Summertime shorts and swimsuits reveal the truth about our legs. Here’s how to get them in tip-top shape:
1. Out with the old. Make your legs silky and radiant by exfoliating to remove old, dead skin cells.
You can remove the cells with a nubby washcloth, a grainy cleanser or body scrub.
“When you exfoliate your legs you are going to get a softer, smoother look to the skin,” says Lori Buss, a licensed aesthetician at Refine MD in Menasha.
2. Wax it off. For longer-lasting hair removal than shaving, try leg waxing. Use an at-home kit from Sally Hanson or Avon, or have a professional job done at a local spa.
“It’s nice to exfoliate the skin and then wax,” Buss notes. “Your waxing will last you four to six weeks, then you don’t have to shave.”
3. Tone down your hair. Laser hair reduction can be a time saver as it reduces the amount of time you’ll spend shaving your legs.
“You don’t have to shave nearly as much,” says Buss, who estimates laser hair reduction lessens the amount of hair on a person’s legs by 70 percent.
The process uses laser light that passes through the skin to damage hair follicles, making an impact on enough of them to effectively put them out of commission and make shaving your legs less of a chore.
4. Start moving. Cardiovascular exercise, such as running, walking, swimming, biking or elliptical training, is a great way to get your legs in shape.
Susan Hildebrandt, health and wellness director at the Neenah-Menasha YMCA, advises exercising for 45 to 60 minutes most days of the week for best results.
“They should go at a moderate to high intensity if they’re really looking to get the fat off and shed the extra inches,” she says. “Cardio burns the fat, it gets rid of that excess stuff.
“Most of the time people don’t do enough cardio or do it hard enough,” she adds. “You have to work at it with brisk walking or jogging 45 minutes to an hour a day, four to five times a week or more. The more you do it, the faster it’s going to happen.”