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

Let's go through the quite literal grocery list of skin care, shall we? There's orange peel skin, dumpling skin, even mochi skin—all of which compare the skin's texture to some sort of sustenance, favorable or otherwise. Another one to add to the list is strawberry legs. But what is this skin concern, what causes it, and how do you get rid of it? Here's what we know: 

Strawberry legs isn’t a technical term, but rather a phrase used to describe an appearance of the skin that could be the result of several underlying factors. Take a good, long look at a strawberry. Notice its dotted, pitted appearance? When someone has "strawberry legs," their skin resembles those tiny seeds: dotted and rough to the touch. Think more about the texture of a strawberry, not necessarily the red hue (although, your legs could experience both if razor burn is to blame—more on that later).

At the most basic level, here's what really happens under those dots: Your hair follicles are clogged with dead skin cells. A number of things could be to blame, which we've listed below.

Keratosis pilaris (KP) causes the buildup of keratin and dead skin cells within the hair follicles, resulting in those pesky rough bumps. It's unfortunately hereditary, says board-certified dermatologist Loretta Ciraldo, M.D., FAAD, so you might just have a bout of bad luck where strawberry legs are concerned. 

Sometimes, ingrown hairs or razor bumps can be the culprit, especially if you have less than stellar shaving habits. Assess those bumps—are they red and painful to the touch? If so, you might be facing some irritation from your razor, not so much the typical case of KP.

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.)

Those with sensitive skin are more prone to razor rash.

In severe scenarios, you could even face some folliculitis, a bacterial or fungal infection that causes the hair follicles to become inflamed (usually due to shaving).

Post shave, pores are more open and vulnerable to debris getting trapped in there. When this happens you may see small, black dots spotting the legs.

Finally, you could just have overly dry skin. Not only does dry skin enhance the aforementioned conditions, but it can make you vulnerable to a host of other skin concerns, including—you guessed it—the appearance of strawberry legs.   

Sure, they may be relatively harmless, but they aren't so cute to look at. The good news is, there are some derm-approved ways to keep those bumps at bay, even if you suffer from that hereditary condition. Here, the do's and don'ts of dealing with strawberry legs:

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.

That said, invest in an exfoliating cleanser in the shower, and those bumps should go without a trace. 

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.

If you don't have a proper dry brush, Ciraldo also suggests using a loofah at least twice a week on dry skin before you shower. "This will physically exfoliate a lot of the dead cell bumps," she explains.

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.

Of course, you don't want to overdo it on the exfoliation, but find your regular cadence for shiny, smooth skin.

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.)

It may sound obvious, but be sure to always use a shaving gel, cream, or oil—you never want to take the blade to bare skin—or worse—dry shave. Also: Don't forget to moisturize after!

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.

Check out our guide to both waxing and sugaring.

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. 

Lasers (be it in office or using at home tools) offer a more permanent solution to hair removal. However, these sessions can be costly and require multiple appointments.

Here, the "don'ts."

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.

It's best to exfoliate gently can and moisturize daily—it may take some patience to see the bumps completely fade, but your skin will fare better in the long-run, trust us. 

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."

That said, check your labels: Are any harsh materials rubbing against your skin?

Ciraldo also warns against using harsh cleansers, as those have potential for causing irritation as well. You may want to avoid extra drying or sulfate-based washes, as well as products with artificial fragrance: "Many people with this condition are sensitive to artificial fragrance, so it may get worse," she explains. 

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.

Even if you have lighter hair, when the follicle is exposed to air (after you shave, for instance) the open pore may oxidize and become dark. 

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.

Be patient, and soon you'll see the texture fade, perhaps just in time for the next snack-inspired skin care concern to take hold. Want more tips on how to exfoliate head to toe? Here are our guides to exfoliating the face and body.