That's Fit

Life Fit Chat with That's Fit Life Fit Expert Laura Lewis brings conversation provoking tidbits to your table, served up with a touch of spice! Byte-sized information that pack some punch, brought to you every Wednesday and Thursday!

Summer is just around the corner and warmer weather is already peeking through the chill of the day. So, if you are not quite ready to boldly show some leg, check out these great tips to overcome common problems.

White as a ghost. Your legs have probably been concealed by tights, leggings and long pants for the past six months. No doubt you are feeling a bit pale. Self-tanners make all imperfections look less conspicuous. Oprah's team of experts tested the most popular brands and came up with a list of favorites.

Purple & Blue. For a multitude of reasons, women tend to bruise more easily than men. If you often look like you have spent the afternoon playing tackle football, there is a good chance you have too little cush on your tush (and other places as well). Francesca Fusco, MD, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine explains, "As we age, we lose the fat just beneath our skin that protects our blood vessels from trauma." While there is nothing we can do about fat loss, we can boost our Vitamin C intake, which will provide a buffer -- 250 to 500 milligrams of vitamin C can strengthen collagen in the blood vessel walls, every day, and bromelain supplements are helpful in treating discolored areas. Leslie Baumann, MD, professor of dermatology at the University of Miami School of Medicine recommends taking 500 milligrams twice a day.

Itsy Bitsy Spider. If you can read Charlotte's Web on your ankles and calves, you may feel less than joyful about baring your otherwise beautiful legs. Tiny veins are easily zapped with a Vbeam, YAG, or diode laser. This high-tech device destroys the walls of the veins, and within two weeks the veins have disappeared. This procedure will cost about $1200. Larger veins can be more troublesome and require a procedure called sclerotherapy. A solution is injected into individual veins causing them to collapse, and the body then reabsorbs them over subsequent weeks. Two or three treatments cost about $300 to $500 each making the total cost $1200-$1500. If you have bulging veins, doctors recommend "endovenous closure." This procedure is performed under local anesthesia and uses a radiofrequency or laser fiber that is inserted into the vein. While one treatment is usually all that is necessary, it is a pricey procedure that will cost $3,500 to $6,000 per leg.