Ask:Please help me with my ugly calves. I get reddish brown bruises that seem to spread for no apparent reason. I am 82 years old and a fit cyclist. I want to keep wearing skirts and shorts!
Answer:This is “senile purpura” (sorry for the term): age-related thinning of the skin and weakening of blood vessels combined with loss of fat beneath the skin.
Any treatment would only cause more bruising, but it is important to keep the tissues strong by stimulating circulation, lymphatic drainage and moisture.
Maintain an active lifestyle, put your legs up often, drink plenty of water and moisturise your skin – I like Vaseline Intensive Care Body Lotion (£5.99, boots.com).
Retouching expert Inge Van Lotringen (pictured) recommends body makeup to help make bruises on the legs less visible.
Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Makeup (pictured) costs £16.99 and is available from Boots.
While you unfortunately can’t fix bruises, you can make them much less noticeable with body makeup.
Sally Hansen’s Airbrush Legs (£16.99, boots.com) is a classic for a reason: the fragrance-free lotion (in four shades) goes on easily but won’t come off until you rinse it off.
It won’t completely cover marks and bruises, but it will fade them and give a soft glow.
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