Strawberry legs and strawberry skin. Both sound like sweet pet names for your partner, but unfortunately there’s not much sweetness to them. In fact, the words have nothing to do with the sweet taste of strawberries, but rather with the dots and black seeds you see on a strawberry as well as on your freshly shaved legs.

Where did they come from? And – more importantly – how do you make sure it never bothers you again? We explain that in this article!

What is strawberry skin?

As sweet as strawberry legs may sound, you probably want to get rid of those blackheads as soon as possible. Yes, blackheads. Because the black spots are not caused by dirt, but rather by skin’s own oils (sebum), bacteria and dead skin. All of this clogs the hair follicle and then turns black when exposed to oxygen.

In itself not life-threatening, but it’s not pretty.

Strawberry legs can be recognized by the following symptoms:

• open pores that look dark
• black or brown spots that appear after you shave your legs
• small dark spots and dots on the legs giving them a speckled appearance

What gives you strawberry legs?

The most common causes of strawberry legs are folliculitis and keratosis pilaris.

Folliculitis

Folliculitis occurs when your hair follicles become inflamed. The three main causes of folliculitis are:

• Clogged pores

Lack of exfoliation leads to accumulation of oil and dead skin cells. This causes your pores to become clogged. Therefore, try to exfoliate 2-3 times weekly. (But don’t overdo it!)

• Bad shaving habits

Leaving your razor in the shower, using a blunt blade or dry shaving. All bad habits that you better unlearn as soon as possible!(Check out this article where we list the most common shaving mistakes for you).

• Dry skin

Lubricating your skin properly is a must. Hydrated skin is more supple, less likely to become irritated and allows hairs to grow out faster and not get stuck under the skin’s surface.

Keratosis pilaris

Keratosis pilaris (popularly called anservel) is an accumulation of keratin, a natural and necessary protein that protects the skin from harmful substances and infections. Sounds good, of course.

But excess keratin blocks the opening of the hair follicle, causing rough and bumpy skin.

The most common causes of keratosis pilaris are:

• dry skin
• lack of exfoliation
• seasonal changes
• atopic dermatitis and eczema

How to prevent strawberry skin?

Ready to say goodbye to your strawberry legs once and for all?

If so, apply the following tips:

• Use quality shaving equipment

If you shave with an old or blunt razor or do not use shaving gel, your hair follicles may become unnecessarily irritated. Change blades weekly and never store your razor in the bathtub to prevent bacterial growth.

• Hydrate the skin

Both before, during and after hair removal, moisturizing the skin is important. So don’t shave on dry skin and always use an appropriate shaving cream tailored to your skin type. Nourishing your skin daily with a rich body lotion is also a wonderful remedy.

• Scrub, scrub, scrub

Regular exfoliation is a good way to prevent strawberry legs. After all, when you exfoliate, you remove the dead skin cells that lie on the surface of your skin so they don’t clog the pore opening.

Note! Don’t scrub too often. The more often you exfoliate, the faster the skin renews itself. And the more new skin, the more dead skin cells and the more likely the hair shaft will be clogged. Therefore, limit exfoliation to two, at most three times a week.

• Resin and epilation

In waxing and tweezing, you remove hairs with hair root and all, giving your hair follicles no chance of clogging. These hair removal methods come with other drawbacks, but these outweigh the discomfort of strawberry skin for some.

• Laser or electrolysis treatment

Can it be a little more drastic for you? Then consider laser or electrolysis treatment. These treatments interfere with hair growth, causing the hairs on your legs to slowly stop growing back.

Note! These (permanent) methods are not ideal for everyone. So inform yourself well!

Fancy delving further into the world of shaving and increasing your chances of getting a silky smooth shave?

Then learn to depilate like a pro and apply these 6 proven shaving tips. Or could you use some help fighting the typical persistent shaving problems? Then check out these articles on ingrown hairs and stubble after shaving. Feeling Your Beautiful, Sure, Self has never been easier!