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LIFE / STYLE & FASHION / MEN'S STYLE

For Columbus men, leg troubles know nogender boundariesApril 28, 2010

12:39 AM MST

A funny thing about poor leg circulation… it doesn’t respect gender boundaries—at

least not very much.  Though nearly as likely to suffer from varicose veins or

chronically aching legs as women, men have long been limited in options available for

prevention or relief from discomfort.  However, a Central Ohio firm selling ActivSkin

legwear for men, aka 'mantyhose', is providing a masculine alternative for improving

their lot. 

If you’re a man nearing your forties—or maybe even the late thirties—chances are you

suffer from leg cramps, achiness, heaviness or varicose veins--or you know someone who

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does.  For men working in ‘at-risk’ professions, the

problem is more pervasive.  Even though most leg

support products are directed toward women, up

to 45% of American men also suffer from some sort

of venous circulation problem[1] . 

Adding insult to injury, if you complain to your

doctor about it, he or she will likely tell you to

either try support socks or expensive medical-

grade surgical hosiery if the problem is above the

knee.  Of course, socks won’t address problems

above the knee, and most find the medical-grade

hosiery too tight, hot and difficult to put on. 

They're better suited to more serious and readily

identifiable maladies.  Thus, they usually wind up in

a drawer after a few wearings. 

Having no ‘middle option’ to offer, medical professionals often resort to referring male

patients to the local drugstore to pick up a pair of L’eggs® Sheer Energy® pantyhose. 

Though this may be a workable solution,  most men are squeamish about buying women’s

hosiery.  Instead, they simply ‘grin and bear it’ with nothing to ease their pain and

discomfort.   Unfortunately, if you ignore issues with leg circulation, the consequences

don't just go away.  They tend to become progressively worse. 

The Problem, In A Nutshell

Venous circulation problems arise from many causes: sitting for extended periods of time,

long hours of standing (cashiers, chefs, surgeons, et al)—these constitute risk factors.  The

veins in our legs do a lot of work carrying blood upward to the heart, working against

gravity the entire way.  To prevent backflow, they’re equipped with tiny one-way valves

throughout their length.  When muscles contract they squeeze the veins, forcing blood

back toward the heart.  As we age, vein walls tend to weaken and stretch.  This makes the

valves less effective at preventing backflow of blood, which may begin to pool in the lower

legs.  Pooled blood places added pressure on our vein walls.  This further exacerbates the

problem, leading to the ‘heavy’ feeling experienced by many men with venous

insufficiency.  Weakened blood vessels sometimes bulge under the strain, creating visible

signs of varicose veins.

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These visible symptomes are generally accompanied by cramping and achiness.  Leg

cramps are painful, involuntary muscle contractions occurring mainly in older adults.  They

can disrupt sleep, cause tenderness, muscle fatigue, and spasms.  They're very common,

affecting up to 70% of people over age 50.  Some studies suggest roughly one in two

people over 50 suffer from varicose veins.  In many cases it’s impossible to determine a

specific cause, since they can arise from many sources.

Treatment Options

In addition to massage, exercise, and improved diet—elastic compression therapy can also

help when veins have trouble doing it on their own.  It consists of simply wearing

nylon/spandex hosiery during the day, which applies sufficient pressure around the leg

and supports leg muscles and veins, facilitating good circulation.  Wearing compression

legwear enhances blood flow, which gets more oxygen to leg muscles, energizing them

all day.  As a result, leg cramps can be diminished or eliminated altogether by this simple

measure; not to mention the support provided to weakened blood vessels associated with

varicose veins.

It doesn’t take much compression to provide some relief.  Wearing support hosiery can

help prevent this condition from progressively worsening.  Prevention is key.  Once they

appear you can only keep them from getting worse.  The U.S. Dept. of Health & Human

Services’ FAQs on varicose veins states, “The single most important thing a person can do

to slow development of new varicose veins is to wear graduated compression support

hosiery as much as possible during the day[2].”

New Solutions for Men

Women have long benefited from wearing support hosiery, having dozens of brands to

choose from.  Of men who’ve tried women’s brands, most would prefer a garment

designed to fit the male body.  Sheer pantyhose and tights have traditionally been

associated with women’s wear, consequently preventing men from discovering an

effective solution to leg discomfort.  That's changing considerably as companies are now

offering hosiery made especially for men.  Granville, Ohio-based ActivSkin was the first

to do so in 1999.  They were soon followed by several overseas women's hosiery firms that

added men's lines of sheer and opaque tights to their existing product line.  Among these

were Wolford (later discontinued), Gerbe, Levee, and Aries.  In addition to conforming to

larger body sizes, wider waists, etc.; many of the new styles also include a fly opening as

well. 

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The companies selling these new styles of support hosiery for men advocate the

philosophy that they're equally well suited to men as women.  These 'mantyhose', as many

in the press have labeled it, provide a masculine alternative to women's brands, and

growing media exposure of the male legwear trend has emboldened many to wear them

on a regular basis in the interest of maintaining improved leg health. 

As our population ages, we’ve become much more attuned to preventative health

measures—preferring proactive to reactive.  Today’s man has become more confident in

his masculinity—becoming less prone to balk at using products women have long known

to be beneficial.  The emerging mindset is, “Does it get the job done?”  As a result, sheer

and opaque tights for men are emerging from the edges of consumer awareness and

appear poised to become a significant trend.

Traditionally, men aren’t supposed to ‘care’ about their appearance.  But, this stereotype is

rapidly giving way, with men using moisturizers, facial cleansers, hair coloring, hair

removal, etc. to improve their look and maybe squeeze a few more years of youthful vigor

out of their bodies.  In fact, men do care about their appearance, they just don't want it

to seem obvious.  As we age, our legs can start to look pretty pale and lumpy without

proper precautions.  But guys needn't be ready to hang up their shorts by the time they hit

their fifties.  In addition to helping legs feel energized, many guys wearing the new male

support hose report the added bonus of compliments from wives about how good their

legs look.  To paraphrase an old parody—‘its better to look good AND feel good.’ ”

There are no guarantees, of course, that wearing compression hose will stop leg aches,

but ActivSkin has received dozens of testimonials to that effect, and continued sales

growth seems to bear it out.  If you're a man with tired, heavy legs—or you're a woman

married to one—do yourself a favor and look into it further.   

[1] U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, The National Women’s Health & Information

Center (http://www.womenshealth.gov/FAQ/varicose-spider-veins.cfm#C)

[2] ibid.

[3] ibid, (http://www.womenshealth.gov/FAQ/varicose-spider-veins.cfm#K)

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Steve NewmanMen's Legwear Examiner