Olympic champion Ilona Maher recently shared a photo of her own cellulite on social media in hopes of “normalizing” the skin condition.
Maher, a rugby player who played on the USA team at the 2020 Olympics, went to TikTok to share the photo, which shows her competing in a previous rugby tournament.
Maher cropped the photo to show her left leg, where the cellulite is visible.
“I’m literally an Olympian,” Maher said in the video, while pointing to her leg. “I’m a professional athlete. I run all day. I lift weights all day, all the time. And this is what my legs look like.”
US rugby player Ilona Maher shared a video on TikTok about cellulite.
ilonamaher/TikTok
Maher noted that she has cellulite “everywhere” and said she’s okay with it.
“It’s perfectly normal, perfectly natural,” he said. “It doesn’t take away from your athletic ability or how fast or fit you are. It’s just something that’s part of your body. We all have it.”
Maher said she made the video to respond to people who may be ashamed of having cellulite or who may think it’s “gross” or “unnatural.”
Rugby union player Ilona Maher poses during the Team USA Paris 2024 Olympic Portrait, Nov. 15, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Harry How/Getty Images
Her video garnered thousands of comments, many of the women who spoke about their own experiences of being ashamed of cellulite. Others thanked Maher for trying to normalize it.
“I wish I’d seen this when I was younger when a coach told me my thighs were taking away my ability,” one commenter wrote. “I was 15 [years old] with a six pack”.
“You have no idea how much this means to hear,” wrote another commenter. “It doesn’t take away from how beautiful you are. And YOU are amazing.”
Ilona Maher of the United States in action during the women’s match between the USA and Spain during day one of the World Rugby Sevens series at FMG Stadium in Hamilton, New Zealand, January 21, 2023.
Michael Bradley/AFP via Getty Images
Cellulite is the medical term for collections of fat that develop just under the skin, causing the skin to appear “dimpled,” according to the National Library of Medicine.
Cellulite is a skin condition that can affect people of all genders, body shapes and sizes, and skin colors.
“Everyone has layers of fat under the skin,” the National Library of Medicine states on its website, adding that “collagen fibers that connect the fat to the skin can become stretched, torn, or pulled tight. This allows the fat cells to swell out.”
Some people may have more cellulite than others due to factors such as genetics as well as hormonal changes, dehydration and the body’s ability to burn energy, according to the National Library of Medicine.
The appearance and stigma of cellulite can cause some people to seek treatment options.
The Says the American Academy of Dermatology There are a few research-proven ways to help reduce the appearance of cellulite, including laser treatments, sound wave therapy, and subcision, a medical procedure that involves inserting a needle under the skin.
The AADA also says that there are certain creams and lotions that contain caffeine that can help reduce the appearance of cellulite by dehydrating the cells.
Nonmedical options for reducing cellulite also include regular exercise, a nutritious diet, not smoking, and avoiding sudden weight changes, according to the AADA and the National Library of Medicine.
