One Sneaky Thing You Can Do This Winter to Fight Leg Veins (Don't Wait Until Shorts Season!)

by Petra Guglielmetti


Mark Leibowitz
Mark Leibowitz

Bluish, visible leg veins are one of those beauty problems that are mostly determined by genetic luck of the draw and are tricky to resolve without professional help--but that doesn't mean there aren't DIY tricks that can help. I just heard a great one from Boston dermatologist Ranella Hirsch; it's something we can start doing right away, this winter, to feel better about our legs by shorts and swimsuit season.


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The trick: Swap your black tights for a pair of incognito black support hose. Right, I just said support hose, also known as compression stockings, and no, they're not just for people with diabetes and/or your grandma. "A lot of the chic girls you see walking around European cities like Paris wearing black tights and skirts are actually wearing these," Ranella says. "They're invested in taking care of their bodies and have been doing this for years." American women and retailers are catching on to the concept, and you can now find non-clinical-looking compression stockings and leggings without going to a medical-supply store-- CVS carries them, and even Donna Karan now makes a version. Look for ones with 10 to 20 mmHg of pressure; any less won't be so effective. Amazon also has tons of options (of course).


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Have any of you ever worn compression/support stockings or leggings? Are you curious to try them out now? Are any of you using other tricks to prevent leg veins?


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