Strawberry legs – never heard of? But I’ve definitely seen it before. This is the name given to legs that have many small, dark spots after shaving and are reminiscent of the skin of strawberries. Here you can read how it happens and how it can best be prevented.
Short skirts or trousers that reveal flawless legs – that’s probably what most women want when they think about their summer wardrobe. But if you have problems with so-called strawberry legs, you can get in a bad mood. Because the many dark, pimply spots on the legs don’t exactly look nice. In order to be able to counteract the phenomenon, one must first understand where it actually comes from.
Strawberry legs: where do they come from?
Strawberry legs are primarily one Follow the leg shave. In this case, parts of the hair root usually remain in the skin and form a so-called Shave shadow – countless dark points. These give the legs an uneven appearance. If the hairs on the legs are fine and light, this shade is only slightly noticeable, but if the hair is dark and thick, the shave shadow is also more noticeable.
However, you shouldn’t confuse strawberry legs with razor burn. The points on your legs are not dark but red and knotty because the skin at the point of the hair follicles is inflamed. In addition, the skin burns uncomfortably – hence the name “razor burn”. In this case, it is advisable to try a gentler shaving method in the future and to provide the skin with a soothing tonic or a light cream.
The best tips: shave legs
Strawberry legs: this is how you can prevent them
Do you tend to have strawberry legs and definitely want to prevent them? Then you should first consider stop shaving your legs and instead choose another depilation method such as epilation or waxing. With these types of depilation, the hair and the hair roots are removed. So there can be no shaving shadow and the skin looks smoother.
But for many, shaving is the easiest and easiest way to get rid of hair. If that is the case for you too, you can read here how you can best prevent strawberry legs despite shaving.
Soak skin
When the pores are open and the hair is soft, this is the best prerequisite for a smooth, close shave. You can achieve this by soaking the skin, for example in a bath. Then the razor glides much more smoothly over the skin and the individual hairs can be shaved off as deeply as possible. This leaves a much smaller proportion of hair under the skin, making the shaving shadow or strawberry legs appear at least more moderate.
Peeling against strawberry legs
Exfoliating before you shave is also a good way to prevent strawberry legs. The micro-grains of the peeling remove dead skin and impurities. This makes the shave closer and the skin on your legs looks more even.
This is how it works: do the peeling yourself
Choose a good razor
The quality of the razor is not to be underestimated. It should be as sharp as possible and have several blades. You should replace the blade attachment (no single-use razors, please – for the sake of the environment!) Regularly, because a dull or possibly rusty razor can never shave your legs really smooth. In addition, small inflammations of the skin can be caused more quickly with old blades.
Gel or foam for shaving
So that the razor can glide better and more gently over the skin, it is advisable to use a special shaving gel or shaving foam. Especially if your skin is dry and sensitive, this can significantly improve the appearance of your legs after shaving.
The right technique for shaving
When it comes to the shaving technique, opinions differ and you should try out for yourself what works better and what you can tolerate better. If you shave against the direction of hair growth, i.e. from bottom to top, the hair will be caught a little deeper, which means that less hair remains under the surface of the skin. However, this is not the gentlest option. If you have red, burning skin after such a shave, it is better to shave your hair in the direction of hair growth, i.e. from top to bottom.
Moisturize your legs
No matter how you shave your legs – afterwards your skin will be happy about an extra portion of moisture in the form of cream, lotion or oil. If you suffer from inflammation from shaving, you can also use a toner before creaming.
Help – I still have strawberry legs!
The tips above are a great way to prevent strawberry legs, or at least significantly improve their appearance. If you are still not satisfied with the result, you can still help. A light tinting cream or a self-tanner can cover the little strawberry dots well if you want to show your legs. There is now even make-up for the legs.
If that doesn’t produce the desired result either, there is only one solution: Change the shaving technique and switch to epilation. There are many different options such as waxing or sugaring. Laser therapy can also help. For this you would have to dig a little deeper into your pocket, but you would have permanent rest.
Nose hair waxing: the trend is so dangerous!
Sources used: praxisvita.de, gala.de