Beauty Clinic: Camouflaging thread veins on legs

Q. I have terrible red thread veins on my legs, which make me very self-conscious. I know surgery is the only way to get rid of them but do you have any advice to conceal or reduce the appearance meanwhile?

A. This common problem does, as you say, need professional treatment for a semi-permanent solution. Consultant surgeon Mr. John Scurr is our go-to expert on the subject and you can see his advice on treatment options for thread veins on his website jscurr.com.

One tip is to try a self-tan first and see if it does the trick on its own. Among a plethora of fab options, the specialist brand St. Tropez offers a great range, including Self Tan Express Bronzing Mist/£26, which allows you to control the depth of tan you want. Spray on and leave for one hour before showering for a sun-kissed glow, two hours for medium golden tan, or three hours for deep bronze. (And it really is streak-free if you blend in with a tan applicator mitt - always worth doing, in our book.)

If that doesn't do it for you, it’s time for a dedicated concealer.  Our rule of thumb is to look for a product that is formulated to hide tattoos and scars as they are a good test of coverage and camouflage.

Sadly, specialist range Dermablend is discontinuing its body make-up so we would try Covermark Leg Magic, which comes in ten shades, is waterproof and promises not to transfer to clothes if you follow the instructions. Reading the reviews, it might be wise initially to order the Sample Kit, which comes in three groups of tones Light, Medium and Dark, £9.95 plus postage, amazon.co.uk.

A final thought: if you have dry rough skin on your legs, it’s worth exfoliating gently and moisturising for a couple of days before trying the product as it will go on more smoothly and look much better.  (Also, do remove hairs, obvs….)

Prize Draws