It's time.....let's talk support hose, shall we?

I'd say avoid kneehighs since they tend to cut into your calves right under the knee. A brand of support hose I've used and like is Silkies. You can order them from www.silkies.com
The have a variety that's halfway between non-support and squish your legs to smithereens.

They have the crush your legs to smithereens kind too

i got my husband 6 prs of diabetic socks (they come in black and white) to wear to work.
he's not diabetic but does complain of sore feet at the end of the day, with his dorsums looking sl edematous.
anyways, he says they have helped him tremendously, so i wore a pair to work one day, and they were awesome.

something to consider.
but i'm from the camp that doesn't give a darn about looking hip, but i better feel darned good.

leslie

i found a really cute pair at scrubs & beyond that are thigh-high, moderate amt of squishing. they are a pale blue with butterflies. i love them!

i wear support hose all the time and i'm in my mid 20's. my legs feel so much better.

Love the knee highs just don't like ones with circulation holes. I wear TEDS, JOBST and haven't ever found that they cut me off at the knee. I'm not a big girl if that makes a difference. I wouldn't wear panty hose for an extra grand a shift...well ok maybe for a grand.

I wear Jobst open toe full panty hose (don't want those little piggies squished all day). You can purchase them in different degrees of compression. The compression is gradual, being strongest/more in the lower leg for support and circulation and less in the abs so you can still breathe. They are pricey ($45.00 or so), but I love mine! They take a little time to get into in the morning and it isn't pretty to see me hopping around the room trying to get them on, but wow do they help when you are on your feet for over 12 hrs on a nice hard floor!

BTW I'm 36..... I understand the hesitation to wear them. The only ones that know I wear them are my bf and the cat. They actually help me to look slimmer, bonus!

As a wound care nurse I can tell you that you definately need support hose as we are more prone to venous stasis disease. A good support hose can help prevent that. If you are starting to experience swelling and discomfort you should go with a hose with at least 15-20mmHg compression. I am 30 and wear 18-20mmHg compression for prevention. My patients with venous stasis disease are prescribed 30-40mmHg. I will tell you that the hose needs to be snug to work. You should get a new pair at least every 6 months as they wear out quickly. I wear a brand called Medi as they are affordable and stay up. I wear knee highs and they do not cut into your legs like TEDs. The Medi brand also has some with a silicon band at the top to keep them in place and for comfort.

Leslie,

Where did you find the diabetic socks? I want to get some for a relative but haven't been able to find them in stores around here.

Thanks. (sorry for the hijack.... I am eagerly reading suggestions for support hose too)