Ever spend hours in the shower, scrubbing and scratching at those black dots on your legs? If so, then we have so much in common already. Women usually shave or exfoliate their legs for a smoother texture, but what many of us don’t know is… what exactly are those black or red dots on the surface of our skin?
“Strawberry legs” is the official name for legs covered in the black/red dots. They occur as a result of ingrown hairs, causing the seeds of your skin to emerge. Because the seeds resemble the the skin of strawberries, they were given the same name. Despite the fact that the name is attached to legs, the condition can affect any part of your body with a hair follicle. This includes your underarms, intimate areas, the back of your body, and even the area behind your chest. You may wonder if it’s something to worry about. But strawberry legs are common, so tuck your worries away. However, if you find that having strawberry legs is annoying, or simply don’t like seeing those dots, we have a solution for you. Here are some ways you could try to get rid of or avoid getting strawberry legs.
1. Physical Exfoliation
‘Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate’. Exfoliation on a regular basis PLUS using the correct shaving tools and following a good skincare regimen, can help keep black pores at bay. Exfoliating your legs with a glove, wash cloth or body scrub that polishes away dead skin cells on a regular basis is highly recommended. Exfoliating softens the skin and loosens the debris and oil that are already in your pores, which helps to avoid strawberry legs.
2. Chemical Exfoliation
Apart from using natural or homemade exfoliators, you can also try chemical exfoliators to aid strawberry legs. Chemical exfoliants, unlike physical exfoliants, do not require texture or effort to work. Instead, lactic acid and glycolic acid, which are natural chemical exfoliants, help weaken the links between accumulated dead skin cells, allowing them to separate from the surface. On strawberry legs, they’re both harmless and effective.
3. Moisturise
Just like your face, other parts of your skin need moisture too. And it is a must to moisturise your skin after every exfoliating session. Keeping your skin hydrated will aid in the natural and timely removal of dead skin cells. Choose shea butter-containing products if you have dry skin. Shea butter acts as an emollient, allowing moisture to be trapped in the skin. Not only that, but you’ll also have a dessert-like odour!
4. Dry Brushing
Avoiding strawberry legs usually begins a day or two before you shave. Besides physical and chemical exfoliators, you can also use the dry brushing technique. Brush your legs vigorously with a soft dry brush in circular strokes before bathing or showering. Then, before shaving, bathe your skin in warm water for 5-10 minutes to open skin pores and hair follicles. This aids in the removal of pollutants and the loosening of dead skin cells stuck within the pores.
5. Use quality razors
They’re your legs. So, ditch cheapskate products and grab quality ones for your skin. Your shaving technique may be to blame for the appearance of black pores on your legs. As a result, it’s important to pay attention to your shaving technique and the quality of the razor you’re using. Use a razor that delivers a closer shave without causing ingrown hairs by forcing the hair to snap back. Don’t forget to bathe your legs in warm (not hot) water before shaving to soften the hair on your legs and open up pores. Also, you can reduce shaving too often. Once every two weeks is fine.
6. Electrolysis Treatment
Home remedies sometimes don’t work for everyone. If that’s the case for you, your strawberry legs can be taken care of by a trained skincare professional. Electrolysis is a treatment that targets inflamed hair follicles with low-voltage electricity. You can also consider laser hair removal, which is more targeted and exact, but you will likely need to visit several locations to achieve happy and smooth legs.
Strawberry legs can and cannot be treated (confusing right? I know!) It can be temporarily treated and kept under control for a while, but if you want long-term results, you’ll need to seek the advice of a skincare professional. Because the hair that causes the “strawberry” bump is actually made up of unclean follicles trapped beneath your skin, you’ll need a particular treatment to clean them off from the inside.
More on skincare? Read this:
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