Emer O'Callaghan: It's tights season...time to focus on those legs

It’s officially tights season.

It’s funny the things we dislike in life, I won’t lie, I am not a big tights fan. It goes back to my primary school days. My mum would constantly be saying, ‘Emer, why am I looking at your bare legs again, where are your tights’?

She would send me off to school in tights and I’d have them off, boy!

Everything about them bugged me. Firstly, I was tall so they never came up fully to my hips and I’d feel them slipping down when running and playing in the yard. The thick, woolly ones I found itchy, and I was notorious for ripping them and having huge holes in them as I’d be out climbing trees with the boys.

So, basically, the tights had to go. I found them so constricting and limiting, and I’m happy to report as a grown women that all of the above are still my thoughts on tights today.

I always opt for fake tan and bare legs over tights, even now as we head into winter, much to the horror of many other women.

Ah, but nothing is said to a man who wears shorts and has his bare legs out all winter long though.

I love my legs, getting older has made me embrace my long legs and, at 5ft 10in I am tall for a girl.

My brothers still laugh about the day I was waiting for the bus to beauty college and an old man said in a loud voice in front of a long queue of people: “You are tall for a girl, sure if you fell down now, you’d be halfway home.” I just wanted the ground to open up and swallow me.

I do love how accepting we all get of ourselves as we age, I embrace my height now, I love it, and I feel it’s very empowering to be just comfortable with yourself.

I am very active and have toned legs and post pictures on my social media of them, on holidays or resting on a Sunday. We always admire things in others, but should look at our own beauty and embrace self-love and self-worth.

We are also without a doubt the worst nation to take a compliment. We need to get a lot kinder in how we think, act, and talk about ourselves.

Train your brain to know your worth and be mentally strong and loving to yourself. If you don’t like or love you, how can anyone else?

Height is something far too many get hung up on, if I only had a euro for every client who told me of a date they went on and the guy was not nearly as tall as he said he was.

People also get very sensitive about their height, but there’s not too much you can do about it.

I wear heels, and I feel sad when I hear girls say they only wear flats so they are never taller than their boyfriends. Let people be and do what they like to do.

Once you learn to accept and embrace your height, let’s look at some ways to help protect, strengthen and enhance all our legs as we age.

VEINS

Veins are the one thing I do not like, even when getting my bloods done my poor doctor is so gentle with me because I always feel queasy.

From 25 years as a beautician, I can tell you I have seen every type of vein and the most noticeable are on the legs. This is why I wear support stockings as high as my hip when working, as standing or sitting for long spells can be detrimental.

I like to rotate my treatments so I go between standing and sitting, to try and prevent varicose veins.

Support stockings are not just for flights or hospital stays, they are great to wear to support the veins of the legs during a busy working day.

I would never sleep with them on but I know people who do. I always ask people to speak to their doctor before trying things like this,

I am not a fan of the support stocking that stops under the knee, I feel this just cuts off blood flow.

And get those feet up, ladies, as research shows that elevating our legs above heart level at the end of the day can prevent swollen ankles and legs.

In my clinic, I elevate clients’ legs with cushions at the start of every facial to bring that blood flow back up and not down. I also get my feet up every night.

MOVEMENT IS KEY

Exercise and movement get blood flowing, a lack of this to areas can cause noticeable cellulite on bums and thighs. We also see far too much because we are living in an age where nothing is left to the imagination anymore clothes-wise. What was once covered up is now on full view for all to see.

I am shocked at how much cellulite some young girls have, and this is due to poor diet - too much sugar and processed food - and lack of exercise.

No other generation sat as much as we do today. I love exercise, it’s a healthy habit and I build it into my busy day. I walk every day, and a dog is fantastic motivation to get people outside and moving. Using stairs is good for legs too.

Vibration plates are very popular and I have one myself. Many of my elderly clients use these sitting down to get blood flow moving in their legs.

Some days, I do squats or lunges as I’m waiting for the kettle to boil, I like to see how many I can do before it boils. Another way we can add more movement into our day.

TARGETED ACTIONS

The beauty industry has many treatments to enhance our legs, bums and thighs, but there are some things you can do at home. For example, take the hot shower head off and place it against your thighs or areas where you have cellulite.

Massage is powerful for improving legs and blood flow in general.

Our Guinot body range flies in the clinic and my two most popular products and ones I use myself are the Leg Soothing Gel and the Slim Thermic Gel.

WATER WORKS

Never forget the importance of water. I bring a litre around with me daily and just drink it throughout the morning, then drink another litre in the afternoon. It has only positive effects and I wish more people embraced it.

I often think when it comes to things like our legs and feet that carry us around all day, that it’s not until they get sore, injured or bruised that we notice them and give them some attention. I think we all need to love our legs far more and be grateful for all they do for us every day.

Get them up more and give them more TLC every day.

• Emer O’Callaghan is a multi-award winning beauty doctor and winner of Irish Beauty Therapist of the Year and works at Emerald Organic Beauty Products Ltd, trading as Emerald Beauty Cljinic. A Guinot Crown Elite Clinic and Dermalogica Centre of Excellence, 2008-2026, www.emeraldbeautyclinic.ie - follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok.
• MAKE-UP TUTORIAL: Would you like help in knowing what make-up suits your age and skin tone? Do you know what colours suit your eyes, are you a winter or a summer palette? Do you want to know how to get your lipstick to stay on all day? Get all the professional tips and tricks on makeup application with a 90-minute one- on-one tutorial with Emer. Learn life- long tips to perfect your make-up. To book, call Emerald Beauty Clinic on 021 4365949. Appointments only, free parking for clients.

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