryo cellulite cream to apply daily. It also includes a massage routine: our iconic anti-cellulite cupping cup to massage dimpled areas, our orange peel massager for a deeper massage and the cellulite oil to go with your anti-cellulite massages. Finally, it comes with two targeted coaching guides, including a comprehensive cellulite guide and a 21-day routine (exercises, recipes, tips).
Frequently asked questions
How can I reduce cellulite on my thighs?
The article suggests working on several levers at once: a diet low in sugar, saturated fats and salt, regular exercise, a balanced lifestyle and a targeted skincare routine including massage. Each lever is covered in detail in the section ‘What can you do to get rid of cellulite when you have fuller thighs?’.
What exercise should I choose if I have big thighs and cellulite?
It all depends on why your thighs are fuller: extra weight, well-developed muscles, a sturdy frame or water retention. The ‘Getting active with exercise’ section sets out the types of activity to combine over the week, as well as those to avoid if you’re prone to water retention.
My thighs have suddenly got bigger – what should I do?
If the size of your thighs changes quickly, speak to your GP or another medical professional, who can look into the cause. The lifestyle tips in this article remain common-sense habits: a varied diet, regular activity and clothes that aren’t too tight.
Related articles
- Cellulite on the back of the thighs: causes and tips
- Flabby thighs and cellulite: your action plan
- How to practise the pinch-and-roll massage on your thighs?
- 8 tips for a body that shines during the holidays!
- CelluBlue Body Challenge – Day 14
Useful categories: Thigh Cellulite, Targeting Cellulite by Area.
