How To Get Rid Of Strawberry Legs: 4 Easy And Natural Tips
The very first time I heard about strawberry legs, I thought it was a flattering compliment. After all, strawberries are very delicious and good for your skin. And it is undoubtedly one of my favorite fruits to snack on. Later, I found out that it wasn't a compliment at all.
One day, a friend of mine asked me how to get rid of strawberry legs. I was so confused - who wouldn't want delicious looking legs?
And so I found out that having strawberry legs isn't what I thought it was. And what a horrible comparison it is to be related to such a luscious fruit!
If you are as naive as I am, you're in for a surprise. Strawberry legs, scientifically referred to as open comedones, refers to the very visible dark spots one might have on their legs.
The term was coined after the fact that it resembles the outer skin of a strawberry fruit. This also refers to hair dots, or the short hairs that still remain after shaving.
Is Skin Color Related To Strawberry Legs?
Although studies show that this problem mostly affects women of color, people who do not take care of their skin properly and those who do not practice proper shaving may also suffer from the inconvenience of strawberry legs.
Women who have lighter skin and darker hair may very well eliminate this problem with a laser treatment.
But for those who are looking to resolve their issues with home treatments instead, this may not be a viable solution.
Thankfully, there are also plenty of easy and inexpensive ways to get rid of these strawberry legs.
But before we get into the different types of treatments you can do to solve your strawberry leg situation, let's see what causes them in the first place.
Causes of Strawberry Legs
Although skin color may play a big role in affecting the occurrence of strawberry legs, you must remember that it is just natural.
However, there are also plenty of underlying factors related to bad habits and poor skin care. These can be improved by simply changing your lifestyle.
1. Clogged Hair Follicles or Ingrown Hair
Do you sometimes notice a bump on your skin that’s not hives and not really a pimple either?
Oftentimes, you might notice something like a tiny strand of hair stuck inside the bump.
I know it sounds gross, but this is very common. You might have an ingrown hair.
Ingrown hair occurs when hair grows sideways into the skin instead of upwards.
The hair may also curl back into the skin, creating a bump that may look like a boil. This is because the hair follicle is clogged, disallowing the hair to grow normally.
These bumps can be itchy and painful at times but overall, these ingrown hairs are also a main factor causing strawberry legs.
2. Dead Skin Cells
Your skin needs to rejuvenate every 28 days, forming new skin cells. Once these cells are not renewed, a buildup of dead skin cells occurs. This makes your skin appear dull and dry.
The accumulation of dead skin cells also attributes to the clogging of hair follicles. Since a lot of build up has happened on your skin, hair does not grow properly as it should which results to ingrown hair and strawberry legs.
3. Oil or Sebum
These oxidized sebum on your skin is apparently the dark spots that you see on your legs. Of course, compared to the skin on your face, your legs are less oily.
4. Poor Shaving Habits
Often referred to as "razor bumps", improper shaving habits usually result to hair follicle infection.
Many people usually say that using a dull razor will not only bring you unsatisfactory results in terms of shaving, but it can actually do more harm to your skin.
Unsurprisingly, dull razors can also give you razor burns, bumps and a rash. But in relation to strawberry legs, poor shaving habits are also the number one root cause of ingrown hair.
As we have discussed, ingrown hair is directly responsible for strawberry legs.
Have you ever attempted to use cucumber slices to get rid of eyebags? The same concept comes into play when using the cucumber juice treatment.
Cucumbers are not to get rid of dark spots, making it one of the best all-natural treatments for strawberry legs.
There are 2 types of methods when using cucumber juice. Both are very easy to do and require minimal ingredients. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do this treatment:
Pure Cucumber Juice Method: Prepare one cucumber and mash it well in order to make a smooth paste.
Apply the cucumber paste thoroughly on the affected parts of your leg.
After 3-5 minutes, rinse the paste off and dry. You may apply moisturizer afterwards for extra care.
For better results, you may want to do this treatment twice a day - preferably in the morning and in the evening. This way your skin had enough time to rest in between intervals.
Cucumber and Lemon Juice With Rosewater Method: As the name suggests, this method requires you to add in some lemon juice and rosewater.
Lemon juice is known to have detoxifying and whitening properties.
While rosewater has anti-inflammatory properties which help lessen irritation, redness and other forms of acne.
To do this treatment, all you have to do is to mix together equal portions of mashed cucumber, lemon juice and rosewater.
Apply the solution on your leg just like in the first method and rinse after 5-10 minutes. You may continue doing this method as often as you like.
2. Oil Massages
Massaging the skin as often as possible brings in a lot of benefits.
Apart from releasing tension around your muscles, your skin will also benefit from the oils that you apply onto it.
Here are some oil mixtures you may want to try to get rid of strawberry legs:
Olive oil / Coconut Oil with Sandalwood Oil Mix: Mix a few tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil with a few drops sandalwood oil and massage thoroughly on your legs.
Olive oil and coconut oil are proven to heal damaged skin as well as lock moisture in your skin. Because strawberry legs often result to dry skin, this is a good combination to try.
Tea Tree Oil and Olive Oil Mix: Similar to the olive oil / coconut oil with sandalwood mix, using tea tree oil and olive oil together heals the skin.
If you’re not a big fan of the strong aromatic scent of sandalwood oil, feel free to replace it with tea tree oil instead. A few drops of tea tree and a tablespoon of olive oil goes a long way.
3. Skin Exfoliator
It is very important to exfoliate the skin in order to get rid of dead skin cells and avoid buildup.
Exfoliate the skin once a week with your trusted product of choice and you are sure to banish ingrown hair and strawberry legs as well.
If you’re looking for a natural way to exfoliate, you may want to try this method:
Lemon and Sugar Exfoliator: Although excessive sugar is bad for your health, it is ironically very good for your skin.
Squeeze one lemon into a container and mix about 55 grams of sugar to form a light paste. Apply it thoroughly onto your legs in a scrubbing motion and rinse after a few minutes.
4. Proper Shaving Habits
Last but not the least, exercising proper shaving habits is still the best way to get rid of strawberry legs. Here are a few do’s and dont’s in shaving:
- Never use a dull razor for shaving - change it immediately to save yourself from trouble
- Always exfoliate first before shaving to prepare the skin
- If you do not have any shaving cream, use hair conditioner to replace it instead
Conclusion
There are plenty of easy methods out there for you to try so there is no need to worry so much about strawberry legs. Although it may seem like a troublesome thing to deal with, having proper lifestyle habits should do the trick to avoid the problem in the first place.
Got a hairy story to tell? Or a nifty hair removing secret to share? Tell us in the comments below and save tons of women from strawberry legs.
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