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How to Tell if you Have Cankles

Most women with cankles are very aware that they have them. The term “cankles” is a very unflattering term. People use it to describe the merging of the ankle and calf together without any real definition between them. Although cankles aren’t a medical problem, they can cause self-esteem issues. If your legs have no natural curves in the right places, you probably have cankles.

What Do Cankles Look Like?

You can tell if you have cankles because your calves and ankles appear to merge into an ill-defined column. In many people, there is a natural breaking point where the ankle meets the calf. If you have cankles, there will be no natural curve outward at the calf or inward at the ankle. Your legs may look “straight up and down”, or they may look, lumpy, bumpy or bulging.

What Problems Do Cankles Cause?

The good news is that cankles don’t cause any medical problems. However, many women feel that cankles cause an aesthetic issue. Having beautiful legs is something that most women desire, especially in today’s world of social media. Cankles are far from being the beauty ideal!

Cankles can make it difficult to choose outfits too. Women with cankles often want to hide their legs. As a result, they feel restricted to wearing only long dresses, skirts, and pants. They may avoid strappy sandals, too, since straps can make the ankles appear even less shapely. Meanwhile, boots may be difficult to find because they may not fasten around the ankle or calf.

Many women suffer from poor self-esteem when they have cankles. They feel embarrassed about their appearance and have low self-confidence. It may not be a physical issue, but it’s certainly an emotional one, affecting mental health negatively.

Why Do I Have Cankles?

There are several potential causes of cankles.

Obesity may cause cankles in some cases. If you’re generally overweight, you may be storing that extra fat in your lower legs. If you lose a few pounds through diet and exercise, your legs may slim down. That may restore definition to your calves and ankles. Unfortunately, though, this won’t help every woman with cankles.

Some women have cankles for other reasons, for example:

  • Pregnancy
  • Medical conditions such as kidney or heart disease
  • Medication side effects
  • Eating a high sodium diet

At the end of the day, though, most women have cankles because of their genetics. If your close family members have cankles, you probably will too. If your cankles are genetic, there is nothing you can do to improve the look of your cankles with traditional methods. Surgery is your only option to make your ankles and calves more aesthetically pleasing.

Can Slim Women Have Cankles?

Some people believe that only overweight or obese women have cankles. That isn’t the case at all. In fact, women of all body shapes, sizes, and ages can have cankles. Cankles are nothing to do with obesity in many cases. It’s more to do with the natural shape of the leg, which genetics will determine. As a result, even women who are very slim can still lack definition between their calves and ankles.

Will Losing Weight Help Get Rid Of Cankles?

In most cases, losing weight won’t help you to get rid of your cankles. If you’re overweight in general, dieting and exercise may work. Living a healthier lifestyle should help you shed weight overall. The weight loss will usually be across your entire body, including your calves and ankles. Therefore, you may find that your cankles reduce if you drop a few sizes. It’s also impossible to spot reduce fat. Even if you lose weight overall, you may find that your calves and ankles remain large.

Unfortunately, if you’re a normal body weight already, dieting and exercising probably won’t have any effect on your cankles. It’s likely that the cause of your poorly defined ankles and calves is your genes.

Do Leg Exercises Help To Improve Cankles?

In some cases, working out with a focus on the calf muscles may help tone them and improve their shape. However, it’s likely that the effect will be negligible. Also, if your calves are already bulky, focusing on exercising them may make them even larger. That could produce the opposite effect to the one you desire.

What Is The Best Solution For Cankles?

The best solution to get rid of cankles is to have cankle liposuction. It’s an effective cosmetic surgery procedure that permanently removes the fat cells in this area of the legs. A skilled surgeon can sculpt the fat to create a more attractive shape.

Unfortunately, it can be challenging to find a cosmetic surgeon who can perform cankle liposuction. Many surgeons do not treat this area due to its complexity. Luckily, ArtLipo has the answer. Dr. Su is a liposuction specialist who performs 360-degree liposuction on the calves and ankles. He achieves truly impressive results for his patients. Get in touch with ArtLipo today to learn more.