Have you noticed that the skin of your legs has black or red dots giving it an irritated appearance? Is your closet full of pants because you don’t feel comfortable showing your legs? Possibly you have strawberry skin and you don’t know it.

If you want the skin on your legs to look smooth and even in color, keep reading this article.

What is strawberry skin?

This skin condition, which mainly affects the legs, is characterized by the appearance of red or black dots that resemble the skin of strawberries (hence its name). It is generally caused by the obstruction of the pores using dirt, grease, and bacteria. This problem is more visible on fair skin with thick, dark hair and worsens after shaving.

What causes strawberry skin?

Strawberry skin appears for various reasons such as:

Use of a rake: removing hair with a rake irritates and by removing dead cells we expose the pores, which facilitates the accumulation of bacteria and fat. This results in redness in the area and the appearance of small red or black dots in the case of white skin with black hair.

Folliculitis:  Methods such as waxing, depilatory creams, and shaving machines cause clogging of the hair follicles when the hair tries to grow back. Normal cell regeneration creates a layer on the skin’s surface that obstructs hair growth and traps hair inside. This results in breakouts combined with fat, dead cells, and bacteria that are often painful and unsightly.

Infections: shaving with dirty skin or with a razor that has been used several times or that is not exclusively yours, will cause the follicle to fill with dirt and dead skin, covering the pore and causing a small inflammation and infection.

Genetics: regularly the skin cell renewal cycle is carried out every 28 to 30 days, however, some people take longer to release dead cells, which causes changes in texture, the difference in tone, or the aforementioned red dots.

 How to combat strawberry skin?

Exfoliate once a week: this way you will be able to clean the grease, dead cells, and dirt that may be inside the pores and that is the main cause of this condition.

Take care of your skin after shaving or waxing: Since there is already a sensitivity, you must moisturize and repair it to prevent red or black dots from forming. It is advisable to apply aloe vera, which reduces inflammation and decreases the reaction.

Use other hair removal methods: resorting to permanent methods such as laser or pulsed light will remove hair from the follicle. Session after session you will notice your skin tone is much more uniform, the black and red dots will gradually disappear and the sensation to the touch will be much softer.

In addition to combating strawberry skin, permanent hair removal will prevent further damage to your skin and you will be able to enjoy hair-free skin for longer.