Legs are a vital part of moving about and doing whatever we need to be doing. Nowadays, they’re not a necessity obviously but it makes life a lot easier and we most certainly have to take care of them. How do you get your legs under control? By exercising and having a well-balanced diet of course. The best exercise you can do is definitely squats. This stimulates almost every part of the leg. There are also tons of cosmetics that can be taken to improve the skin and everything around it.
To learn more, keep reading the article by Dr. Violette Parzin-Gribinski.
Your legs, which carry you all day and allow you to take an average of 5,000 steps a day, deserve a little attention.
The legs age like other parts of the body. The ageing of the skin is linked on the one hand to environmental factors and on the other hand to intrinsic factors such as reduced elasticity and dryness of the skin. Muscles atrophy, spider veins appear as well as cellulite and sagging skin.
How can you have beautiful, shapely legs, but not too muscular, and at the same time well hydrated and without cellulite?
Beauty is worked on from the outside as well as the inside. Regular physical exercise without overexerting yourself will give you firm calves and slender thighs without going overboard. A healthy diet reduces the risk of developing bulges and cellulite. Regular exercise is enough for 30 minutes a day when you wake up before taking your shower or at the end of the day. The best muscle exercise for the legs is the squat! This is a partial or total leg bending exercise. It primarily involves the gluteal muscles, adductors, hamstrings and sacro-lumbar muscles.
Poor venous circulation and prolonged standing can cause an accumulation of subcutaneous fat. Cellulite causes an unsightly appearance commonly called “orange peel skin”. Several techniques can be used to treat orange peel skin. Mesotherapy consists of injections of natural substances such as caffeine or soya lecithin under the skin. After 4 to 6 treatment sessions the skin becomes much smoother. A maintenance treatment is necessary every six months. Radiofrequency devices also have a favourable effect on cellulite by heating the fat nodules, but several sessions are necessary to achieve a good result. Manual or mechanical palpating and rolling with devices such as the LPG Cellu M6 has a beneficial effect on the smoothing of fat nodules and at the same time improves venous circulation.
Fatty deposits on the knees and hips can be treated with a new device made in the USA, Coolsculpting by Zeltiq. This device cools down the fat deposits and allows the destruction of 30 to 50% of the fat cells in a single session. The results are long-lasting, provided you keep a stable weight.
For many years, spider veins and visible veins have been treated with injections of sclerosing substances that cause the vessel walls to atrophy. The arrival of vascular lasers has changed the way varicose veins are treated. The light emitted by the laser is captured by the pigments present inside the blood vessels, such as haemoglobin, which heats and destroys the veins. Two or three sessions will be necessary to eliminate the spider veins but thereafter a maintenance session once a year will be sufficient.
Sagging skin on the inner thighs and above the knees is also a frequent reason for consultation. Recently, there are devices that use micro-focused ultrasound to create burn lines in the skin at a depth of 4.5 and 3mm. During the treatment, the burn lines cause the skin to shrink. In the weeks following the treatment, the appearance of new collagen molecules and elastic fibres further improves the sagging. One treatment every two years is sufficient to keep the skin tight and firm.
Laser hair removal, which has been in vogue for several years, allows unwanted hair to be removed without side effects or social exclusion. The laser light is captured by the hair root and destroys it permanently. As not all the roots are there at the same time, it takes about 5 sessions at 6-week intervals to get rid of them. There is a contraindication with the sun, so no exposure during laser hair removal.
We must not forget the important role of cosmetics in hydrating and firming the skin. Toning lotions improve the feeling of heavy and tired legs. Moisturising creams protect and firm. There are also cosmetic treatments against cellulite based on caffeine or plants to be used daily.
There are all kinds of solutions to improve the condition of your legs, so get set, get ready… go!
