Wrinkly knees SOS

 "I'm 26 and I've noticed some rather distressing signs of aging in a strange place - my knees! When my legs are completely straight, I have wrinkles above the knee and I am not quite ready for my legs to look like an old woman's! I am slender, but I haven't been exercising as much lately as usual. Perhaps just being in better shape would help, but I was wondering if you had any suggestions for this type of problem? Based on my grandmother's legs, I am not in for a pretty picture as I age, so I would like to take any preventative steps now !"




   Hi ! Ageing knees are not as rare as you think. BTW people with more meat on them tend to get knee fat, which is slightly more difficult to deal with: there is both the fat and the excess skin. You just have the skin to deal with. Here are some tips for you:

• Exercise ! Yes, this is my number one tip. Exercises directed especially at the legs will firm the supporting muscle and get more blood flowing to the skin. I´m no expert on this, but I´ve heard leg extensions, running and skipping rope are great. (For those with knee fat: these exercises are fab if you want slim knees).

• Dry brushing or exfoliation: Use a brush with natural bristles or a loofah, and keep the movements circular. If you prefer scrubs, I have written about some DIY ones here.

• Moisturising: as I´m an oil fanatic, I´d recommend an oil mix: a few drops of vitamin E from a capsule, a few drops of an  anti-wrinkle essential oil (frankincense, myrrh, rose, patchouli, carrot, rose hip, or lavender help with wrinkles), all this added to a good base oil (maybe a mix of wheatgerm, almond and jojoba if you want to get fancy, if not then use olive oil or avocado oil). Of course everything should be 100% pure without additives of any kind.

Both the dry brushing and moisturising should be done with a firm hand. These two steps should be a kind of brisk massage. Now I know that a common approach to anything saggy or wrinkly is "don´t touch it !" but believe me, dry brushing and massaging stimulates and tones up the skin. Don´t pull the skin too much, but do knead it and keep the dry brushing brisk.

• Food: What you eat has a tremendous impact on your skin, I can´t stress this enough. Get your natural oils from seeds and nuts or oils rich in Omega-3 (like flaxseed oil). Eat more raw fruits and vegetables. And of course, drink more water.

• Dermarolling: I have read online about it being very effective against wrinkle. It sounds intriguing, but I know to few about it right now. Please do your research.

• Rock them: Knee wrinkles don´t stop Vic Beckham from being one of the most stylish women on the planet. I kinda believe that we can´t really deal with a body problem if we hate the body part. So let your motivation for following the tips above flow from a positive attitude towards your body.