If you’ve been anywhere near Seoul beauty trends over the past few years, you’ll have come across calf slimming, one of the most requested body treatments in South Korea, and one that’s now starting to build a following among Londoners too.
The idea is simple: some people carry noticeable muscle bulk in the calf, often from genetics or years of running or cycling, and want a longer, leaner leg line without months trying to “shrink” a muscle that responds better to relaxing than training.
How it actually works
Calf slimming uses botulinum toxin injected into the gastrocnemius, the large calf muscle that gives the lower leg its rounded shape, to partially relax it. This matters because calf bulk caused by a dominant or overdeveloped gastrocnemius genuinely cannot be reduced through diet or exercise alone. As the muscle is used less intensely, it gradually reduces in size, typically by 1.5 to 2cm in circumference per session.
“We’re seeing more interest from people who’ve tried to change their calf shape through exercise for years without success,” says Dr Hasaneen Al Janabi, who performs calf slimming in Mayfair, London. “Injection points are mapped with the patient standing, so we’re assessing the muscle in its active state, and dosing is calibrated to the individual rather than a standard template.”
What it involves
Sessions run 30 to 45 minutes with no anaesthetic required. Early softening appears at four to six weeks, with peak slimming around three months and results lasting four to six months. Most patients see their best results over two to three sessions spaced several months apart, with each one building on the last.
As with any muscle-relaxing treatment, it’s worth a proper consultation first, calf shape and lower leg proportions vary a lot from person to person, and a good practitioner should be honest about whether it’ll make the difference you’re picturing.
Consider it one to watch if you’re London-based and curious, it’s still niche here, but that’s exactly where a lot of now-mainstream treatments started.