What Causes Strawberry Legs, and How Can You Fix Them?

Strawberry legs refer to tiny dark spots that appear on your legs. Treatment involves keeping your skin clean, gentle exfoliation, and avoiding harsh products.

The term might sound adorable, but the reality is decidedly less so.

Strawberry legs are a cute nickname for the distinctive dark or black spots that appear on your skin—just like the seeds of the popular fruit.

We discuss why the condition happens and how. Find out how to treat strawberry legs to show off your limbs with confidence again.

Possible Causes

When a hair follicle gets sufficiently plugged up, it can appear as a little bump. Dead skin cells, sweat, debris—lots of things can build up on your legs and block follicles.

There are two main perpetrators behind strawberry legs, folliculitis and keratosis pilaris. Learn more about both here: Folliculitis.

Poor shaving habits, excess sweating, and tight clothes can inflame your skin and cause folliculitis. The little black bumps you see could be ingrown hairs.

Causes can include dirt buildup or infection from bacteria or fungi. Usually, folliculitis doesn’t have any serious consequences but can be unsightly and irritating.

Keratosis Pilaris

The exact underlying culprit behind keratosis pilaris remains a mystery. However, we know why it happens—your skin produces too much keratin, which blocks hair follicles.

Most people develop KP during childhood and experience it throughout adulthood. It can also impact your upper arms, butt (seriously), and face.

How to Get Rid of Strawberry Legs

If you’re panicking and wondering, “are strawberry legs permanent?” the answer is no—with treatment, you should see your skin improve.

Remember that strawberry legs don’t pose a health risk. You might want to treat them for aesthetic reasons, but they’re nothing to be concerned about medically.

Here’s what to do to stop strawberry legs from bringing your confidence down:

Stop Being Harsh

Regardless of what’s provoking your strawberry legs, the aggressive approach isn’t the solution.

Using certain cosmetics (e.g., super-strong exfoliants) on inflamed skin is a recipe for more irritation. The same goes for fragrances and other possible toxins, such as sulfates and parabens.

You won’t be able to scrub or scour those little “seeds” away, so don’t try it. Eliminate rough of body brushes or scratchy loofahs from your showers.

Instead, use a special mitt like the MicrodermaMitt Deep Exfoliating Mitt once a week, or less.

No Picking!

You won’t be able to pick your skin smooth: that advice applies to any skin condition. You might even end up with scars, which is the opposite of what you want to achieve.

Avoid Tight Clothing

Those cute yoga leggings or skinny jeans could be worsening your strawberry legs. The friction can be irritating, especially if you add sweat into the mix.
Ideally, choose looser pants or skirts to let your legs get some air, at least while the skin is actively inflamed. You can always return to your favorite outfits once your skin improves.

Keep Skin Clean

Neglecting to cleanse your skin properly can be almost as bad as overdoing it. Swiping your legs with a handful of body gel won’t cut it.

Try the Majestic Pure Himalayan Scrub, a salt scrub formulated with all-natural ingredients such as almond oil. It doesn’t contain chemicals and helps to minimize pores.

Remove Hair Carefully

If shaving is your hair removal strategy of choice, make sure to use a lotion to minimize irritation, such as Cremo French Lavender Moisturizing Shave Cream.

For other hair removal methods, like waxing and depilatory creams, ensure your skin is clean beforehand.

No matter how you choose to get your legs hair-free, use a solution such as Tend Skin Razor Bump Solution to prevent folliculitis and ingrown hairs.

Apply Soothing Cream

Apply a cream that’s non-allergenic, non-irritating, and non-comedogenic. The CeraVe Moisturizing Cream checks off that criteria and doesn’t contain fragrances or oils.

Be Persistent

Skin disorders don’t usually fix themselves overnight. Be patient with your new routine and habits, and you should eventually see results.

This article was taken from Cherie to make it available to all, credit to @Miranda.Brockman.