Elephant leg / Muscular calf

Everyone has some leg fat, but the amount varies person to person. Some may opt for running to get rid of the fat, unfortunately it may build up muscular calves unexpectedly. However, choosing to be sendatey will only make it worse. What is the best way to reduce this stubborn fat on legs?

Introduction

Having big thighs or/and big calves will make the legs appear fatter and shorter.

“Elephant leg” refers to a leg that the thigh and calf are about the same size (big size), showing no leg definition and fatter legs.

Muscular calves refer to big calves that show defined and strong muscle features, lacking an imbalanced leg contour.

Causes

Abnormal secretion of estrogen

Scientific research has shown that the level of estrogen contributes to how fat will be stored in the body. Over secretion of estrogen will increase the lipase (fat digesting enzyme) activity at thighs and buttlock, causing fat deposition at these two areas. On the other hand, people who have irregular eating habits, take contraceptives or are in the menstrual cycle are more likely to experience abnormal secretion of estrogen. The longer you have abnormal secretion of estrogen, the more fat accumulated in legs and buttlocks.

Bad sitting posture | Sitting with legs crossed

Sitting with your legs crossed (putting your ankle on the knee) may compress veins and make it challenging for blood to circulate to different areas of the body, causing poor blood and lymph circulation, or swelling on the legs. If leg stretching exercises are not involved regularly to tune back the blood flow, it may lead to development/worsening of varicose veins, fat deposition and muscle stiffness.

Sitting down in the office all day / Sedentary lifestyle

Sitting for prolonged hours can lead to poor lymph circulation throughout the body, the development of edema, weight gaining at lower body due to lack of regular workout. Prolonged sitting causes the abdomen to compress, slows down the digestion process and limits the movement of digestive organs, resulting in poor digestion performance, constipation and fat accumulation at abdomen and thighs.

Overeating

Prolonged overeating, especially food in high fat or calories content, with inadequate physical exercise, will lead to the accumulation of excess energy in the form of fat tissue in the body. Legs are more likely to gain stubborn fat than other body areas.

Bad walking posture/walking in heels frequently

The muscles in the calves are vital for walking, your every single step involves the work of the muscle. Therefore, your walking posture can directly affect the development of calf muscles. People who walk or stand in heels frequently are prone to developing muscular calves as they constantly contract the muscles of calves to maintain the posture. Compared to people who walk or stand in trainers, people in heels have larger and more muscular calves.

Lack stretching exercises for legs

Doing stretching exercises for legs after a workout or after prolonged standing/walking are beneficial for maintaining healthy and good looking legs. However, without a proper leg stretching habit, the muscles of calves remain contracted and hence strong muscle groups are developed on calves.

Symptoms

● Accumulated fat typed thick legs (elephant legs)

For thick calves that are caused by fat accumulation, there is a thick layer of fat accumulated underneath the skin, followed by the muscles of calves. This type of calves usually gives an impression of a chubby body.

Elephant legs commonly occur on people who are overweight.

● Muscular typed thick legs

Usually occurs on calves muscles that have been overused. This type of thick legs face more challenges than the fat typed thick legs because once developed, fat can be removed while muscle can only be reduced but not completely removed.

● Combined typed (fat and muscular) thick legs

This combined typed thick legs are a common leg problem. They have the problems of the combination of fat accumulation and strong muscles of calves, sometimes along with edema. When you pinch the calf, you may think that it is a muscle because it feels hard. In fact, what you feel is not muscle, but the fat accumulation and hardening caused by prolonged inactive lifestyle.

These three types (accumulated fat typed, muscular typed and combined typed) of thick legs are caused differently and should be treated in different ways for the maximum results. Combined typed thick leg is the most common symptom but is also the most complicated one, its treatment is more than just simply the combination of treating accumulated fat typed and muscular typed.

◎ Self-evaluation – which type of thick legs are you?

Having thick thighs usually indicated that you have fat accumulated typed thick legs;

For thick calves, you can pinch the calves to evaluate; the more you can pinch, the thicker of the subcutaneous fat you have. If it feels soft and can be pinched easily without any feeling of pain/swelling, it means the area you pinched is fat tissue. If it feels hard and only a little skin can be pinched with a feeling of pain/swelling, it means the area you pinched is a muscle.

Affected people

People who work in a sitting position for much of the day. People who walk/stand in heels for a long period of time.
Women are prone to gain weight on their legs compared to men. The estrogen in women makes it more likely for women to store fat on legs.
People who lack exercise or stretching habits. People who have bad walking/running posture or have excessive running.
People who like to cross their legs while sitting.

Treatment

In Ai Beauty clinic, lipodissolve treatment is usually suggested for thighs slimming, botulinum toxin injection for calves slimming, and Coolsculpting for removing any stubborn fat on legs.

A.Lipodissolve injection – Legs

What is Lipodissolve injection:

Lipodissolve injection is considered as the most safe and effective non-surgical fat reduction treatment, it works particularly well on local fat reduction and removal of stubborn fat such as double chin, chubby face, arm and leg. Lipodissolve injection boosts the metabolic rate of fat tissue and enhances the breakdown of fat cells. Also, it can tighten and lift the skin, resulting in a more youthful and healthy face profile.

How does it work?

Lipodissolve injection solution will be administered locally to the subcutaneous fat layer. The active ingredients in the solution will break down the walls of fatty cells and increase the localised concentration of lipase enzymes to facilitate the destruction of fatty cells and let the body flush out the fat as waste via the lymphatic system.

Procedure:

1. Face-to-face consultation: Doctor conducts evaluation of the thickness of the double chin and provides professional advice on whether or not a lipodissolve injection treatment is suitable. If suitable, the injection site will then be marked on the face.

2. Pre-treatment preparation: Local anesthetic. Clean and disinfect the injection areas.

3. Injection: Administered with blunt needles at the double chin. Only one injection at each injection zone.

4. Post-treatment precautions.

Duration: 30-45 mins

Who is it for?

People who have thick legs that is fat accumulated typed;
People who have excessive accumulation of fat on legs (elephant legs);
People who have uneven skin surface after liposuction treatment;
People who want a non-invasive fat reduction treatment without any involvement of surgical operation, liposuction or general anesthesia;
People who lack of exercises;

Ai Beauty Lipodissolve Injection:

Two UK proven lipodissolve injection solutions are available from Ai Beauty: Aqualyx (United Kingdom) and Desobody (Italy). They both can accurately and effectively dissolve the unwanted fat deposits, the result is long lasting without rebound. This non-invasive, localised treatment is a worry-free option for fat reduction.

B. Leg Slimming Injection

What is it:

Leg slimming injection treatment uses a solution that contains type A botulinum toxin to work on muscle. It has been proven to be safe and effective. The production of human-use medical botulinum toxin was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1992.

How does it work:

Botulinum toxin blocks the signal communication between nerves and muscles, and hence paralyses the muscles. The paralysed muscles will then lose their size without contracting much. When botulinum toxin is injected into the muscle of calves, the muscle will then lose contact with the nerve and its function temporarily. As a result, the muscle will shrink, the fatty appearance in the lower legs will be reduced and slimmer legs will be restored.

Procedure:

1. Face-to-face consultation: Doctor pinches the calves to evaluate the legs condition and provides professional advice on whether or not a leg slimming injection treatment is suitable.

2. Pre-treatment preparation: Local anesthetic. Clean and disinfect the injection areas. Confirm the injection solution.

3. Leg slimming injection: Inject type A botulinum toxin solution (leg slimming solution) into the muscles of calves.

4. Post-treatment precautions.

Duration: 30 mins

Who is it for:

People who have thick legs that is muscular typed;
People who have strong muscles of calves caused by prolonged sitting, improper exercise position or wear heels frequently;
People who have big and muscular calves;
People who lack exercise;

Ai Beauty Leg Slimming Injection:

A collection of safe, effective and FDA approved leg slimming solutions are available in Ai Beauty including Azzalure (United Kingdom), Bocouture (Germany) and Botox (U.S.A.). Our injection physicians are authorized by the manufacturers and are highly experienced with traceable qualifications.

C. CoolSculpting Elite

What is CoolSculpting:

CoolSculpting Elite system is a fat freezing treatment system developed by renowned dermatologists Dr.R.Rox Anderson and Dr. Fieter Manstein at Massachusetts General Hospital (A teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School), and manufactured by American medical equipment manufacturer ZELTIQ AESTHETICS, INC.. The system has been widely used in more than 80 countries globally with more than 5 millions successful practical cases. This technology has been certified by the US FDA, China CFDA and CE. Its safety and prominent results have granted the CoolSculpting technology to be a world class body sculpting treatment.

Principles:

Based on the cold-intolerance property of fat cells, CoolSculpting technology utilises low temperature (4~5℃) applicators to chill the unwanted fat cells. Fat cells will then die and be excreted out of the body as they can not tolerate low temperature. The accurate temperature setting and the usage of the applicator probe ensure that the process will not damage any normal body tissues except fat cells. Thanks to the high accuracy and specificity, one treatment can achieve a removal of 22.4% fat.

Procedure:

1、Face-to-face consultation: Evaluation of bulges including location and size. Doctor will provide a suggested treatment plan based on your situation and expectation.

2、Pre-treatment: Draw markings to define treatment areas. Clean, disinfect and install the tip of applicator.

3、Sculpting treatment: Place the applicator probe against your skin to deliver cooling to fat cells.

4、Post-treatment caring.

Duration: 1 hr

Who is it for:

People who are not significantly overweight but looking for a fat reduction at specific body parts;
People who have stubborn fat on their legs;
People who want a non-invasive fat reduction treatment without any involvement of surgical operation, liposuction or general anesthesia;
People who want to rapidly lose fat at specific body parts;
People who have thick legs that is fat accumulated typed;

Ai Beauty CoolSculpting:

Ai Beauty clinic is the first clinic in the UK to introduce the latest generation of CoolSculpting, CoolSculpting Elite. This cooling technology can destroy fat cells without damaging any normal body cells. It is a highly effective, non-invasive fat reduction treatment you are looking for.

Fed up with Elephant leg / Muscular calf, come to Ai Beauty Clinic,
for safe and professional medical treatment.

Ai Beauty Clinic is a CQC accredited clinic based in London, and also is strongly supported by Cynosure(the owner of Ulthreapy) and Cynosure (the owner of PicoSure).

With rich experience of treating clients of various conditions, led by a famous British medical chief trainer, practiced by doctors and nurses who are GMC/NMC-registered and worked in NHS national hospitals, Ai Beauty provides certified and safe medical beauty treatments.

Ai Beauty always puts safety first. Not only are all medical staff insured by independent medical policy, each client who comes to Ai Beauty Clinic is also insured by £5 millions medical insurance. This full insurance coverage allows clients to have a concern-free treatment experience.

Ai Beauty Clinic has served over 15,000 clients from all around the world, been covered by some famous media such as European Times and CW Television, and established trust and an excellent reputation among them.

Elephant leg / Muscular calf

Introduction

Causes