The great leg guide
Want to shrink your thighs and banish cellulite for good? Leah Hardy tells you how
For the average, pear-shaped woman, taut, toned, blemish-free legs are a tall order, particularly since fat cells in the lower part of a woman's body naturally store fat six times more readily than those in the upper body. They also release them six times less easily. Which goes some way to explaining why liposuction is the most wanted cosmetic-surgery procedure in the UK.
There are healthy advantages to having chubbier legs and a smaller waist - you are less likely to succumb to a heart attack, for instance - but that may be scant consolation when contemplating this summer's miniskirt.
However, it is reassuring that even such willowy, long-legged creatures as Elle Macpherson and Elizabeth Hurley don't owe their perfect pins entirely to nature.
For them, as for most celebrities and models, the newest exercise routines, dietary changes and high-tech treatments play a significant role in improving their assets. Here's how they can help you.
DIET: drink more water, expect more cellulite
Many experts believe that what you eat can have a real impact on cellulite, the condition that affects more than 90% of women. Dr Elisabeth Dancey, the respected cellulite expert, cautions against drinking too much water.
"Since cellulite is a problem of retained fluid, drinking more fluid can result in more cellulite."
However, wheat is the number-one culprit, she says. She also believes additives and processed food cause a particular kind of fat to be laid down that is difficult to shift. "I warn my patients off artificial sweeteners and trans fats, which are found in most processed foods. Instead, you should eat as nature intended: fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, lentils, peas and chickpeas."
Unlike many cellulite gurus, Dancey does not consider the odd cup of coffee to be a problem. "In moderation, caffeine will help boost your metabolism," she says.
"In large doses, however, it can damage your circulation, which is a cause of cellulite."
THE LAZY OPTION: the thigh-shrinking pill
CellAssist is a herbal formula combined with conjugated linoleic acid that has been proved to better the appearance of dimpled thighs. In clinical trials, an impressive 75% of the women taking part benefited from a visible improvement in the appearance of cellulite and a reduction in thigh circumference of nearly 2.5cm.
EXERCISE:for fast results, work out in tight Lycra leggings
Exercise improves circulation, burning off fat and strengthening the connective tissue. This makes for a smoother skin surface. And you will get better results if you wear tight Lycra leggings when you exercise, says Dancey, since the massaging action stimulates lymph drainage, causing fluid to be pumped out of your legs more effectively, reducing cellulite and puffiness. Wearing support tights during the day has a similar effect.
The celebrity fitness trainer Cornel Chin, who is often asked to get actors into shape for films in record time, says the squat is the best exercise to improve leg shape. "For visible results, I would tell a woman to do three sets of 25 reps, four times a week. This will tone all the leg muscles and the bottom. My female clients want Jennifer Lopez-style, strong and toned thighs, and squats are perfect for this. However, if a client wants a more streamlined look and tends to put on muscle fast, I'd suggest swimming, Pilates or yoga, which encourage long muscles and slimmer legs." He also points out that chunky ankles are almost impossible to alter by exercise, but adds: "If you work to build curvier calves by doing, say, leg presses in the gym, your ankles will look slimmer by comparison."
ON THE COUCH: lie back and lose 6in from your thighs
There are several passive treatments that many cellulite-free superstars swear by.
One is Mesotherapy, in which homeopathic medicine is injected into the thighs. It works by stimulating the mesoderm, or middle layer, of the skin, which, in turn, helps to disperse cellulite. "Used on its own, it can give a 50-60% improvement in cellulite," says Dancey, "and an even better result when combined with exercise and dietary changes."
She also believes that manual lymphatic drainage, a light massage that works on the lymphatic system to reduce fluid retention in the tissues and eliminate toxins, is a highly effective treatment for swollen legs with cellulite. "Some women can lose up to 6in from their legs if they have severe water retention," she says.
Macpherson and Claudia Schiffer are said to be fans of a new version of an old-favourite cellulite buster, Endermologie. This treatment, which involves wearing a thin bodysuit while rollers massage the body in order to mobilise fat and stimulate tissue, is the only cellulite treatment proven to work and has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Now a new, and supposedly more effective, version of the treatment has been launched. The advanced Keymodule Endermologie uses more rollers, with computer-controlled interchangeable heads, depending on where on the body they are being used and the severity of the problem. The rollers lift, stretch, mobilise and relax connective tissue and stimulate blood and lymph circulation.
Endermologie increases the circulation by 200% - almost four times as much as manual massage. It results in smoother skin and a slimmer, more defined figure after a treatment course of 12 to 16 half-hour sessions; one session costs about Pounds 40.
DRASTIC ACTION: have your saddlebags removed one day, be back at work the next
Women usually turn to liposuction when diet, exercise and treatments have all failed. Alex Karidis, a cosmetic surgeon at the St John and St Elizabeth hospital in London, says new technology has eliminated the common drawbacks (bruising and uneven, bumpy results), making it a better, if - at about Pounds 3,000 - rather expensive option. "Fat cells laid down around the thighs are genetically programmed to be very persistent," he says. "I see clients who exercise regularly and are slim, but still have pouches of stubborn fat. Liposuction works very well for them, and you can lose 3in off your legs in an hour." Karidis says that power-assisted lipoplasty, his preferred method, is a more sophisticated procedure than manual liposuction. "You can sculpt the area of the body carefully, giving a much better result. The patient can even go back to work the next day. And there are no stitches or scars."
However, Karidis warns that while liposuction on the thighs and hips is relatively straightforward, other areas of the leg are more difficult to treat. "I get a lot of requests to slim down knees and ankles. Knees can quite easily be improved and made less bulky, but ankles and calves are tricky. There are a lot of blood vessels and arteries in this area, and lumps of fat don't really occur. Get it wrong, and you can damage the blood supply to the foot."
GETTING SUPERFICIAL: zapping veins and blotches
However slim, your legs still won't look good if you're plagued by broken veins and pigmentation blotches. The dermatologist Dr Hilary Allan, of the Woodford Medical Clinic, says the best treatment for veins is sclerotherapy, in which an irritant solution is injected into veins, causing them to die off. The only issue with this treatment is that for the largest veins, your legs will look quite unsightly for up to seven weeks. However, by that time, the treated veins will have disappeared completely. For pigmentation blotches, Allan prefers intense pulsed-light technology, which uses light to absorb colour from the skin. "I can reduce blotches by half in just one session," he says.
For the average, pear-shaped woman, taut, toned, blemish-free legs are a tall order, particularly since fat cells in the lower part of a woman's body naturally store fat six times more readily than those in the upper body. They also release them six times less easily. Which goes some way to explaining why liposuction is the most wanted cosmetic-surgery procedure in the UK.
There are healthy advantages to having chubbier legs and a smaller waist - you are less likely to succumb to a heart attack, for instance - but that may be scant consolation when contemplating this summer's miniskirt.
However, it is reassuring that even such willowy, long-legged creatures as Elle Macpherson and Elizabeth Hurley don't owe their perfect pins entirely to nature.
For them, as for most celebrities and models, the newest exercise routines, dietary changes and high-tech treatments play a significant role in improving their assets. Here's how they can help you.
DIET: drink more water, expect more cellulite
Many experts believe that what you eat can have a real impact on cellulite, the condition that affects more than 90% of women. Dr Elisabeth Dancey, the respected cellulite expert, cautions against drinking too much water.
"Since cellulite is a problem of retained fluid, drinking more fluid can result in more cellulite."
However, wheat is the number-one culprit, she says. She also believes additives and processed food cause a particular kind of fat to be laid down that is difficult to shift. "I warn my patients off artificial sweeteners and trans fats, which are found in most processed foods. Instead, you should eat as nature intended: fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, lentils, peas and chickpeas."
Unlike many cellulite gurus, Dancey does not consider the odd cup of coffee to be a problem. "In moderation, caffeine will help boost your metabolism," she says.
"In large doses, however, it can damage your circulation, which is a cause of cellulite."
THE LAZY OPTION: the thigh-shrinking pill
CellAssist is a herbal formula combined with conjugated linoleic acid that has been proved to better the appearance of dimpled thighs. In clinical trials, an impressive 75% of the women taking part benefited from a visible improvement in the appearance of cellulite and a reduction in thigh circumference of nearly 2.5cm.
EXERCISE:for fast results, work out in tight Lycra leggings
Exercise improves circulation, burning off fat and strengthening the connective tissue. This makes for a smoother skin surface. And you will get better results if you wear tight Lycra leggings when you exercise, says Dancey, since the massaging action stimulates lymph drainage, causing fluid to be pumped out of your legs more effectively, reducing cellulite and puffiness. Wearing support tights during the day has a similar effect.
The celebrity fitness trainer Cornel Chin, who is often asked to get actors into shape for films in record time, says the squat is the best exercise to improve leg shape. "For visible results, I would tell a woman to do three sets of 25 reps, four times a week. This will tone all the leg muscles and the bottom. My female clients want Jennifer Lopez-style, strong and toned thighs, and squats are perfect for this. However, if a client wants a more streamlined look and tends to put on muscle fast, I'd suggest swimming, Pilates or yoga, which encourage long muscles and slimmer legs." He also points out that chunky ankles are almost impossible to alter by exercise, but adds: "If you work to build curvier calves by doing, say, leg presses in the gym, your ankles will look slimmer by comparison."
ON THE COUCH: lie back and lose 6in from your thighs
There are several passive treatments that many cellulite-free superstars swear by.
One is Mesotherapy, in which homeopathic medicine is injected into the thighs. It works by stimulating the mesoderm, or middle layer, of the skin, which, in turn, helps to disperse cellulite. "Used on its own, it can give a 50-60% improvement in cellulite," says Dancey, "and an even better result when combined with exercise and dietary changes."
She also believes that manual lymphatic drainage, a light massage that works on the lymphatic system to reduce fluid retention in the tissues and eliminate toxins, is a highly effective treatment for swollen legs with cellulite. "Some women can lose up to 6in from their legs if they have severe water retention," she says.
Macpherson and Claudia Schiffer are said to be fans of a new version of an old-favourite cellulite buster, Endermologie. This treatment, which involves wearing a thin bodysuit while rollers massage the body in order to mobilise fat and stimulate tissue, is the only cellulite treatment proven to work and has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Now a new, and supposedly more effective, version of the treatment has been launched. The advanced Keymodule Endermologie uses more rollers, with computer-controlled interchangeable heads, depending on where on the body they are being used and the severity of the problem. The rollers lift, stretch, mobilise and relax connective tissue and stimulate blood and lymph circulation.
Endermologie increases the circulation by 200% - almost four times as much as manual massage. It results in smoother skin and a slimmer, more defined figure after a treatment course of 12 to 16 half-hour sessions; one session costs about Pounds 40.
DRASTIC ACTION: have your saddlebags removed one day, be back at work the next
Women usually turn to liposuction when diet, exercise and treatments have all failed. Alex Karidis, a cosmetic surgeon at the St John and St Elizabeth hospital in London, says new technology has eliminated the common drawbacks (bruising and uneven, bumpy results), making it a better, if - at about Pounds 3,000 - rather expensive option. "Fat cells laid down around the thighs are genetically programmed to be very persistent," he says. "I see clients who exercise regularly and are slim, but still have pouches of stubborn fat. Liposuction works very well for them, and you can lose 3in off your legs in an hour." Karidis says that power-assisted lipoplasty, his preferred method, is a more sophisticated procedure than manual liposuction. "You can sculpt the area of the body carefully, giving a much better result. The patient can even go back to work the next day. And there are no stitches or scars."
However, Karidis warns that while liposuction on the thighs and hips is relatively straightforward, other areas of the leg are more difficult to treat. "I get a lot of requests to slim down knees and ankles. Knees can quite easily be improved and made less bulky, but ankles and calves are tricky. There are a lot of blood vessels and arteries in this area, and lumps of fat don't really occur. Get it wrong, and you can damage the blood supply to the foot."
GETTING SUPERFICIAL: zapping veins and blotches
However slim, your legs still won't look good if you're plagued by broken veins and pigmentation blotches. The dermatologist Dr Hilary Allan, of the Woodford Medical Clinic, says the best treatment for veins is sclerotherapy, in which an irritant solution is injected into veins, causing them to die off. The only issue with this treatment is that for the largest veins, your legs will look quite unsightly for up to seven weeks. However, by that time, the treated veins will have disappeared completely. For pigmentation blotches, Allan prefers intense pulsed-light technology, which uses light to absorb colour from the skin. "I can reduce blotches by half in just one session," he says.