Glycosaminoglycans are a group of polysaccharide chains covalently linked to proteins to form proteoglycan molecules with high water-attracting properties. The ultrastructural localization of glycosaminoglycans in the so-called cellulite skin and in normal subjects was studied. Data show that there is increasing concentration of glycosaminoglycans in the cellulite skin, presumably leading to a rise in the amount of water retained in the skin in this disease.