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There’s a common belief, often shared in online comments, that showing your legs past a certain age is inappropriate. Some suggest that once you hit 40 or 50, your legs should remain covered, hidden away in opaque tights. However, is this really necessary?

Admittedly, age does bring changes to our legs. Having crossed the 50-year mark, I’ve noticed spider veins appearing on my thighs and ankles, with varicose veins making an unexpected appearance down my calves. Brown pigmentation spots have also emerged, along with those unmentioned white spots. Plus, my skin has become thinner, more crepey, and noticeably drier, even leading to what some jokingly call ‘shin dandruff.’

Despite these changes, I am adamant about not concealing my legs. At 51, I still proudly show them off. Of course, maintaining smooth and mostly blemish-free legs requires effort and care.

Watching Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on last Saturday’s episode of Strictly, confidently displaying their radiant, bronzed legs in chic black minidresses, was inspiring. Seeing a 56- and 53-year-old defy the so-called ‘age-appropriate’ norms was refreshing. I also admire the dedication it takes to keep their legs looking that stunning post-fifty, recognizing the commitment and investment involved.

But if you are prepared to put the time in you’ll be rewarded with the kind of ‘status legs’ sported by the Duchess of Sussex, Victoria Beckham and Gwynnie. Exactly how do you get them? Here are my six steps. The good news? It’s mostly faking it.

1. Prep your skin

Nothing revolutionary here – it’s all about consistency. Daily body brushing then a cleanser containing a dead skin cell shifting acid (I like Ameliorate Transforming Body Wash, from £14.25) and a body scrub which does more of the same (I like Biossance Squalane + Enzyme Sugar Body Scrub, £22 at Sephora). Then really massage in an unctuous cream (my current indulgence is Uni 24-Hour Body Serum, £25). One good thing about being older is you are less hairy so battling with growth is significantly less onerous and just requires a quick once over with a Gillette Venus Razor (£9.99 at Boots).

Rosie Green says there’s no reason to cover up your legs just because you’re over 50

2. Avoid this food

Actresses avoid salty foods the night before getting their legs out at awards ceremonies. Why? It can make your body hold onto water and thus look heavier and puffier. Another red carpet trick is to really massage body lotion into your pins pre event to keep skin glowing and plump.

3. Apply (a lot of) fake tan 

The Strictly stars are vocal about their love of fake tan as it’s key for disguising blemishes. Truth is I wouldn’t conceive of baring my legs without a liberal coating of it. I think you can afford to go a couple of shades darker on the legs than you can on the face. Before any legs out event I book in with spray tanner James Harknett (find him on Instagram at @jamesharknett_tan) who nails that expensive bronze we all crave. He has an A-list roster – think Ryan Gosling – and has some rules for beautiful post 50 pins.

If you are tanning at home he suggests opting for the hydrating Three Warriors Self Tan Mousse, £34.99, applied with a brush (their Beauty Buffing Brush is £12). For a finishing layer he opts for Bare By Vogue Instant Tan, £18, which he says ‘is ideal for legs and doesn’t transfer to clothes’.

James says prep is crucial for clients in this age category, with diligent exfoliation being key. This is because skin cell turnover decreases with age and so older skin is more likely to suffer from dry areas and these turn patchy when you self-tan. He also says shave at least 24 hours before a tan and keep kneecaps and heels extra hydrated.

4. Invest in body make up

My friend, the makeup artist Aimee Adams (who is also Tess’s go to glam woman) has taught me layering body make-up over fake tan delivers a ‘soft focus effect that blurs blemishes and gives the skin a glow.’ She loves Charlotte Tilbury’s Supermodel Body Body Highlighter, £48, and a brand call Melanie Mills, whose Hollywood Peach Deluxe Gleam Face & Body Radiance, you can find at birchbox.co.uk for £39.50. ‘They use in on America’s Dancing with the Stars’ says Aimee ‘it’s amazing but very pigmented.’ She also recommends layering on ProBody Glow, £29.99, a balm that gives limbs an extra gloss. And finally she suggests using a setting spray (try E.L.F. Power Grip Dewy Setting Spray, £11 at Boots) to stop any colour transfer.

5. Research the tweakments

To tackle that varicose vein snaking down my calf I went to see Mr Kyriakides, a consultant at The London Clinic. He used EVLA (which stands for Endovenus Laser Ablation) heat energy to destroy and collapse it. It’s uncomfortable and requires the wearing of not so sexy support stockings for a week or so, but it means I can now wear a mini dress with confidence. Mr Kyriakides then performed sclerotherapy on those pesky spider veins – injecting a foam through them and so blitzing the stagnant blood vessels. EVLA from £3500 and Sclerotherapy from £400.

6. Do leg toning exercises

Within my twice weekly weight sessions I do some exercises specifically to tone my legs. My trainer Jodie Brinson regularly tasks me with calf raises, telling me to put my feet on a step, with my heels hanging off it, and then raise up onto my toes. I have to hold at the top for 5 seconds – and then repeat this 15 times. I do this set three times.

For my inner thighs Jodie gets me to do adductor lifts and then wide leg sumo squats holding a heavy weight. For quads I do wall sits – where you stand with your back to the wall, slide down till you form a seated position (but with no chair) and hold for an agonising 45 seconds. Repeat three times.