Whether you’ve been prepping for perfect pins all year or find yourself caught out by the sun’s arrival, the sudden appearance of summer can make us all scared to bare. Wedding guest, Ascot attendee or even simply your best friends barbeque, the season frequently demands you get your legs out. Don’t panic; whether your event is looming this weekend or you’re planning well ahead, we’ve got the solution for lovely looking legs (whatever the hemline).
If your event is tomorrow
At this stage you’ll need to rely on smoke and mirrors; this is a case of covering up and putting your best foot forward. Our old friend the self tanner will give your complexion an instant lift or pop into one of our salons for a professional finish; and for more serious problems like thread veins, Heliocare Colour Compact SPF is an amazing sun protection and cover up in one that can be used anywhere on the body, and will instantly hide your blemishes and perfect for when you are on the go. The key here is to get back to beauty basics- and learn how to exfoliate. (Even the best fake tan will look patchy on dry legs). Try Strip’s Perfect Polishing Cloth for Silky Soft Skin to exfoliate. Combine with circular massage strokes in the shower to boost blood flow to smooth out cellulite and make legs feel firmer.
If you have two weeks
Spider veins, thread veins, leg veins; whatever you call them, they can make you feel self-conscious and awkward when baring your legs. But help is at hand; our Candela laser system has excellent results for thread vein removal with many veins taking only one session to disappear (at your consultation your therapist can tell you what time frames to expect based on your personal situation). Skin that has been lasered is best kept out of the sun for a while, so keep them covered for a few days to recover slightly. Combining tanning products such as our sunless tanning and a high SPF product will give you the bronzed illusion without causing any damage. Waxing is also a great way to be super smooth pre-event, and cut out salt for the two week run up, which causes water retention, which in turn can increase the appearance of uneven skin tone.
If you have two months
Two months is long enough to address any sun damage that may have occurred previously to your pins. Sun damaged skin can look like brown spots on the legs; these can look like freckles or have a slightly rough feel (known as seborrhoeic keratoses) a laser can erase them easily, so don’t think you just have accept these ageing marks. Get moving too – change up your exercise regime to include a leg workout routine; adding more squats and improve blood flow through cellulite areas. Knees can benefit from the skin tightening effects of laser as well, if you feel self-conscious about this area.
If your big event is next summer
With months and months ahead of you, you can really give your legs a total overhaul. Laser leg hair removal is a wonderful solution for anyone frustrated with the grind of constant hair removal as it vastly reduces maintenance. (After a series of treatments, only top up treatments are needed occasionally to stay fuzz free. Read more about it here.)
Some larger veins can also be tackled with a series of treatments using our candela laser. Other irritants such as stretch marks and loose or lacklustre skin can also respond fantastically to a course of laser treatments too. The easiest stretch marks to treat are the fresh red ones, so don’t delay. You can still improve the texture with skin massage on very old marks or silvery marks. Try our Lycon So Berry Oil – Vitamin E and Almond for returning some elasticity.
And don’t forget your feet – you’re likely to want to sport some pretty summer sandals or strappy heels so a little extra maintenance is important. On top of the usual pedicure, make sure your leg wax includes the toes, or for flaky heels try the South Sea’s Bora Bora body polish to give you back the spring in your step.
Once you’ve got your legs looking and feeling great, continue with the Heliocare Colour Gelcream SPF50 Brown to ensure you protect the from future sun damage. To get pin perfect click here to find your nearest location here.
