The way it all works is your skin (dermis) sends down anchoring fibers to the muscle. Between the skin and the muscle is a space filled with fat cells. When the fat cells start pushing against the skin between these fibers, it creates a lump appearance.

It’s sort of like pushing fat through cheesecloth – where the skin isn’t being tethered down, the fat forms a dome and where the skin is tethered down, there’s a pitting effect.