Help me and my ugly legs

[Uglylegs]

Please help me find solutions to fix my ugly legs. I'll add some photos to show you what I'm working with.

The weather is finally nice and I'm sad that yet again, I am unable to wear shorts or skirts. Instead I feel the need to cover up and hide them away. I'm only 30, so I feel too young to have legs that look like this.

My skin is very white and transparent and I have loads of very visible blue and purple veins. This wouldn't bother too much if I didn't have the other issues. My hair is very thick and dark and I always have very angry, red looking pores around each hair follicle.

Shaving makes the red marks look more angry and worse. Exfoliating makes absolutely no difference. Waxing causes ingrown hairs and lumps. Tanning is out of the question due to a history of skin cancer and fake tan makes the redness and dark stubble more prominent. I shower and moisturise daily and take good care of my skin but it's just so UGLY!

I have tried to wear natural coloured tights, but these make me more hot an sweaty than what I would be with trousers.

Please help a desperate woman find a solution, so I can be comfortable and confident in nice summer clothing.

I had this and did a course of laser hair removal. It didn't remove all the hair but greatly reduced it. It's finer now so when I do shave it doesn't cause any skin issues. It's expensive but I found it helpful.

Did this help with the redness surrounding the hair follicles? When I wax, the hair is fine for 2-3 days before it starts to grow back, however the red spots are always there. They actually look worse in person than what they do in the photos.

Try a glycolic toner acid spray straight after showering every other day and build up if it doesn't irritate you.

Yes I found it did, plus I got better at exfoliating and moisturising them more regularly. It's called strawberry legs and there's lots you can do to help https://www.verywellhealth.com/strawberry-legs-5113031

Lumea would work brilliantly with your skin tone and hair colour. Then when you no longer need to shave, the redness might settle but if not an exfoliating toner like Ren Ready Steady Glow AHA toner will work wonders.

Thank you! I never knew this problem has a name. Off to Google I go...

You sound like an ideal candidate for a Philips Lumea - it works best with dark hair and pale skin. I found it worked great at getting rid of the hair and also clearing up noticeable hair follicles. Once that’s sorted fake tan is easier to apply and is more effective

Definitely lazer at a salon or IPL. And you can wear 'fake leg colour ' like fake tan but it washes off. Actually the rimmel matte medium is a great colour for v pale legs. It only washes off with serious scrubbing in the shower, rain does not budge it.

Stop shaving and let the hair grow out. If it helps, get slightly longer shorts if your present ones are very short, and remind yourself that you're existing out in the world in the same way a man would without thinking about it at all. You're an adult mammal, so you grow hair on your legs. Hair will make the marks less prominent and the rest will stop further aggravation of your skin.

This range. It gets rid of bumps on upper arms too
The lotion stinks but it works

www.ameliorate.com

My legs used to be exactly like yours, I hated it and wore tights all the time up until a couple years ago when I had laser hair removal. It was worth every penny and the past few summers I have gone out bare legged which I never imagined I would ever do. I only wish I had done it sooner!

What about trying epilation, rather than shaving or waxing? May look slightly more angry in the short term but hopefully less visible long term?

PS. I know it’s hard, but try to stop thinking about and using words like ‘ugly’ which just reinforce those beliefs.

100% do laser. My legs were very like yours, I had them lasered about 7 years ago and it's such a relief now to just give them a quick skim with a razor (for some fine blonde hairs) every few weeks rather than trying to deal with thicker black hairs, which always left me with irritated skin, whichever method I used.

Another vote for Lumea. You can get a subscription on it and works out cheaper than laser and will be just as effective if you stay on top of it.

What about fake tan? One of those moisturisers that slowly builds up colour. Or even adding a bronzer to some moisturiser

Just in the short term, if you are still shaving, use a new blade where possible and lots of gel/cheap conditioner.
I've had folliculitis on my legs, which looks like very red and irritated follicles and is also very itchy. That was from using an old razor blade repeatedly and I needed antibiotics to clear it.
I'm not saying that's what you have but it's worth checking what you're using 😊

Also short term, this stuff really does have a miraculous effect!

www.thisworks.com/products/perfect-legs-skin-miracle-30ml

You don't need much so it lasts for ages. It's not orangey and it does a good job of covering everything and making even my pasty, bristly legs look presentable 🤣

I've recommended it on another thread but I promise I don't work for them!!

How could a 30ml bottle possibly last ages if you are using it on legs? Do you add drops of it to another lotion or something?

If you can afford it, invest in a Lumea. If there's another woman in the family who'd go halves that would cut the cost. You just need to start in a concentrated fashion then after a while you'll find you don't ever need it!

I steered clear of dispensing beauty advice to my daughter, but the one thing I did suggest was never to start shaving.

I second the This Works leg oil too. In fact it was a MN post which recommended it to me!

Get a Lumea IPL device (with a cable, not cordless because the battery on cordless models is not great).
Next summer you won't have this big problem anymore.

Exfoliating before shaving might help in the short term. It did for me. Also, not moisturising straight after shaving. But I agree with others that laser or lumea is probably the best bet long term.

I used to have legs like that but swapped to razors with the chunky inbuilt shaving cream.
And I have to change the razor every couple of shaves rather than leave it for a while which is expensive.

i also leave it a while between shaves and moisturise loads. Weirdly I find I get like this when my skin is cold when shaving so I usually shave in the bath.

@TheYearOfSmallThings
Perhaps I worded it badly. You only to need to use a small amount so even the small one will last longer than you think. The bigger size is better value - I'm still using the one I bought last summer though I don't use it every day.

Cerave do a salicylic acid cleanser in a pump bottle that’s I use in the shower.

Gatineau do the best gradual tan I’ve ever tried. It’s amazing. You just apply it like body lotion and no need to protect knees or ankles. It’s wonder stuff.