Prepare to bare: non-invasive treatments for the big leg glow-up

With a twinge of body nostalgia, I flashback to the streets of Palermo. Looking for a ride to the airport in 35 degrees (and late, very late) I’m sprinting in a pair of Chanel chambray hot pants, a broderie anglaise top and sandals. No cabs but I am turning heads. Legs! I could compose a requiem for youthful, bronzed summer limbs.

Two decades on with inner thighs sagging through collagen breakdown that is part and parcel of ageing, and with a texture that is far from glassy, I embark on a mission to reclaim my legs. My ‘right sized’ goal is not brevity (though the hot pants still fit) but the bliss of shortish shorts; a body that emerges from the swimming pool without the urge to lurch for a pareo, and improved ‘presence’ on the tennis court.

Short of a surgical ‘sock lift’ (an advanced, circumferential inner thigh lift) I want to explore non-invasive procedures. I’m not alone. ‘Collagen breakdown causes skin laxity but there’s a lot that can be done without surgery, using devices, injectables and topical treatments, to the point that the patient might not require surgery,’ says Dr Raul Cetto, medical director at Le Petit Saint, a beauty and wellness sanctuary that occupies an entire townhouse in Mayfair. ‘Aesthetic medicine has advanced a lot and that’s down to our understanding of the ageing process,’ he adds.

While the clinic does not offer surgery, Cetto likes to walk patients through all the options so that they are informed. Skin laxity, a common issue for patients who experience rapid weight loss following GLP-1 drug prescription, is a hot topic. There are two main technologies that help – HIFU (high intensity focused ultrasound) and radiofrequency microneedling treatments. Both methods penetrate into the dermis (SMAS layer) to cause micro injury and ultimately stimulate healing and a renewal of collagen fibres. While HIFU is a one-off treatment (best repeated annually), microneedling is received as a series. ‘With ageing anywhere in the body, the more layers you treat, the better the outcome you get,’ says Cetto. With HIFU, improvements could take six to eight weeks to start showing, while microneedling might see quicker results in tone and tightening. Both treatments cause minor discomfort and it’s important to opt for the latest gen machines, as well as take before and after images to track these subtle changes. The reality is that one needs to prepare before ‘shorts’ season arrives, months ahead. I tried HIFU back in April at a detox retreat in Turkey, costing £450 for the inner-thigh area. The zone is more lifted and looks smoother, but the effects might only be perceptible to my eyes.

While Le Petit Saint doesn’t have HIFU on its treatment list, it does offer microneedling – and biostimulator injectables. ‘Formulations like Radiesse, Juläine or Sculptra are effective in terms of collagen formation and are injected just underneath the skin with a cannula, [with the product] staying there for a number of months as a foreign body,’ says Cetto, who is all for a multi-pronged approach, alongside exercise and nutrition. ‘The slow release causes what your skin reads as a controlled inflammatory reaction and that leads to the production of collagen and elastin,’ he explains. It is a lot to take in. He starts me off with a restorative Triple Detox Light Therapy treatment using far infrared rays, plasma therapy and light therapy in a patented German structure called an iDome. It encourages a deep-tissue detox, a circulation boost (via sweating) and I emerge from this ‘tube’ with a glow and energy boost. It’s great for post-long-haul travel.

There are also topical creams to try. Vol.U.Lift (originally developed for sagging skin from GLP-1 medications) and Adipeau help boost volume, but there is no overnight ‘magic’ – prolonged application is required. However, if embarking on a holiday soon, I would recommend maxing out on lunges, squats and stretches – and booking lymphatic drainage. At Augustinus Bader’s lab on London’s Dover Street, therapist Carmen offers the top-to-toe Rose & Geranium Goddess Body Ritual. It might sound ‘light’ but Carmen starts with a full-body glove scrub, followed by a skilful lymphatic massage that involves feathery strokes to boost the body’s natural detoxification. ‘A light touch pumps the system but you don’t want to overload it as it leads to congestion,’ says Carmen. The 90-minute treatment is topped off by Theragun – a rapidly rotating device that stimulates the muscles. Emerging from the oval, white-and-blue pod-like room feeling lighter in limb, I drink a litre of water en route back to the office to help flush the system through.

I am heading to Tangier this month and, while of course there is always the Bermuda shorts option, I’m still gunning for shortish shorts, assured that leggy improvements are already underway.