Does cellulite occur with age or by gaining weight?

Most of the time its genetic. so it COULD be to do with aging...

your body starts to function differently and sticks all the fat cells to your skin. and those are MIGHTY hard to get rid of more than normal fat :P
and yes

gaining weight... also influences... especially if most of that weight comes from sugar/oil/salt

tip: SPRINT INTERVALS... they do wonders for cellulite... it wont disappear completely but it will certainly improve :) unlike the fake creams!

Ashley, allow me to contribute to this discussion since I live in France where almost all cellulite reducing technologies evolved (to name a few: Mesotherapy, Endermologie, Ionithermie Detox and Lipomassage by Endermologie).

Before answering your question, let’s have a little visual on what cellulite is. This lumpy appearance on the skin is simply trapped fat in the subcutaneous tissue, just beneath our skin. Underneath our skin is a network of collagen fibers that resemble stockings with holes or better still, fish net stockings. In the subcutaneous level of our skin, fat cells are held in place by this fish net. When the fat cells are not inflated with water and/or fat, nothing sticks through the threads and everything looks smooth and normal. On the other hand, when these fat cells become bloated, a bumpy appearance is visible on one’s skin. This “orange peel” or “cottage cheese” appearance from that lumpy fat is what we refer to as cellulite.

Now, let me dissect your question and answer it in the best way I can.

Age
Yes, the probability of getting cellulite increases with age. Although cellulite can appear any time after puberty, it is a more common phenomenon for women over 40. Put more simply, as we grow older, the top layer of our skin starts thinning out, thus making the lumpy fat more visible from the surface.

In your particular case, you are only 24 so aging is not yet the predominant factor affecting your cellulite. There are still many ways you can do to reduce its appearance.

Weight gain
It’s a misconception that cellulite appears only in overweight or obese people. On the contrary, there are many slim persons who also have cellulite. Look at celebrities who also complain of this condition.

However, weight gain plays an important role in worsening cellulite. Let’s put it this way - when one is overweight or obese, two levels of fat cells exist:
(1) fat deposits in the upper subcutaneous skin layer and
(2) fat cells in the deeper level.

When the fat cells of an overweight person enlarges, they push against the upper layer of fat deposits, thus making cellulite appear much worse.

Aside from aging and weight gain, there are also other contributory factors in developing cellulite such as predisposed (genetic) factors and hormonal components.

Since cellulite is a complex problem, it must be addressed at the subcutaneous layer in order to eliminate excess fat and toxins.