Member Article

SHORTS SHRIFT: TWO THIRDS OF BRITS DITCH SUMMER CLOTHES OVER LEGS SHAME

• Over two thirds of Brits (70 per cent) will avoid wearing certain clothes this summer, even wardrobe staples such as shorts, because they are worried about having their legs on show

• Nearly half of men and women (44 per cent) will choose to stay covered up while on the beach or by the pool when on holiday this year

• One in ten Brits (12 per cent) will opt to stay at home rather than heading for sunnier climes this year, due to feeling body conscious about their legs

• 46 per cent of UK adults say varicose veins are the number one worry when it comes to the appearance of their legs, even beating conditions such as cellulite (32 per cent) to the top of the poll

• Brits become more self-conscious of their varicose veins as they get older with 29 per cent of 18-24-year olds versus 50 per cent of those aged 55 plus saying the veins on their legs make them feel uneasy when it comes to wearing certain clothes

A new survey has revealed that over two thirds of Brits (70 per cent) will avoid wearing certain clothes this summer because they feel far too self-conscious about having their legs on show, with nearly half the nation (44 per cent) saying they won’t be wearing shorts, skirts or dresses this year, even during a heatwave

The poll of 1000 UK men and women*, commissioned by leading cosmetic surgery group, The Private Clinic of Harley Street also shows that although most Brits won’t be entirely put off booking a beach holiday this year because of their body worries, nearly half (44 per cent) have confessed they will stay covered up while on the beach or by the pool because they feel uncomfortable about the appearance of their legs.

Over half of those asked (46 per cent) cited varicose veins, spider veins and thread veins as their number one worry when it comes to feeling dissatisfied with the overall appearance of their legs, over other common, and often more talked about, body complaints such as eczema and dry skin conditions (40 per cent), cellulite (32 per cent), and scars (20 per cent).

The results go on to show that both British men and women become even more self-conscious of problem areas such as varicose veins as they get older, with 29 per cent of 18-24-year olds compared to 50 percent of those aged 55 plus, saying the visible veins on their legs make them feel uneasy and embarrassed when it comes to wearing certain clothes.

However, the appearance of varicose veins is a bigger area of concern for women than it is for men, with the poll highlighting that over half of women (55 per cent) are more self-conscious of having their legs on show because of varicose veins than men (37 per cent), and 51 per cent will avoid wearing shorts compared to just one third of men (36 per cent). Perhaps surprisingly, UK women say they have become less embarrassed about issues such cellulite with age, with 40 per cent of those aged 23-34 versus just 26 per cent of those aged 55 plus admitting they feel worried about the appearance of dimples due to cellulite on the thighs, hips and buttocks.

Despite topping the poll as the biggest worry area for both men and women when it comes to their legs, less than half of Brits (43 per cent) say they would currently seek out treatment for their varicose veins, even though a third (33 per cent) of respondents think they would feel more confident in themselves if they underwent a procedure that could help.

It seems that a lack of understanding of the treatments could be to blame for people suffering in silence; when participants were quizzed further on why they might not seek treatment, the results showed that 23 per cent of adults would be put off because they think the treatments might be invasive; and 1 in 5 are mistakenly worried about the procedures being painful.

Leading Vascular Surgeon at The Private Clinic, Mr Dynesh Rittoo, says of the results: “At The Private Clinic we have carried out over 7,000 procedures to treat veins. I see many patients who are seeking treatment for their varicose veins, spider veins and thread veins and many of them come to me for treatment for similar reasons – embarrassment, feeling self-consciousness and overall dissatisfaction with how their legs look. As a result, many are concerned about wearing certain clothes and having their legs on display, particularly in the summer months and when away on beach holidays.

“It is surprising to see that so many people are worried about treatment for varicose veins being invasive and painful, you don’t have to suffer in silence! We now use methods such as the EVLA treatment, a minimally-invasive method of treating problem veins. This method proves very popular as, unlike traditional vein stripping methods, it can be performed under a local anaesthetic and has a much shorter recovery time with fantastic results.

“More recently we have started to treat patients with the new VenaSeal method. This treatment can be delivered in 15-20 minutes and is painless. The recovery time is very short, and, unlike the EVLA treatment, patients are not required to wear compression stockings. This makes the treatment a great solution if people are looking to treat their problem veins before their summer holiday or ahead of a special occasion.”
*Survey of 1000 UK men and women conducted via OnePoll

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Harry Heartfield .