Strawberry legs and general bad skin all over - help!

[legshelp]

Name changed as this is a bit embarrassing

I've always had bad skin but weirdly not on my face, just everywhere else. I'm in my 40s now and it's worse than ever.

Really want to avoid another summer of covering up but I've tried everything (exfoliation physical and chemical, moisturising, ameliorate etc, dry skin brushing, cutting SLS, avoiding bio washing powder etc)

Here are some attractive pics of my legs but this is replicated on my arms, back, bum etc.

Has anyone else had similar? I'm too embarrassed to go to the GP and also it doesn't feel 'serious' enough. Grateful for any advice!!

Hopeful bump

I get this because I can’t access my bath or shower anymore due to disability. Advice is to scrub/exfoliate your legs frequently as these are little blockages.

I'm no expert, but one pic looks like normal little hair follicles and the other looks like possibly irritation from shaving?

What is strawberry legs?

Have you tried laser ? I use to have this, quite a bit worse and I would cover up all summer. I had laser hair removal at a clinic and it really helped. Weirdly I found out I had more than one hair per follicle, each time I shaved I could still see the hair underneath and get strawberry legs when it came through, I would then get folliculitus. I tried every product known to man and then I went for laser and it was money very well spent x

Agreed, I thought I was looking at a photo of my own legs 😅. OP, kindly, this isn't a problem. Your legs look completely normal.

Daily, gentle exfoliation and a good body moisturiser 2 times a day. Maybe fake tan? Try the gradual tan ones. Obviously exfoliation would remove it but once your skin improved you could gradual tan for a few days, exfoliate in the evening and reapply so you wake up gorgeous? Honestly though, your legs look very normal and just like mine!

An AHA body moisturiser is great for blocked follicles. I use Revolution and I think Dove do a good one too.

I've never heard of strawberry legs! I think you probably need to use body scrub on a regular basis, then moisturising cream, and some fake tan

I swear by Ameliorate. It's pricy but it works. Also doesn't smell great. I use the transforming body scrub and the body lotion.

Put the scrub on dry, rub in circles. I usually wait about 10 mins and the hop into the shower to rinse off. Before rinsing I give them another quick scrub. Finish with lotion.

I used the scrub 2x per week for 2 weeks and the once per week for the next few. Now I use it probably once a month ish. Lotion after every shower

Yes agree these look exactly like my legs and I don’t give them a second thought!

I sometimes wish they weren’t so brilliant white in the summer but I thought the little nobbly bits were normal?

I also could have been looking at my own, normal legs! Some people are just blessed with nicer looking skin than others. I still wear shorts in the summer. Cerave does a good smoothing lotion you could try.

Those are normal legs!

I actually looked down at mine immediately after seeing your pic and mine are exactly the same and I’ve never felt negative about them.

No one would give them a 2nd glance, just put the shorts on 😁

Wow thank you everyone! Perhaps I have built this up to be worse than it is. I feel as though everyone else I see has perfect smooth skin but maybe not!

@PinkMimi I hadn't considered laser removal but that's interesting that it worked for you. Maybe I have double hairs too!

@Portish I have fake tan which seems to make it worse but it's not a gradual one, it's an old style instant one. I'll try a gradual one. Thank you.

And don't forget you are looking closely at them. Noone else is that close…
So nobody sees what you do.

They look perfectly normal.

Another vote for completely normal legs.

I make up a scrub that I use in the shower. I find it really cheap and effective. Just mix coconut oil with sugar. Leaves my legs lovely and smooth and moisturised.

Agree with PPs, that just looks like totally normal skin to me.

So you have dark hair and lighter skin, like me. Scrubbing isn't going to help, it's how the hair follicle looks.

Waxing or laser, or tanning to make them less visible. Or learn to ignore it.

The redness is improper shaving practices

I'd say laser hair removal too. No open hair follicles. Much smoother legs.

Mine look like that I just get it all out in the sun asap

It looks likes Keratosis pilaris to me, I’ve got it on my arms and so has my DS ( it can be hereditary). It looks like dry, rough, small bumps that are flesh-colored or pink and can feel like sandpaper or chicken skin. It is usually not itchy.

It’s pretty harmless, more annoying than anything. My DS has some lotion prescribed that helps abit, I’m not bothering with mine atm but I probably should try something.

Yep, looks just like my legs. I quite like my legs and wear shorts all the time!

This is Keratosis Pilaris.

I've had KP since I was a child mainly on my legs but also back of arms, a little on my chest. I don't shave my legs and my leg hairs are completely blonde - it's not caused by shaving or by dark or double hairs.

There is some evidence that this can be linked to gluten sensitivity. I have found mine is marginally better since reducing (not completely) the amount of bread I eat.

Urea creams, AHAs and Ameliorate can help, but you need to treat it daily.

I think it’s more common than you might think, OP, tbh - not everyone has naturally perfect, smooth, unblemished skin. But I definitely second the advice to use Ameliorate products, they really do help if you apply daily.

I dry brush my legs before showering and then apply the body cream. I haven’t tried the scrub but you may want to. I’ve found good deals on Ameliorate on some online sites eg Look Fantastic. Good luck!