That’s why if the hair is darker in color than the skin around it, it’s not uncommon to begin to notice tiny dark spots appearing all over the legs a day or two after shaving. With a razor shave, the hair is cut off as close to the root as the razor can get, which isn’t actually all that close. This is why strawberry skin occurs after shaving. Shaving opens up the pores and follicles on them, creating the ideal environment for a buildup of oils (sebum), dead skin cells, and bacteria. The appearance of strawberry legs is generally caused by one of two things: shaved hair in the follicle that is darker than the skin around it, or clogged pores and follicles where the trapped material oxidizes and darkens-also known as an open comedone or a blackhead. 1 Strawberry skin is generally not accompanied by pain or itching, if the presence of black dots or bumpy skin on the legs is accompanied by discomfort, a dermatologist should likely be consulted. Ingrown hairs are trapped hairs that curl back into the skin rather than growing out of it, keratosis pilaris occurs when hardened plugs of dead skin cells form around the hair follicle, and folliculitis is a condition in which hair follicles become inflamed due to a bacterial or fungal infection. Often people will use the term strawberry legs to describe what are actually ingrown hairs, keratosis pilaris, or folliculitis, but those are specific skin conditions that should be treated accordingly. Dark, sometimes pitted or raised, strawberry-seed-like spots that dot the legs are the hallmark of the condition, which is why it’s called strawberry skin. Strawberry skin or strawberry legs (both terms will be used interchangeably throughout this page), is a catchall term for any number of skin conditions and concerns that produce the appearance of dark spots on the legs corresponding with the location of hair follicles and pores.
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