Strawberry Legs: What Is It & How To Get Rid Of The Pitted Appearance

While burn and bumps are often thought to be interchangeable words, they're actually different skin scenarios. Razor burns or razor rash that happen immediately after shaving are the result of skin irritation from improper shaving techniques (while, as we noted just above, razor bumps are ingrown hairs).

Razor burn comes in the form of red, patchy, and highly sensitive skin. It also usually shows up pretty quickly post shave—as in a few moments or hours. (Razor bumps, on the other hand typically take a few days to develop.)

Regularly slough off your dead skin cells, and you may start to see the bumpy appearance fade. The most common chemical exfoliators are alpha-hydroxy acids and beta-hydroxy acids.

AHAs do a great job—we're partial to lactic or glycolic acid to gently smooth the skin's surface—but BHAs work just as well.

BHAs in particular, are oil-soluble, so they can penetrate into the pore and unclog the plug at its source. A common one is salicylic acid, which can help "unglue dead cells from the skin," notes Ciraldo.

The classic Ayurvedic ritual is an effective physical exfoliator: As you buff, you're manually removing dead skin cells from the top layer of your skin. In the case of strawberry legs, removing that dead skin can help unclog the pores and sloughing the skin smooth.

You can also manually exfoliate the skin with a scrub, either in-shower or before your rinse. Whether you opt for a store-bought scrub or DIY your own confection, massage the legs in light circular motions to lift debris and unclog the plugs.

While maintaining safe shaving habits is always a good idea, you should be extra cautious with those bumps, especially if you have razor burn to blame.

"Shave with a new, sharp, clean blade, and change your blades frequently," board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, M.D., recommends. (Find our favorite, high-quality razors here.)

On that note, make sure you moisturize every day, not just on days you shave (after all, dry skin buildup can cause the issue in the first place). 

Not only does keeping your skin hydrated ensure a silky smooth appearance, but a good body moisturizer can help support your skin barrier and soothe inflammation, both of which are key for staving strawberry legs.

Sugaring or waxing are more long-term solutions for hair removal that can last up to several weeks. What's great about these options is that it removes hair from the root, and then the hair will often grow back thinner and more sparse. Because of this, legs will look smoother.

This is the most effective route to take for hair removal—not only will it effectively remove hair permanently, it will reduce the occurrence of razor burn, ingrown, and strawberry legs.

According to King, laser hair removal treatments emit light of a wavelength that is absorbed by melanin and the root of the hair. "That light energy is converted to heat, which permanently damages and destroys hair follicles," she says about laser hair removal. 

Just as picking zits and bumps on your face is ill-advised, don't perform any self-surgery on your legs either.

As much as your fingers may itch to squeeze the skin, it could do way more harm in the long run. You could cause infection if you're not careful, and you may even create scars, says Ciraldo.

What you may not realize is that your clothing can significantly influence the appearance and texture of your skin.

In the case of strawberry legs, Ciraldo mentions, "You can help it by not wearing irritating materials, especially synthetics on your legs. Often, tight jeans can also make it worse."

Here's where it gets a little confusing: Yes, strawberry legs involve dead skin, hair, and bacteria trapped within your pores. But are they blackheads? Not usually.

While blackheads can certainly be to blame, KP or razor burn are the more common culprits. You can experience blackheads (and whiteheads and pimples, for that matter) anywhere on the body you have hair follicles, but it's unlikely blackheads would cover your legs entirely. 

You're probably thinking: "But the dots on my legs are dark! Like blackheads!" But take a good look at those bumps: Do they come to a "head" as blackheads typically do, or is the darker color seemingly under the skin? If it's the latter, you may just be noticing the hair becoming trapped within the follicle, not necessarily a blackhead.

While strawberry legs are not cause for alarm (they're quite common!), you'll want to know exactly how to treat them without making conditions worse. That said, make sure you're being super gentle when those pesky pitted dots appear—you could exacerbate the appearance or risk irritation if you don't care for them properly.