What should you know about cellulite infection?

Cosmetic cellulite causes a dimpled or rippled surface, commonly on the thighs or buttocks, without infection. Cellulitis usually causes an area of skin that is red, warm, tender, swollen, and increasingly larger. The skin may look shiny, and fever, chills, or fatigue can occur. A break in the skin, insect bite, wound, eczema, or swelling can provide an entry point for bacteria. A clinician diagnoses cellulitis from the examination and may consider other causes of redness.

Contact a healthcare professional promptly if you suspect cellulitis; treatment may require prescription antibiotics and monitoring for spread. Keep the area clean, avoid squeezing or massaging it, and do not use cosmetic cellulite procedures on inflamed skin. Note when the redness began and whether its edge is moving outward. Follow the prescribed treatment exactly and return for review if symptoms do not begin to settle or worsen.

Seek urgent care for rapidly spreading redness, severe or escalating pain, high fever, confusion, faintness, blisters, purple or black skin, or swelling near the eye. Extra caution is needed with diabetes, reduced immunity, poor circulation, or a recent operation, because infection can progress more seriously.

Ask what supports the diagnosis, whether a wound or skin condition may be the entry point, how to take the treatment, which changes require review, and how to protect the area while it heals.