Legs

Although ideas of attractiveness differ from person to person, studies and surveys in attractiveness research show that there are recurring preferences when people describe a female body as aesthetically harmonious. These include:

• A normal body weight is often perceived as particularly attractive.
  Very slim women may be perceived as attractive, but the middle weight range is generally preferred over extreme thinness. A harmonious figure depends on more than body weight alone. The relationship between waist and hips and the proportions of the bust and legs in relation to the whole body also play a role. The most important factor is that the individual proportions appear balanced.
• A waist-to-hip ratio around 0.7 is often cited in attractiveness research.
  A relatively narrow waist is frequently perceived as feminine. The ratio is calculated by dividing the waist circumference by the hip circumference, for example 63 cm divided by 90 cm. Research has often associated a value around 0.7 with perceived attractiveness, although individual bodies naturally vary.
• Long, proportionate legs are often perceived as attractive.
  Long, slim legs can emphasise the overall body silhouette. This is one reason why high heels visually lengthen the legs. In studies, slim legs without pronounced lateral fat deposits are often rated as aesthetically harmonious.

According to attractiveness research, women’s legs are often perceived as particularly aesthetic when they look smooth, firm and athletic. Their proportions should fit the rest of the body. A healthy, natural skin tone is also part of the overall impression. For many people, even-looking skin without prominently visible small vessels or spider veins contributes to the appearance of well-groomed legs.

Small everyday injuries can temporarily affect the appearance of the legs, for example bruises, minor shaving cuts, redness or small spots caused by razor burn. These usually disappear again within a few days.

Longer-lasting changes such as cellulite are different. Localised fat deposits on the inner or outer thighs, around the knees or ankles can also affect proportions. Some women are additionally bothered by lax skin above the knees.

Cellulite occurs almost exclusively in women and is closely linked to the structure of female skin and connective tissue. The female epidermis is thinner than that of men, while the dermis beneath it is more flexible. The subcutaneous tissue also contains more and larger fat cells, which are grouped into fat chambers and can increase substantially in size, for example as an energy reserve during pregnancy. Men generally have smaller fat chambers that are more firmly embedded in the subcutaneous tissue.

Female connective tissue is also arranged differently: fine connective-tissue strands run more vertically towards the skin surface and almost parallel to each other. They are comparatively elastic and can give way under pressure from enlarged fat chambers. The fat cells can then push upwards between these strands, producing the characteristic dimpled appearance. In men, the connective tissue is more strongly cross-linked and tends to run more horizontally, which makes this surface pattern less likely.

The female sex hormone oestrogen also influences fat distribution. In women, fat is preferentially stored around the thighs, hips, buttocks and abdomen – areas where cellulite may therefore become particularly visible.

• BTL Exilis Elite™
  Unevenness on the front and back of the thighs, around the knees and on the buttocks can be treated with BTL Exilis Elite™. The treatment combines radiofrequency and ultrasound and heats the tissue in a controlled manner. This can affect fat cells and stimulate new collagen formation so that the skin and connective tissue become firmer from within.
• ATTIVA®
  This radiofrequency treatment can also be used to improve cellulite. ATTIVA® delivers controlled heat into the subcutaneous tissue through a fine probe. Existing collagen fibres contract and the body is stimulated to form new collagen, which can make the skin firmer and smoother.

In many cases, localised fat deposits are related to an individual pattern of fat distribution. This means that some areas, for example the thighs, above the knees or around the calves, contain a genetically determined higher number of fat cells.

Exercise, diet and a generally healthy lifestyle can influence how much fat is stored inside these cells, but they cannot naturally reduce the number of fat cells in a particular area. As a result, areas with more fat cells can continue to develop smaller or larger deposits even when the rest of the body is slim, which may make the legs appear disproportionate.

• Injection lipolysis
  With this method, a mixture of deoxycholic acid and phosphatidylcholine is injected into the existing fat deposits. The substances trigger lipolysis and partially break down the membranes of the fat cells. The resulting components are transported away via the lymphatic system and liver, reducing the circumference of the treated area. Injection lipolysis can be particularly suitable for small deposits on the inner and outer thighs, around the knees and on the calves. Fat cells that have been destroyed do not grow back.
• Emsculpt®
  With the HIFEM-based Emsculpt® method, the muscles of areas such as the buttocks or calves are intensively stimulated. Stronger muscle tissue requires more energy and the treatment is also associated with a reduction in the fat layer above the treated muscles.

Whether caused by individual anatomy or by natural ageing, the skin above the knees can become wrinkled and lax. ATTIVA® radiofrequency therapy can be used in this area.

The treatment delivers individually controlled radiofrequency energy into deeper tissue while the skin surface is kept cooler. The heat causes collagen fibres in the deeper skin layers to contract and stimulates connective-tissue cells to produce new collagen. This can lead to firmer skin above the knees, with results developing progressively after one or a small number of sessions.