Does shaving ever leave your legs covered in small, reddish or black spots that look similar to the seeds on the outside of a strawberry? It’s a very common skin concern called strawberry legs. With the first day of summer coming up, we wanted to fill you in on banishing these blemishes so you can confidently flaunt your silky smooth skin at upcoming pool parties and beach days.
What Are Strawberry Legs?
Known in the dermatology community as “comedones,” the black dots that appear on your legs are caused by enlarged pores or hair follicles that become clogged with dirt, oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria. While these spots are not a medical concern, they can certainly feel like a cosmetic issue, especially when your seasonal wardrobe includes shorts and sundresses.
Strawberry legs are often confused with conditions like keratosis pilaris. However, keratosis pilaris manifests as small, rough bumps that are very similar to goosebumps rather than as black dots.
There are several factors that can make you more prone to strawberry legs or make the dots more likely to appear:
- Shaving is by far the most common cause of these black dots appearing. When you shave your legs, it exposes the clogged pores to oxygen, which results in the trapped oils turning black. It’s the same process as blackheads forming anywhere else on your body.
- Small red bumps caused by damaged hair follicles indicate that there has been damage to your hair follicles, a condition called folliculitis. These small wounds allow pollutants and bacteria to enter your skin, which then darkens to create comedones.
- Another risk factor is dry skin, which is more sensitive to razor burn. Just as with folliculitis, razor burn allows pollutants to become trapped in your pores and darken into the tell-tale black spots.
Keeping Your Legs Strawberry-Free All Summer
With the right hair removal techniques and an excellent hydration routine, you can keep your skin free of spots and dots:
- Swap out your razor more often. Dull blades not only result in more missed spots than sharp ones but also leave you more vulnerable to nicks and irritation. The sharper the razor, the cleaner the cut, which means that there is less risk of it pulling or breaking the hairs.
- Shave in the direction of your hair growth rather than going against the grain. The latter may give you a closer shave, but it also tends to cause more ingrown hairs. On the other hand, going with the direction of growth is gentler on your skin and is less likely to cause the hairs to curl back into the follicles.
- Never, ever, ever dry shave! Without a protective barrier in the form of shaving cream, your skin is being subjected to friction that causes significant irritation.
- Exfoliate your legs regularly to remove the dead skin cells that accumulate on the surface of your skin and, eventually, clog your pores. By helping your body’s natural process of sloughing off dying skin cells, you’re getting rid of the buildup in your pores and promoting turnover. Using a body wash with exfoliating salicylic acid, like CeraVe SA Body wash for Rough & Bumpy Skin, will help to turn over skin. It is also formulated with ceramides to help restore the skin’s natural barrier and hydrating hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. CLn BodyWash and CLn SportWash are created with sodium hypochlorite to gently cleanse, exfoliate and help resolve razor bumps and folliculitis, often associated with Strawberry Legs. Always start with a clean wash cloth or bath sponge.
- Keeping your skin hydrated is absolutely essential because it’s a living organ with a microbiome and protective barrier across your entire body, not just your face. When your moisture barrier is well-nourished, it is resilient against outside irritants that could clog your pores. Look for products with humectant ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides, as they help retain the moisture levels in your skin by attracting water out of the environment. We’re big fans of EltaMD Skin Restore Body Cream, CeraVe Moisturizing Cream and CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion for excellent hydration while locking in moisture. For moisture plus continued exfoliation, try CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin , CeraVe SA Cream for Rough & Bumpy Skin, NeoStrata Lotion Plus (15% AHA) or NeoStrata Bionic Lotion (15% PHA) for more sensitive skin.
- If you want to make strawberry legs a thing of the past, however, the best solution is laser hair removal. Unlike temporary methods like shaving and waxing, laser treatments target the hair follicles themselves, significantly reducing hair growth. As you progress through your hair removal sessions, you’ll notice that the regrowth becomes finer and less noticeable. And, because the hairs are eliminated at the roots, you don’t have to worry about painful in-grown hairs and razor burn.
Schedule your laser hair removal appointment today with the skincare experts at Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Institute so you can keep strawberries off your legs and where they belong: in your favorite fruit salad recipe.
