How to Reduce Water Retention in Legs and Stomach?

With summer just around the corner, many of us are looking forward to long days at the beach, poolside parties, boat rides, and outdoor gatherings in breezy summer outfits. However, for some women, issues like water retention in legs and stomach, swelling, and cellulite can feel more bothersome and frustrating during these warmer months.

If you’re concerned about achieving your summer-ready bikini body and want to feel confident in your skin, we’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find a comprehensive guide to understanding the causes of water retention, its connection to cellulite, and effective ways to address these concerns for a smoother, healthier appearance.

What is Water Retention?

Before diving into the causes, symptoms, and ways to reduce water retention, it’s important to first understand what it is. Approximately 60% of our body weight consists of water, which plays a crucial role in our organs, muscles, and skin.

The human body operates through a complex hormonal system, closely linked to the kidneys, that helps regulate fluid balance. Under normal conditions, this system works to eliminate excess fluids and toxins. However, when this system is compromised, it can lead to the accumulation of fluid in the connective tissues.

Water retention, also known as the body’s tendency to retain excess fluid, occurs when the lymphatic system is not functioning properly. When this system fails to drain excess fluids and toxins efficiently into the circulatory system, it leads to a condition called edema, or swelling. The areas most prone to fluid buildup are the thighs and buttocks.

Here’s a quick overview:

Excess Fluid Build-Up: Occurs when the lymphatic system cannot efficiently drain excess fluids.
Common Areas Affected: Thighs, buttocks, and legs are most vulnerable to fluid retention.
Resulting Condition: Leads to swelling (edema) and can worsen the appearance of cellulite.

If you're dealing with these issues, exploring a water retention treatment can help reduce swelling and improve overall appearance.

Water Retention Symptoms

It can be challenging to differentiate between what causes cellulite and what is water retention sometimes. If you’re not familiar with the symptoms or what it looks like, here are some tips that can be helpful in recognizing the problem:

You can identify if it’s water retention or cellulite by the absence or presence of bumps.
If you notice a bump on your skin, lift the skin just above it and see if it disappears or not. If the bump disappears, you’re dealing with only excessive fluid.
Gently move your fingers across the affected areas of your skin. If your skin is sloppy and soft, it’s excess fluid. If it feels dense and firm, you have cellulite.
Lie down on your back with your legs raised perpendicularly. If all the bumps vanish, you have extra fluids.
You can experience acute or occasional swelling (after a long period of standing, due to medications, in hot weather, or during the menstrual cycle) or it can be chronic (caused by genetic, lifestyle, hormonal factors, etc.).
It’s important to note that fluid reservation is mostly present under the outer layer of the skin and there can be cellulite beneath the fluid. You can have both problems at the same time. You’ll have to deal with this issue first in order to treat the cellulite underneath.

Moreover, the symptoms may vary from mild (such as mild swelling in thighs and buttocks) to a serious condition with severe side affects (lymphedema).

Water Retention Causes

Extra fluid retention in the body can result from a variety of physiological, lifestyle, and hereditary factors that disrupt the normal function of veins and the lymphatic system. This disruption leads to the accumulation of excess fluid and toxins, causing puffiness, uneven skin texture, and the formation of dimples or cellulite.

Here are some common contributing factors:

Physiological Factors

Damaged or Fragile Veins: Weak or thin leg veins or lymphatic vessel walls can cause fluid leakage into tissues, leading to swelling.
Reduced Muscular Movement: Prolonged inactivity or static muscle contraction can contribute to fluid retention.
Chronic Inflammation: Persistent low-grade inflammation leads to fluid and toxin buildup.
Injury: Damage to lymph vessels or veins from trauma can cause swelling in the legs.
Weak Muscle Tone: Reduced muscle tone in lymphatic vessels or veins affects their ability to effectively pump blood upward.
Chronic Venous Insufficiency: The failure of vein or lymph vessel valves can cause fluid to pool and flow in the wrong direction.
Dehydration: Insufficient liquid intake can cause the body to store water in tissues.
Thickening of Blood: When blood thickens, it obstructs normal circulation through small blood vessels.
Hyaluronic Acid Buildup: Chronic inflammation can lead to the accumulation of larger molecules of hyaluronic acid in the connective tissues.
Poor Lymph Flow: Conditions like constipation can reduce the flow of lymph and blood, contributing to fluid retention.
Hormonal Factors: High estrogen levels, particularly during pregnancy, can hinder the flow of body fluids and increase extra water in body.
Renal Dysfunction: Kidney issues can cause sodium and fluids to accumulate in tissues.
Increased Estrogen and Cortisol: Elevated levels of these hormones increase the risk of leg swelling.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT): Blood clots can block normal blood flow, leading to fluid retention.
Reduced Flow of Interstitial Fluid: Dehydration can lead to a reduced flow of interstitial fluid, causing tissues to hold more fluid.

If you're wondering how to get rid of water retention in legs, understanding these contributing factors is a crucial step in addressing the issue. Identifying and managing the root causes can help you reduce swelling, improve circulation, and restore balance in your body.

water retention on legs, water retention in thighs, fluid retention, leg swelling, extra fluids

Genetic Factors

Genetic predisposition combined with an unhealthy lifestyle—such as lack of physical activity, poor diet, dehydration, sleep deprivation, and high stress—can significantly increase the risk of water retention on legs. These factors disrupt the normal fluid balance in the body, leading to swelling and discomfort.
On the other hand, if you are genetically less prone to fluid retention, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help ensure that your natural ability to manage fluid levels remains effective.

Lifestyle Factors

Insufficient supply of essential nutrients such as proteins, antioxidants, and fatty acids can make the body more prone to extra fluids in legs and other areas. A lack of these vital nutrients can impair fluid balance, leading to swelling and discomfort.
Consuming foods high in toxic compounds, sugar, saturated fats, salt, alcohol, and other inflammation-triggering ingredients can negatively impact your lymphatic and blood vessels, worsening swelling and hindering your body’s natural detoxification processes.
Prolonged and frequent standing or sitting, as well as crossing your legs, can also contribute to increased swelling in the body, especially in the lower extremities.
Lack of sleep puts additional strain on muscles, affecting the repair and function of vessel tissues, which can exacerbate fluid buildup and make it harder to reduce swelling.
A sedentary lifestyle and insufficient physical activity are major contributing factors. Regular exercise helps keep circulation moving, preventing fluid accumulation in these areas.
People with food allergies or intolerances may experience low-grade inflammation, making them more susceptible to fluid retention and requiring effective water retention treatments.
Smoking increases the risk too due to vasoconstriction and damage to blood vessels, impeding proper fluid circulation and leading to swelling.
Excessive caffeine consumption over time can reduce the flow of fluids to the tissues, contributing to the accumulation of toxins and fluid retention.
Conditions like constipation and pregnancy can lead to excess fluid buildup, especially in the lower body.
Hormonal changes, such as those caused by contraceptive pills, hormonal patches, or high estrogen levels during pregnancy, can cause fluid retention in various parts of the body.
Excess weight, chronic stress, and dehydration all contribute to the development of water retention in hips, thighs, and buttocks, making it crucial to adopt effective water retention treatments and healthy lifestyle changes to alleviate the symptoms.

Water Retention in Legs

Extra fluid in legs is one of the most commonly observed concerns among people who are prone to extra liquid storage. The condition where legs swelling is caused in the leg tissues due to the fluid retention called peripheral edema. What sets the base for this issue is compromised or problematic lymphatic system and circulatory system that causes incorrect fluid balance in human body.

Some other health conditions are sitting or standing for an extended period of time, being overweight, hormonal changes, and wearing tight jeans or stockings. In some cases, kidney disease can also be the reason behind swelling. Furthermore, some medical conditions such as disease or injury and inflammatory disorders can also pave the way.

GUAM Body Draining Formulas

Guam cosmetics is known worldwide for its result-oriented anti-cellulite creams, scrubs, wraps, gels, and oils targeted at treating the causes of cellulite at the comfort of your home. In addition to breaking down stubborn fat cells under the skin and restoring firmness to the skin, Guam Seaweed Mud Cold formula provide intense draining action that causes the removal of excess liquids and toxins from the tissue.

Excess water accumulates into the connective tissue it influences the lymphatic and circulatory systems, leading to the storage of fat cells. The huge amount of fat deposits constricts blood and lymphatic vessels, impairing the removal of toxins and fluids. This excess water in combination with tissue fibrosis gives the skin orange peel-like appearance or cellulite. This condition particularly affects specific body parts, forming cellulite on hips, thighs, and buttocks.

Both conditions can have a negative effect on your confidence, especially during the bikini season. If you feel a little under-the-weather at the thought of showing your skin, fret not. With proper care, drinking plenty of water, health daily diet, exercises, a lifestyle changes, and easy home remedies for retaining fluid you can decrease fluid retention and remove toxins from the body and achieve a firm and contoured body reducing water around waist and in lower body.

Water Retention Home Remedies:

GUAM Seaweed Mud DREN Plus
Draining Body Wrap for Legs

Reveal touchably firm, slender leg contours with the draining Guam Seaweed Mud anti-cellulite and draining body wrap. Formulated for swollen, heavy legs and gentle enough for sensitive skin - this revitalizing menthol-infused formula penetrates deeply to depuff and visibly reduce cellulite on thighs, calves, and hips, decreasing swelling.

GUAM Body Wrap Benefits:

Proven to reduce cellulite on legs
The cooling effect relieves heaviness, swelling, and inflammation
Fights puffiness from liquid retention
Visibly slims and contours lower body
Detoxifies and tightens skin

Shop

GUAM Fangocrema DREN
Body Cream with Draining Effect, Cooling Formula

With its exclusive formula based on GUAM seaweed, Sea Salt and Caffeine, GUAM Dren Cooling Effect Mud Cream provides draining treatment for the areas prone to water retention, such as legs and buttocks. As you sleep, these penetrating natural actives help your body to drain excess fluids from puffy, bloated areas while firming and tightening skin.

Contains a mixture of detoxifying ingredients
Provides noticeable slimming and smoothing effect
Deeply hydrates and invigorates the skin
The cooling effect refreshes and soothes the skin
Free from toxic chemicals and nickel
The formula is gentle enough for sensitive skin

Shop

Guam Dren Oil
Moisturizing and Draining Body Oil

Guam Dren Anti-cellulite Oil for Legs and Buttocks helps prevent skin imperfections caused by swelling. The nourishing emollient effect of sunflower and olive oils blended with the anti-swelling properties of Guam Algae and green tea, gives your skin a radiant, supple and velvety smooth finish. Guam Dren Oil is non-greasy, absorbs quickly and will leave your skin light, silky, firm and moisturized.

Contains a blend of anti-swelling ingredients
The formula is lightweight, non-greasy, and fast-absorbing
Rich in moisturizing and nourishing natural compounds
Reduces skin imperfection and water retention
Ideal for drainage massage on a lower body

Shop

Water Retention in Stomach

Also known as ascites, is characterized by bloating, puffiness, and swelling around the waistline. This condition can make you feel heavier or more sluggish than usual, impacting your daily activities and overall wellbeing. Some common causes include hormonal fluctuations, excessive sodium intake, the menstrual cycle, obesity, and issues with the venous or lymphatic systems.

Certain health conditions, such as heart and liver diseases, can also contribute to swelling in stomach. In severe cases, abdominal swelling can become uncomfortable, leading to symptoms like abdominal pain, indigestion, difficulty moving around or sitting comfortably, breathlessness, frequent urination, and constipation.

The are various methods on how to get rid of water retention in legs and the abdomen. Simple lifestyle changes, such as reducing salt intake, increasing physical activity, and staying hydrated, can help relieve the symptoms and improve your overall health.

Water Retention during Pregnancy

It’s not uncommon for women to experience water retention in pregnancy that leads to swelling in their legs, ankles, feet, and toes. The problem gets worse as the day ends than in the morning. Also, the further you’re into your pregnancy, the chances of having this issue more often also increase. The sudden shift in weight and inactivity are generally associated with such condition.

While it is not usually harmful to your baby, it can be quite annoying or painful. However, sudden swelling can be a symptom of pre-eclampsia that shows up during the second half of pregnancy, which can cause complications.

Normal fluid accumulation in pregnancy arises due to the storage of extra fluids in the body. It can be worse during hot weather or if you’ve been standing for a long time. Besides, the pressure on blood vessels caused by a growing uterus can also be the cause of this condition.

How to Reduce Water Retention

The treatment is mainly focused on drawing out excess liquids from the tissue and boosting blood flow to the affected areas. A comprehensive and constant approach is quintessential for achieving and maintaining desired results. A synergy of lifestyle changes, natural remedies, healthy habits, proper nutrition, in-office treatments, and at-home skincare products can help to reduce and eliminate excess fluid and toxins from the body.

Balanced diet:

A balanced low salt diet targeted at reducing the amount of excess water and toxins from the body can be highly beneficial in minimizing swelling and cellulite, especially if bad eating habits are the basic cause of fluid buildup.

Limiting the intake of trans and saturated fats sodium, soft drinks, processed foods, alcohol, sugary drinks and desserts, carbohydrates, bleached and refined flours, and diuretic beverages can be helpful. Load your diet with green vegetables, fruits, proteins, plain water, fish, whole grains, soy, and vegetable oils.

Consuming a lot of salt, especially from too much salty food, can lead to fluid trapped in the body, causing swelling. High sodium levels in the body can disrupt the balance of fluids, leading the body to retain water and result in noticeable swelling or edema.

Topical Products:

Topical skincare products formulated to drain excess water and toxic wastes from the skin can be useful in improving skin texture and tone. Choose the right formula that works the best for your specific problem. There are numerous firming, toning, and draining topical creams, scrubs, and muds in the market that can help to eliminate excess liquids and toxins effectively.
Look for products containing caffeine, horsetail, rosemary, and seaweed.

Physical Activity:

Exercises and sports play a vital role in helping to boost the lymphatic system, increase muscle tone, speed up metabolism, and encourage better blood circulation. Practice cycling, hiking, stretching, walking, water aerobics, running, and yoga for relieving inflammation.

Medications:

Unfortunately, there is no magic pill or medication for it that will treat the problem overnight. However, certain medications like Hydrochlorothiazide is seen to be effective in relieving edema caused by medical issues, like liver or kidney diseases and hormonal changes.
Magnesium supplements may help to reduce swelling as well

Professional Treatments:

You can consult your skin specialist or spa technician to decide the most suitable option for you have a look at draining seaweed body wraps that can provide draining treatments at the comfort of your home. A wide range of
GUAM Seaweed products with draining and toning properties mainly constitute potent seaweed, caffeine, plant extracts, essential oils, marine clays, and advanced bioactivity complex. With powerful draining products you can enjoy effortless spa-like draining and anti-cellulite treatment at home. All these products work effectively to activate fat metabolism, lymphatic system, and tissue repair and regeneration for optimal anti-cellulite effect.

What’s the Relationship between Water Retention and Cellulite?

This is probably the most frequently asked question regarding water retention and cellulite. If you’re also confused between the two, let us help you understand the connection between two. Both these conditions are basically interrelated.

The elements responsible for water accumulation in arms, thighs, buttocks, and hips may also lead to loss of elasticity in the skin, mild inflammation, degeneration of tissue fibers, and fat deposits under the epidermal layer of the skin. All these aspects are also related to the reasons behind the formation of cellulite. Therefore, water retention is innately associated with cellulite.

Although treatments specifically aimed at eliminating extra water are not enough to treat or reduce cellulite because cellulite encompasses a lot more than just fluid buildup under the skin. Conversely, an effective anti-cellulite treatment will also help to draw out excess fluids and toxins from the body, eradicating water in thighs, buttocks, and hips, etc.

What Causes Cellulite?

It’s essential to understand what causes cellulite. The adipose layer (panniculus) is maintained by collagen and connective tissue (reticular tissue). Microcirculation to this tissue provides energy (in the form of fat) to support a healthy body. This balance can be disturbed by various physiological and external factors, such as:

Inadequate nutrition
Hormonal imbalance
Stress
Unhealthy lifestyle
Medications
Genetic predisposition
Wrong fluid balance

Overweight and obesity are also thought to cause the accumulation of too much water in hips, thighs, and buttocks. Moreover, there are higher chances of developing swelling and cellulite during pregnancy.

Compromised lymphatic and circulatory systems can lead to impaired drainage of water and toxins, resulting in inflammation in adipose tissue. This can contribute to both cellulite and swelling.

What is Edematous Cellulite?

Many of you might have come across this term but may not know what it actually means. Well, edematous cellulite is known as the most severe or third-degree cellulite. Unlike cellulite caused by various factors including fat accumulation, it is mainly caused by obstruction in the lymphatic and blood vessels.

Edema occurs as a result of trauma, such as sprained ankles or broken bones. The body responds to injury by sending extra fluid to the affected area, leading to swelling.
Inflammatory conditions like arthritis or tendonitis can cause edema. The body's immune response triggers an increase in fluid around the affected area, resulting in swelling.
Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions, such as kidney disease, heart failure, and liver disease, can lead to edema. These conditions disrupt the body's fluid balance and can cause fluid retention in various body tissues.

Edematous cellulite mainly occurs in the legs, thighs, and lower legs, making them lose their normal shape. Your skin may feel soft, flabby, and swollen on touch and has an almost jelly-like feel when pressed.

This is due to chronic water retention. In severe cases, edematous cellulite can be extremely painful, especially if you sit or stand in one position for an extended period of time. Edematous cellulite is rare as compared to other types of cellulite and mostly affects middle-aged women.

SOURCES:

Kasper, D. Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th edition, McGraw-Hill Education, 2015.

America Society of Clinical Oncology: “Fluid Retention or Edema.”

White, C. Obstetrics and Gynecology International, 2011.

Stachenfeld, N. Exercise and sport sciences reviews, 2008.

Trayes, K. American Family Physician, July 2013.

PubMedHealth: “Causes and signs of edema.”

America Society of Clinical Oncology: “Lymphedema.”

National Institutes of Health: “What are the symptoms of preeclampsia, eclampsia, & HELLP syndrome?”

Ashina, K., et al. Histamine induces vascular hyperpermeability by increasing blood flow and endothelial barrier disruption in vivo, 2015

Dandelion, 2016.
https://nccih.nih.gov/health/dandelion

Kwashiorkor, 2019.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/kwashiorkor/

Lent-Schochet, D., & Jialal, I. Physiology, edema, 2019

Author of the blog Yana Nesterova

Yana is the writer behind the Guam Beauty blog who firmly believes in the concept that beauty begins in a person’s head, not in the mirror. Therefore, she strives to encourage her readers, who are beauty and skincare enthusiasts, to bring mindfulness into their skincare rituals by making more conscious choices. Her philosophy is to enable her readers to salvage mental peace and optimal health by living more mindfully and achieving their skin and body goals through
healthier choices.

How to Reduce Water Retention in Legs and Stomach? With summer just around the corner, many of us are looking forward to long days at the beach, poolside parties, boat rides, and outdoor gatherings in breezy summer outfits. However, for some women, issues like water retention in legs and stomach, swelling, and cellulite can feel more bothersome and frustrating during these warmer months.If you’re concerned about achieving your summer-ready bikini body and want to feel confident in your skin, we’ve got you covered. Below, you’ll find a comprehensive guide to understanding the causes of water retention, its connection to cellulite, and effective ways to address these concerns for a smoother, healthier appearance. What is Water Retention? Before diving into the causes, symptoms, and ways to reduce water retention, it’s important to first understand what it is. Approximately 60% of our body weight consists of water, which plays a crucial role in our organs, muscles, and skin.The human body operates through a complex hormonal system, closely linked to the kidneys, that helps regulate fluid balance. Under normal conditions, this system works to eliminate excess fluids and toxins. However, when this system is compromised, it can lead to the accumulation of fluid in the connective tissues.Water retention, also known as the body’s tendency to retain excess fluid, occurs when the lymphatic system is not functioning properly. When this system fails to drain excess fluids and toxins efficiently into the circulatory system, it leads to a condition called edema, or swelling. The areas most prone to fluid buildup are the thighs and buttocks.Here’s a quick overview:Excess Fluid Build-Up: Occurs when the lymphatic system cannot efficiently drain excess fluids.Common Areas Affected: Thighs, buttocks, and legs are most vulnerable to fluid retention.Resulting Condition: Leads to swelling (edema) and can worsen the appearance of cellulite.If you're dealing with these issues, exploring a water retention treatment can help reduce swelling and improve overall appearance. Water Retention Symptoms It can be challenging to differentiate between what causes cellulite and what is water retention sometimes. If you’re not familiar with the symptoms or what it looks like, here are some tips that can be helpful in recognizing the problem:You can identify if it’s water retention or cellulite by the absence or presence of bumps.If you notice a bump on your skin, lift the skin just above it and see if it disappears or not. If the bump disappears, you’re dealing with only excessive fluid.Gently move your fingers across the affected areas of your skin. If your skin is sloppy and soft, it’s excess fluid. If it feels dense and firm, you have cellulite.Lie down on your back with your legs raised perpendicularly. If all the bumps vanish, you have extra fluids.You can experience acute or occasional swelling (after a long period of standing, due to medications, in hot weather, or during the menstrual cycle) or it can be chronic (caused by genetic, lifestyle, hormonal factors, etc.).It’s important to note that fluid reservation is mostly present under the outer layer of the skin and there can be cellulite beneath the fluid. You can have both problems at the same time. You’ll have to deal with this issue first in order to treat the cellulite underneath. Moreover, the symptoms may vary from mild (such as mild swelling in thighs and buttocks) to a serious condition with severe side affects (lymphedema). Read next: How to get rid of stretch marks Water Retention Causes Extra fluid retention in the body can result from a variety of physiological, lifestyle, and hereditary factors that disrupt the normal function of veins and the lymphatic system. This disruption leads to the accumulation of excess fluid and toxins, causing puffiness, uneven skin texture, and the formation of dimples or cellulite.Here are some common contributing factors: Physiological Factors Damaged or Fragile Veins: Weak or thin leg veins or lymphatic vessel walls can cause fluid leakage into tissues, leading to swelling.Reduced Muscular Movement: Prolonged inactivity or static muscle contraction can contribute to fluid retention.Chronic Inflammation: Persistent low-grade inflammation leads to fluid and toxin buildup.Injury: Damage to lymph vessels or veins from trauma can cause swelling in the legs.Weak Muscle Tone: Reduced muscle tone in lymphatic vessels or veins affects their ability to effectively pump blood upward.Chronic Venous Insufficiency: The failure of vein or lymph vessel valves can cause fluid to pool and flow in the wrong direction.Dehydration: Insufficient liquid intake can cause the body to store water in tissues.Thickening of Blood: When blood thickens, it obstructs normal circulation through small blood vessels.Hyaluronic Acid Buildup: Chronic inflammation can lead to the accumulation of larger molecules of hyaluronic acid in the connective tissues.Poor Lymph Flow: Conditions like constipation can reduce the flow of lymph and blood, contributing to fluid retention.Hormonal Factors: High estrogen levels, particularly during pregnancy, can hinder the flow of body fluids and increase extra water in body.Renal Dysfunction: Kidney issues can cause sodium and fluids to accumulate in tissues.Increased Estrogen and Cortisol: Elevated levels of these hormones increase the risk of leg swelling.Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT): Blood clots can block normal blood flow, leading to fluid retention.Reduced Flow of Interstitial Fluid: Dehydration can lead to a reduced flow of interstitial fluid, causing tissues to hold more fluid.If you're wondering how to get rid of water retention in legs, understanding these contributing factors is a crucial step in addressing the issue. Identifying and managing the root causes can help you reduce swelling, improve circulation, and restore balance in your body. Genetic Factors Genetic predisposition combined with an unhealthy lifestyle—such as lack of physical activity, poor diet, dehydration, sleep deprivation, and high stress—can significantly increase the risk of water retention on legs. These factors disrupt the normal fluid balance in the body, leading to swelling and discomfort.On the other hand, if you are genetically less prone to fluid retention, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help ensure that your natural ability to manage fluid levels remains effective. Lifestyle Factors Insufficient supply of essential nutrients such as proteins, antioxidants, and fatty acids can make the body more prone to extra fluids in legs and other areas. A lack of these vital nutrients can impair fluid balance, leading to swelling and discomfort.Consuming foods high in toxic compounds, sugar, saturated fats, salt, alcohol, and other inflammation-triggering ingredients can negatively impact your lymphatic and blood vessels, worsening swelling and hindering your body’s natural detoxification processes.Prolonged and frequent standing or sitting, as well as crossing your legs, can also contribute to increased swelling in the body, especially in the lower extremities.Lack of sleep puts additional strain on muscles, affecting the repair and function of vessel tissues, which can exacerbate fluid buildup and make it harder to reduce swelling.A sedentary lifestyle and insufficient physical activity are major contributing factors. Regular exercise helps keep circulation moving, preventing fluid accumulation in these areas.People with food allergies or intolerances may experience low-grade inflammation, making them more susceptible to fluid retention and requiring effective water retention treatments.Smoking increases the risk too due to vasoconstriction and damage to blood vessels, impeding proper fluid circulation and leading to swelling.Excessive caffeine consumption over time can reduce the flow of fluids to the tissues, contributing to the accumulation of toxins and fluid retention.Conditions like constipation and pregnancy can lead to excess fluid buildup, especially in the lower body.Hormonal changes, such as those caused by contraceptive pills, hormonal patches, or high estrogen levels during pregnancy, can cause fluid retention in various parts of the body.Excess weight, chronic stress, and dehydration all contribute to the development of water retention in hips, thighs, and buttocks, making it crucial to adopt effective water retention treatments and healthy lifestyle changes to alleviate the symptoms. Water Retention in Legs Extra fluid in legs is one of the most commonly observed concerns among people who are prone to extra liquid storage. The condition where legs swelling is caused in the leg tissues due to the fluid retention called peripheral edema. What sets the base for this issue is compromised or problematic lymphatic system and circulatory system that causes incorrect fluid balance in human body.Some other health conditions are sitting or standing for an extended period of time, being overweight, hormonal changes, and wearing tight jeans or stockings. In some cases, kidney disease can also be the reason behind swelling. Furthermore, some medical conditions such as disease or injury and inflammatory disorders can also pave the way. GUAM Body Draining Formulas Guam cosmetics is known worldwide for its result-oriented anti-cellulite creams, scrubs, wraps, gels, and oils targeted at treating the causes of cellulite at the comfort of your home. In addition to breaking down stubborn fat cells under the skin and restoring firmness to the skin, Guam Seaweed Mud Cold formula provide intense draining action that causes the removal of excess liquids and toxins from the tissue.Excess water accumulates into the connective tissue it influences the lymphatic and circulatory systems, leading to the storage of fat cells. The huge amount of fat deposits constricts blood and lymphatic vessels, impairing the removal of toxins and fluids. This excess water in combination with tissue fibrosis gives the skin orange peel-like appearance or cellulite. This condition particularly affects specific body parts, forming cellulite on hips, thighs, and buttocks.Both conditions can have a negative effect on your confidence, especially during the bikini season. If you feel a little under-the-weather at the thought of showing your skin, fret not. With proper care, drinking plenty of water, health daily diet, exercises, a lifestyle changes, and easy home remedies for retaining fluid you can decrease fluid retention and remove toxins from the body and achieve a firm and contoured body reducing water around waist and in lower body. Water Retention Home Remedies: GUAM Seaweed Mud DREN PlusDraining Body Wrap for Legs Reveal touchably firm, slender leg contours with the draining Guam Seaweed Mud anti-cellulite and draining body wrap. Formulated for swollen, heavy legs and gentle enough for sensitive skin - this revitalizing menthol-infused formula penetrates deeply to depuff and visibly reduce cellulite on thighs, calves, and hips, decreasing swelling.GUAM Body Wrap Benefits:Proven to reduce cellulite on legsThe cooling effect relieves heaviness, swelling, and inflammationFights puffiness from liquid retentionVisibly slims and contours lower bodyDetoxifies and tightens skin Shop GUAM Fangocrema DRENBody Cream with Draining Effect, Cooling Formula With its exclusive formula based on GUAM seaweed, Sea Salt and Caffeine, GUAM Dren Cooling Effect Mud Cream provides draining treatment for the areas prone to water retention, such as legs and buttocks. As you sleep, these penetrating natural actives help your body to drain excess fluids from puffy, bloated areas while firming and tightening skin. Contains a mixture of detoxifying ingredientsProvides noticeable slimming and smoothing effectDeeply hydrates and invigorates the skinThe cooling effect refreshes and soothes the skinFree from toxic chemicals and nickelThe formula is gentle enough for sensitive skin Shop Guam Dren OilMoisturizing and Draining Body Oil Guam Dren Anti-cellulite Oil for Legs and Buttocks helps prevent skin imperfections caused by swelling. The nourishing emollient effect of sunflower and olive oils blended with the anti-swelling properties of Guam Algae and green tea, gives your skin a radiant, supple and velvety smooth finish. Guam Dren Oil is non-greasy, absorbs quickly and will leave your skin light, silky, firm and moisturized.Contains a blend of anti-swelling ingredientsThe formula is lightweight, non-greasy, and fast-absorbingRich in moisturizing and nourishing natural compoundsReduces skin imperfection and water retentionIdeal for drainage massage on a lower body Shop Water Retention in Stomach Also known as ascites, is characterized by bloating, puffiness, and swelling around the waistline. This condition can make you feel heavier or more sluggish than usual, impacting your daily activities and overall wellbeing. Some common causes include hormonal fluctuations, excessive sodium intake, the menstrual cycle, obesity, and issues with the venous or lymphatic systems.Certain health conditions, such as heart and liver diseases, can also contribute to swelling in stomach. In severe cases, abdominal swelling can become uncomfortable, leading to symptoms like abdominal pain, indigestion, difficulty moving around or sitting comfortably, breathlessness, frequent urination, and constipation.The are various methods on how to get rid of water retention in legs and the abdomen. Simple lifestyle changes, such as reducing salt intake, increasing physical activity, and staying hydrated, can help relieve the symptoms and improve your overall health. Water Retention during Pregnancy It’s not uncommon for women to experience water retention in pregnancy that leads to swelling in their legs, ankles, feet, and toes. The problem gets worse as the day ends than in the morning. Also, the further you’re into your pregnancy, the chances of having this issue more often also increase. The sudden shift in weight and inactivity are generally associated with such condition.While it is not usually harmful to your baby, it can be quite annoying or painful. However, sudden swelling can be a symptom of pre-eclampsia that shows up during the second half of pregnancy, which can cause complications.Normal fluid accumulation in pregnancy arises due to the storage of extra fluids in the body. It can be worse during hot weather or if you’ve been standing for a long time. Besides, the pressure on blood vessels caused by a growing uterus can also be the cause of this condition. How to Reduce Water Retention The treatment is mainly focused on drawing out excess liquids from the tissue and boosting blood flow to the affected areas. A comprehensive and constant approach is quintessential for achieving and maintaining desired results. A synergy of lifestyle changes, natural remedies, healthy habits, proper nutrition, in-office treatments, and at-home skincare products can help to reduce and eliminate excess fluid and toxins from the body.Balanced diet:A balanced low salt diet targeted at reducing the amount of excess water and toxins from the body can be highly beneficial in minimizing swelling and cellulite, especially if bad eating habits are the basic cause of fluid buildup.Limiting the intake of trans and saturated fats sodium, soft drinks, processed foods, alcohol, sugary drinks and desserts, carbohydrates, bleached and refined flours, and diuretic beverages can be helpful. Load your diet with green vegetables, fruits, proteins, plain water, fish, whole grains, soy, and vegetable oils.Consuming a lot of salt, especially from too much salty food, can lead to fluid trapped in the body, causing swelling. High sodium levels in the body can disrupt the balance of fluids, leading the body to retain water and result in noticeable swelling or edema.Topical Products:Topical skincare products formulated to drain excess water and toxic wastes from the skin can be useful in improving skin texture and tone. Choose the right formula that works the best for your specific problem. There are numerous firming, toning, and draining topical creams, scrubs, and muds in the market that can help to eliminate excess liquids and toxins effectively.Look for products containing caffeine, horsetail, rosemary, and seaweed.Physical Activity:Exercises and sports play a vital role in helping to boost the lymphatic system, increase muscle tone, speed up metabolism, and encourage better blood circulation. Practice cycling, hiking, stretching, walking, water aerobics, running, and yoga for relieving inflammation. Medications:Unfortunately, there is no magic pill or medication for it that will treat the problem overnight. However, certain medications like Hydrochlorothiazide is seen to be effective in relieving edema caused by medical issues, like liver or kidney diseases and hormonal changes.Magnesium supplements may help to reduce swelling as wellProfessional Treatments:You can consult your skin specialist or spa technician to decide the most suitable option for you have a look at draining seaweed body wraps that can provide draining treatments at the comfort of your home. A wide range ofGUAM Seaweed products with draining and toning properties mainly constitute potent seaweed, caffeine, plant extracts, essential oils, marine clays, and advanced bioactivity complex. With powerful draining products you can enjoy effortless spa-like draining and anti-cellulite treatment at home. All these products work effectively to activate fat metabolism, lymphatic system, and tissue repair and regeneration for optimal anti-cellulite effect. What’s the Relationship between Water Retention and Cellulite? This is probably the most frequently asked question regarding water retention and cellulite. If you’re also confused between the two, let us help you understand the connection between two. Both these conditions are basically interrelated.The elements responsible for water accumulation in arms, thighs, buttocks, and hips may also lead to loss of elasticity in the skin, mild inflammation, degeneration of tissue fibers, and fat deposits under the epidermal layer of the skin. All these aspects are also related to the reasons behind the formation of cellulite. Therefore, water retention is innately associated with cellulite.Although treatments specifically aimed at eliminating extra water are not enough to treat or reduce cellulite because cellulite encompasses a lot more than just fluid buildup under the skin. Conversely, an effective anti-cellulite treatment will also help to draw out excess fluids and toxins from the body, eradicating water in thighs, buttocks, and hips, etc. What Causes Cellulite? It’s essential to understand what causes cellulite. The adipose layer (panniculus) is maintained by collagen and connective tissue (reticular tissue). Microcirculation to this tissue provides energy (in the form of fat) to support a healthy body. This balance can be disturbed by various physiological and external factors, such as:Inadequate nutritionHormonal imbalanceStressUnhealthy lifestyleMedicationsGenetic predispositionWrong fluid balanceOverweight and obesity are also thought to cause the accumulation of too much water in hips, thighs, and buttocks. Moreover, there are higher chances of developing swelling and cellulite during pregnancy.Compromised lymphatic and circulatory systems can lead to impaired drainage of water and toxins, resulting in inflammation in adipose tissue. This can contribute to both cellulite and swelling. What is Edematous Cellulite? Many of you might have come across this term but may not know what it actually means. Well, edematous cellulite is known as the most severe or third-degree cellulite. Unlike cellulite caused by various factors including fat accumulation, it is mainly caused by obstruction in the lymphatic and blood vessels.Edema occurs as a result of trauma, such as sprained ankles or broken bones. The body responds to injury by sending extra fluid to the affected area, leading to swelling.Inflammatory conditions like arthritis or tendonitis can cause edema. The body's immune response triggers an increase in fluid around the affected area, resulting in swelling.Medical conditions: Certain medical conditions, such as kidney disease, heart failure, and liver disease, can lead to edema. These conditions disrupt the body's fluid balance and can cause fluid retention in various body tissues.Edematous cellulite mainly occurs in the legs, thighs, and lower legs, making them lose their normal shape. Your skin may feel soft, flabby, and swollen on touch and has an almost jelly-like feel when pressed.This is due to chronic water retention. In severe cases, edematous cellulite can be extremely painful, especially if you sit or stand in one position for an extended period of time. Edematous cellulite is rare as compared to other types of cellulite and mostly affects middle-aged women. SOURCES:Kasper, D. Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th edition, McGraw-Hill Education, 2015.America Society of Clinical Oncology: “Fluid Retention or Edema.”White, C. Obstetrics and Gynecology International, 2011.Stachenfeld, N. Exercise and sport sciences reviews, 2008.Trayes, K. American Family Physician, July 2013.PubMedHealth: “Causes and signs of edema.”America Society of Clinical Oncology: “Lymphedema.”National Institutes of Health: “What are the symptoms of preeclampsia, eclampsia, & HELLP syndrome?”Ashina, K., et al. Histamine induces vascular hyperpermeability by increasing blood flow and endothelial barrier disruption in vivo, 2015Dandelion, 2016.https://nccih.nih.gov/health/dandelionKwashiorkor, 2019.https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/kwashiorkor/Lent-Schochet, D., & Jialal, I. Physiology, edema, 2019 Subscribe Author of the blog Yana NesterovaYana is the writer behind the Guam Beauty blog who firmly believes in the concept that beauty begins in a person’s head, not in the mirror. Therefore, she strives to encourage her readers, who are beauty and skincare enthusiasts, to bring mindfulness into their skincare rituals by making more conscious choices. Her philosophy is to enable her readers to salvage mental peace and optimal health by living more mindfully and achieving their skin and body goals throughhealthier choices.

How to Reduce Water Retention in Legs and Stomach?

What is Water Retention?

Water Retention Symptoms

Read next: How to get rid of stretch marks