WHAT MEN REALLY THINK ABOUT CELLULITE ON WOMEN

You have it on your thighs, stomach, and tummy - and so does every other grown woman. Obviously, we’re talking about cellulite. The term first coined by Vogue Magazine in the late 60’s to make every woman feel even more of a reason to critique their own bodies. Nevermind that cellulite affects an estimated 80-90% of women, appearing as dimpled, lumpy skin most commonly... Okay, you get the picture. But despite being a completely innocuous condition, most women feel self-conscious about cellulite, particularly when it comes to intimate relationships. But what do men do men actually think about it, and does it really matter? 

The Reality Behind Male Attitudes

An informal survey conducted by YourTango sought to answer this question by asking men directly about their thoughts on cellulite. The results revealed attitudes that might surprise many women who worry about this common skin condition. Granted, it was a small sample size, but relevant.

When asked whether cellulite changes their attraction to a partner, the overwhelming response from men was indifference or complete acceptance. Many participants indicated they simply don't pay much attention to cellulite at all. One respondent noted, "I don't pay much attention to it, nor do I really care about it," while another said the condition has “no impact” on attraction whatsoever.

Perhaps most tellingly, when asked to describe their partner's cellulite, many men struggled to provide detailed descriptions, suggesting they don't focus on or scrutinize these areas of their partner's body. Some responses included calling it "nice imperfections" or simply stating "what cellulite?" - indicating many men either don't notice or don't consider it noteworthy.

Beyond Simple Preferences

The survey responses revealed that men's attitudes toward cellulite are more complex than a simple like-or-dislike binary. Rather than expressing strong preferences either way, most men viewed cellulite as a normal part of the human body. One participant described it as "ripples in time," while another emphasized that it doesn't affect his love for his partner. And yes, there are some that prefer cellulite on their partner showing a sign of maturity. 

"I prefer a woman with some cellulite, it's sexy and more mature looking," one participant stated. 

Some men acknowledged that while they might notice cellulite, it doesn't significantly impact their overall attraction. The responses suggested that most men tend to view their partners more holistically, focusing on overall health, personality, and emotional connection rather than specific physical imperfections.

Does It Really Matter

Maybe it shouldn’t, but yes, it matters to most women who say it affects their body image. However, there may be a reason for this. Aside from rarely discussing it, we rarely, if ever see it in commercials, advertisements for feminine products – or even a runway model flaunting her cellulite. In other words, we’ve been conditioned by society with very little course correction on the attitudes of cellulite.

For example: During the Spring/Summer of the 2020 season, 86 plus-size models, who tend to have more cellulite to show, walked runways across all four major cities, a tremendous improvement that accounted for 2.8% of all models - but by Spring/Summer of 2025, that had plummeted to 0.8% percent. The dramatic decrease in pluz size models has been attrbuted to the Ozempic boom. 

The Bigger Picture

While this survey provides interesting anecdotal insights, it's worth noting that it was small-scale and informal. More comprehensive research would be needed to draw broader conclusions about male attitudes toward cellulite across different demographics and cultures.

What the survey does suggest, however, is that many women's fears about cellulite may be largely unfounded - as far as men's concern for the condition. The gap between women's anxieties about this common condition and men's actual attitudes appears to be significantly different, with men generally expressing far less concern about cellulite than most women might expect, and in many cases, prefering to see it on their partner.