Previous comments about the pill causing water retention and mimicking pregnancy are spot on.

I went on birth control pills last summer at the age of 29. Shortly after starting, I noticed cellulite on the back of my thighs. I am petite (5'0" and 100 lbs) and active, so it is not a weight/fat thing in my case.

I highly recommend looking into Fertility Awareness Based Methods (FAMs or FABMs): Sympto-Thermal, Creighton Model, Billings Ovulation Method, Marquette Model, etc. I recently went off hormonal birth control for a host of reasons (numerous bad side effects, and learning how bad they are for our bodies!), and it is so freeing and empowering to work WITH our bodies and hormones rather than against them! Fingers-crossed that it helps the cellulite go away too!

Although I am feeling much healthier overall, I don't realistically expect the cellulite to go away or lessen as quickly as it came. Hoping to see improvement little by little.

I had mild cellulite before starting the pill, while I was on it (from age 17 to 40) and after I went off. I'm otherwise pretty lean - and a runner, and a weight-lifter. It's just genetics.

Anonymous wrote:I've been on a BC that is a generic for Seasonique since August of last year. I am going off it because I have so much spotting, it's ridiculous. I'm not sure if I am going to go on any birth control as my next option (I need an ultrasound to check if it's due to another issue). When I started this birth control, I got CRAZY cellulite. I'm 37, so I know part of it may be age, but it literally cropped up within three weeks of starting the pill. I am very active--I run over 30 miles a week, I try to lift two days, and I play softball. It's also been impossible to lose any weight, even with eating better and running more. For women who also got cellulite from birth control, did it go away when you stopped? If so how long did it take? I've hated my legs for months now and I'm dying to get back to normal.

Try a different bcp. I was on ortho cyclen, and it made me gain lbs. very quickly. I am now on the generic for Yaz, and the weight has come off

I am 46 thin but have cellulite. About 6 months ago I started dry brushing before showering. About 3 months ago I started regularly going to beginners yoga 2x a week and practicing from home about 1-2x a week. I have seen a reduction in my cellulite. The brush is round with a strap so you can easily hold in your hand. It was $6 in Ulta.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 47 and have been on the Pill for years and I still don't have cellulite.

A good portion of cellulite is purely genetic. I had very tiny very fit friends who had lots of it starting in their 20s.

Even when I gained weight during pregnancies --I never got cellulite.

I have always been an athlete--olive skin, firm legs. I have always lifted weights--past 24 years, squatted, etc.

I believe hormones can cause weight gain--bit so t necessarily cause. Ellulite unless you have a genetic predisposition for it.

What on earth does your skin color have to do with being an athlete?

Does olive skin get cellulite?

Anonymous wrote:I'm 47 and have been on the Pill for years and I still don't have cellulite.

A good portion of cellulite is purely genetic. I had very tiny very fit friends who had lots of it starting in their 20s.

Even when I gained weight during pregnancies --I never got cellulite.

I have always been an athlete--olive skin, firm legs. I have always lifted weights--past 24 years, squatted, etc.

I believe hormones can cause weight gain--bit so t necessarily cause. Ellulite unless you have a genetic predisposition for it.

What on earth does your skin color have to do with being an athlete?

I'm 47 and have been on the Pill for years and I still don't have cellulite.

A good portion of cellulite is purely genetic. I had very tiny very fit friends who had lots of it starting in their 20s.

Even when I gained weight during pregnancies --I never got cellulite.

I have always been an athlete--olive skin, firm legs. I have always lifted weights--past 24 years, squatted, etc.

I believe hormones can cause weight gain--bit so t necessarily cause. Ellulite unless you have a genetic predisposition for it.

I got really fat when on birth control. I lost it immediately when I stopped taking the pill. I have no question it was the pill.

Anonymous wrote:I was on bc as I was in a 1.5 year relationship with an unfixed male. No longer with him. Still on birth control (low dose) but definitely had an increase in weight (8lbs) and cellulite about two months after starting the pill. Now I'm undecided about going off bc and restarting if I enter a new serious relationship. Does starting and stopping have an effect on weight/cellulite?

Unfixed????

I was on bc as I was in a 1.5 year relationship with an unfixed male. No longer with him. Still on birth control (low dose) but definitely had an increase in weight (8lbs) and cellulite about two months after starting the pill. Now I'm undecided about going off bc and restarting if I enter a new serious relationship. Does starting and stopping have an effect on weight/cellulite?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:no. stop eating and it will go away.

Great suggestion! You're so helpful!

NP, but it is true. I went from 5'6, 128 lbs to 115 lbs and cellulite disappeared. It's fat.

Anonymous wrote:No. Cellulite has nothing to do with birth control and everything to do with your skin losing elasticity and showing fat more.

Birth control increases estrogen/progesterone ratios, which causes increased production of collagenase, the enzyme that breaks down collagen. Losing collagen causes the skin to lose elasticity, which, as you correctly pointed out, has everything to do with cellulite formation. Issue is that the hormones in birth control have a well established impact on skin elasticity.

Anonymous wrote:Ok, first of all, most of these incredibly rude posts should be deleted.

Secondly, I'm a medical professional. Estrogen does contribute to the formation of cellulite. If you go off of the pill, you'll have an easier time losing associated weight/fat deposits. If you do continue with hormonal BC, you might want to look for one with lower estrogen or at least with more progesterone to balance it out.

Idiot above me who mentioned pregnancy... The birth control pill mimics your body's hormonal responses to pregnancy, that is how it works and why it also contributes to the formation of cellulite.

All of that being said, cellulite is multifactorial... Hormonal, diet, exercise and genetics all play a role. You can control only some of those factors so it may not completely go away... But it could improve quite a bit. And you're NOT ruined.

Aren't you sort of a dick for calling another poster an idiot?

Thanks PP! I am OP and I was actually going to post an update in a few weeks. I switched from the other BC to a much lower estrogen pill (Taytulla) about 2 months ago. I haven't changed much about my diet but I've been lifting weights 3x per week and running a little bit and I've seen a change. I was working out just as much before but with a greater emphasis on running. I've done some races and in my race photos I can see a difference in how my thighs look. I also feel much, much less bloated overall. So despite what some posters have said, I personally can feel and see a difference. Thanks for your input!

Ok, first of all, most of these incredibly rude posts should be deleted.

Secondly, I'm a medical professional. Estrogen does contribute to the formation of cellulite. If you go off of the pill, you'll have an easier time losing associated weight/fat deposits. If you do continue with hormonal BC, you might want to look for one with lower estrogen or at least with more progesterone to balance it out.

Idiot above me who mentioned pregnancy... The birth control pill mimics your body's hormonal responses to pregnancy, that is how it works and why it also contributes to the formation of cellulite.

All of that being said, cellulite is multifactorial... Hormonal, diet, exercise and genetics all play a role. You can control only some of those factors so it may not completely go away... But it could improve quite a bit. And you're NOT ruined.