Best LEG forward

Celebrities like Jessica Simpson, Angelina Jolie, and Jennifer Aniston are always flaunting those well-sculpted legs. 

With the growing number of models sashaying on the runway on super slim legs, we too have grown to become aware of the shape of our lower legs – mainly the calves and the ankle.

Many women often say that they are uncomfortable wearing short skirts or mini dresses because they feel that their legs are stout, stocky, or frumpy? How many times have we stuck to the ‘safer’ option of slacks and trousers because of the shape of our legs?

‘Cankles’ is the term given to the occurrence of the calf meeting the foot in one sweeping union. It is, of course, a fusion of the words ‘calf’ and ‘ankle.’

Though you may think of it as one sausage-shaped lump of fat at the bottom of your leg, many celebrities who feature regularly in the ‘Hot’ lists like Patsy Kensit, Cheryl Cole, and even Hillary Clinton suffer from ‘cankles’.  

For every woman who wants to make her leg shapely, there is a non-surgical procedure available. Legs are attractive when the medial calf muscle is larger and lower than the lateral calf muscle and when they both taper down to a narrow junction at the ankle joint. Visibility of the Achilles’ tendon adds to the beauty.

Bulky calf muscles are a common problem in Asian women. For them, slimming can be achieved by using Botox on the calf muscles.

Botox relaxes the muscle, decreasing the bulk and making it look thinner. The effects of botox induced slimming, however, take two to four weeks to show and last for four to six months.  It requires a steady upkeep but is non invasive in nature and will take a maximum of 10 minutes of your time.

While earlier procedures like muscle ablation took up both time and money, the latest invasive processes can be fitted into your weekday lunch time, thus putting shapely calves in yours and everyone else’s reach!

The resulting well-rounded calves can be maintained by practicing pilates and yoga, as both these forms of exercise aim at defining and toning the muscle, without causing any excessive bulking.

— The author is a consultant cosmetic dermatologist