Love your legs this summer

July 2022 was the world’s hottest month ever recorded and, for the first time ever, parts of the UK reached a staggering 40.3°C. With temperatures staying high throughout most of the UK, we’re reaching for our shorts and summer dresses even if we’re not heading off to sunnier climes for a holiday.

For some of us though, daring to bare our legs can be daunting

Even though there is a noticeable and welcome shift towards messages of body positivity, body acceptance and body neutrality, surveys still show that approximately 62% of us avoid wearing certain clothes because we feel self-conscious about our bodies.

Indeed, in a survey of 1,000 women, almost half (47%) said they dislike their legs and 48% admit avoiding the beach or swimming pools because they fear being seen in a swimsuit.

Another, albeit older, survey found that six out of 10 women refuse to wear skirts or dresses in public and one out of six won’t even show their legs to their partner. A staggering 63% of the 4,000 people surveyed said that they would be more confident in life if they had better legs!

Why do many of us feel this way?

Google “beautiful legs” (actually, please don’t!) and you’ll see thousands of articles outlining the ideal shape, length, look and feel of a perfect pair of pins.

Many of us just don’t have those proportions. This is evident in surveys (and consultations) where people repeatedly criticise their legs for being too long, too short, too pale, too thick or untoned, or lament the appearance of veins, stretchmarks or cellulite.

Maybe, because so many of us hide our legs away, the vast majority of legs we do see when we’re out and about lean towards the “ideal” and lack the variety of shape, size and appearance that would be found across the world’s population as a whole.

One message we really want to drive home today is that these articles are talking about one current beauty ideal rather than a universal truth about what “good legs” look like or, indeed, are. Other cultures revere larger legs, for example, seeing them as a sign of strength and fertility. Ultimately, beauty shifts with fashions, cultures and world events – what is put on a pedestal in one time and place may have no meaning elsewhere.

The body neutrality movement urges us to stop thinking about our legs (or any other body parts) in terms of their appearance or even their function. Whether a person does or doesn’t have legs – and what they might look like – simply is and can’t be viewed as a measure of worth, attractiveness or anything else.

10 tips to help you love your legs this summer and beyond

Here at Medikaur, we believe that every person should be able to dress how they want and do what they want to enjoy the summer sun (as long as they’re sun safe!)

We also know that you might need a confidence boost to love your legs this summer. To help, here are 10 of our hottest tips:

1. Scrub

Your legs spend months of the year hidden away under layers in centrally-heated rooms and then months of the year either exposed to the sun or wrapped up against it. They deserve some TLC!

As with any skin on your body, your legs may look dull due to a build-up of dead skin cells. You can get rid of these by using a suitable body scrub once or twice a week. The result will be brighter, healthier-looking skin.

2. Moisturise

Like the rest of your skin, your legs will benefit from daily moisturising.

For the best results, apply a moisturising cream or lotion to your legs straight after your bath or shower to lock in the moisture. You can reapply the cream at bedtime to moisturise your legs while you sleep.

Keep up this habit and the skin on your legs should look smoother and softer within a few days.

3. Use sunscreen

Most of us apply sunscreen to our faces, shoulders, necks and arms without a second thought but it’s important to remember our legs and feet too!

It’s estimated that 90% of skin ageing is caused by sun damage, so regularly applying sunscreen to your legs should keep them looking healthier and more youthful for longer.

4. Stretch your legs

Exercises aimed at toning and strengthening your legs have benefits that extend beyond improving their outward appearance.

These exercises will also:

Improve your blood flow and circulation
Work multiple muscle groups, boosting your metabolism and helping you to burn fat faster
Improve your balance and flexibility and give you a wider range of motion
Maintain good bone health, strengthen your joints and prevent problems such as osteoporosis

Strengthen your core muscles and lift and sculpt your bottom

There’s no better confidence booster than feeling strong.

If you have limited mobility, YouTube has a fantastic selection of workouts and exercise tips to help you enjoy all of the benefits above in a way the suits your individual needs.

5. Nourish your body

A healthy diet will fuel and nourish your body, including your legs. Eating iron-rich foods, for example, can tackle problems such as Restless Leg Syndrome and help you to build and maintain muscle mass. It can also improve joint pain, boost your bone density and even help you prevent problems such as osteoporosis.

Feeling good internally often helps us to feel better externally.

6. Address any thread vein issues

It’s incredibly common to have thread veins and/or varicose veins on your legs. In fact, figures show that thread veins (sometimes called “spider veins” or “broken veins” and medically known as “telangiectasia”) affect up to 88% of women and 79% of men.

There’s a strong genetic factor to whether or not you experience thread veins and, contrary to popular belief, they can affect people of any age (although they are likely to get worse as you get older).

It’s estimated that 89% of people with thread veins have an underlying vein condition – typically, varicose veins – causing their appearance.

Although thread veins are harmless, they can dent your confidence and are associated with mild to moderate leg pain. People often put up with thread veins until they start hurting, which doesn’t need to happen as there are treatment options available.

One such option is sclerotherapy. This is a non-surgical treatment where we inject a salt (sclerosing) solution into any broken veins. The solution irritates the vein lining, causing it to collapse and breakdown over several weeks. The body eliminates the damaged tissue through its natural healing response, reducing the appearance of enlarged veins and, often, getting rid of them altogether.

7. Tackle stubborn pockets of fat

If you’re someone who has a few small but stubborn pockets of fat on your legs, then you may feel you need some additional help to get rid of them.

Aqualyx fat-dissolving injections can work well for troubleshooting problem areas that refuse to shape up with diet and exericse. They work by using a synthetic form of deoxycholic acid – a naturally present bile acid in the human body that plays a role in how we break down fats.

After Aqualyx injections, broken down fat is metabolised through the body’s lymphatic system and eliminated as waste.

8. Try these fashion fixes for fabulous legs

Clothes can be a powerful tool to help you feel more confident. You may find you love your legs more with just a few minor tweaks to your summer wardrobe.

Try these fashion fixes for fabulous legs:

Wear neutral-coloured footwear close to your skin tone as it will create the illusion of longer legs (if that’s the look you want to achieve)
Skirts and shorts with a high waist will make your legs look longer too
Make sure that your hemline doesn’t stop at the widest point of your leg – instead, wear an A-line midi dress that ends between the widest point of your calf and your ankles
Wear brighter colours and prints on your top half if you want to draw attention away from your legs

9. Change your social media feeds

If your social media feeds are full of people promoting the same beauty ideals that have you pulling on your jeans in the height of summer, then you might want to mix things up a bit. Sometimes, just seeing a variety of body shapes and sizes can make a difference to how you see yourself because it acts as a powerful reminder that no two humans are the same and we all have a unique beauty.

10. Speak kindly to yourself and others

Do you often say disparaging things about your legs? Would you say the same things to a friend or loved one? No, of course you wouldn’t!

Or do you hear other people saying unkind things about their own legs and take it as a criticism of your own appearance? You might hear someone describe their legs in an unkind way and reflect, “If that’s what they think of their legs, what must they think of mine?”

Accepting your legs and wearing what you want, regardless of other people’s opinions, often begins with self-compassion. Think about how you would speak to someone you love about their appearance and practice speaking to yourself the same way.

If you have a problem with thread veins or stubborn pockets of fat that affect how you feel about your legs, please do book a consultation. We can help you explore possible solutions, including ways to improve your skin health, so that you are able to view your legs with confidence, whatever the season.

Gurpreet Gill15 August 2022