My compression stockings won’t stay up!
Are you wondering why your compression stocking are sliding down when you walk? This article will answer this, and few other questions. Many of us can benefit from wearing compression stockings. We spend a lot of time on our feet and stockings help our tired and achy legs, provide support and comfort. And if you have varicose veins, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), leg swelling (edema) or other circulatory problems – you simply have to wear them all the time.
Even though compression stockings and socks look a lot like regular ones nowadays, they don’t fit the same way. The size cannot be determined by your weight, height or shoe size alone. We are all different. As a matter of fact, a person can have one leg that is different from another. You may wear a small shoe size, but the size of your ankles, calves, thighs, and the length of your legs will tell a whole different story when it comes to the size of compression garments. Poorly fitted compression stockings may be uncomfortable, annoying (you just had to pull them up AGAIN!), ineffective and, in some cases, even harmful. So it is highly recommended to see a Certified Compression Garments Fitter when buying your compression garment – they will properly measure you, determine the right size and suggest the choice of garments to best fit your lifestyle and preferences.
Let’s say you’ve been measured and fitted by a Compression Garments Fitter, but your stockings still roll or slide down.
Tips to Keep Your Compression Stockings Up
Your stockings must be old. If you followed washing and care instruction provided to you by a Compression Garments Fitter, and your stockings served you well for 4-6 month, but sliding down now – they must be worn out and overstretched. Any compression garment has a recommended period of effective compression, and your stockings probably reached their limit – time to replace them!
You don’t spread them evenly on your legs. Because of the tightness of most compression stockings, putting them on can be somewhat difficult. The tendency is that, the upper part is much more stretched than the lower portion causing them to slide down. Your Compression Garments Fitter provided you with the pair of donning gloves to be used every time you put your stockings on, and showed you how to do it correctly. If in doubt, ask your fitter to give you another demonstration!
You didn’t clean the silicone lining (if you went for the silicone top band stockings). After consecutive uses, the silicone band have gathered some dirt, hair and oils from your legs. Clean the silicone band using cotton balls with alcohol at least once or twice a week. A clean silicone band will hang on to your legs longer.
If the size is right, and none of the above worked – garter belts and body adhesives are available to help keep your stockings in place.
We hope that sheds some light on the issue. Do not hesitate to contact your specialist if you need more help. It’s not just about therapeutic benefits – you have to enjoy the comfort and look of your stockings. After all, compression stockings cannot help by sitting in a drawer!
