By Mariela
July 17, 2023
7 minutes
While strawberry skin is common on the legs, it is not that rare for small dark bumps to appear on the skin of the arms. Strawberry arms after a fresh shave may rain on your parade just before an important event. Although you can handle it by wearing full sleeves in winter, this becomes frustrating in the summer.
The recurrent appearance of strawberry skin may also alarm you of an underlying skin condition. In most cases, it is nothing more than a cosmetic concern while in others it might be associated with eczema. Regardless of the cause, you would want to treat strawberry arms instantly. So, here we have 9 ways to treat these itchy red bumps at home along with the ways to prevent them.
What are Strawberry Arms and How Do They Look Like?
Strawberry skin, which might appear on the arms or legs, is the appearance of small dark dotted areas on the skin. These might look like little bumps or just brown open pores. They occur at the site of hair follicles and are often harmless.
Additionally, strawberry skin causes no specific symptoms other than pitter-raised spots that look like strawberry seeds giving the condition its name. However, it might be associated with redness and itching that points to inflammation of hair follicles and other underlying concerns. Strawberry legs go away on their own in a few days. But if you cannot wait, you can try several home remedies to get rid of strawberry skin easily.
What are the Causes of Strawberry Arms?
Following are the top reason why you might be developing strawberry arms or legs.
1. Shaving
The most common cause of strawberries is using the wrong technique of shaving. It includes shaving with a dull or old razor, moving the razor against the direction of hair growth, or directly shaving without applying any pre-shaving treatment.
Also, it is more common in people with fair skin and coarse hair as the blunt hair in the follicles after shaving appears as strawberry seeds.
2. Ingrown Hair
Ingrown hair could be your culprit behind strawberry arms. When the hair does not regrow fully after depilation, shaving, or waxing and tends to curl back just under the surface of the skin, they cause strawberry skin. This occurs mostly in people having thick body hair.
3. Clogged Pores
The skin on our body just like that of our face has pores that are too small to be seen. But in some cases, these pores become clogged by dead skin cells, dust from our surroundings, microbes, and oils. The oils trapped in the skin appear dark after oxidization and other contents in the pores make them appear as bumpy spots on the skin.
4. Dry Skin
Dry skin is not the main cause of strawberry skin. Rather it aggravates the causes of strawberry arms as it makes the skin prone to irritation and razor burns from shaving. Also, it makes the strawberry arms more visible.
5. Acne
Have you heard of body acne? Just like facial acne, it is caused by the entrapment of dead skin cells, excess oils, debris, and product buildup in the skin pores. Body acne can give way to strawberry legs. And it can also be caused because of excessive sweating and hormonal disturbances.
6. Folliculitis
Folliculitis is the inflammation of the hair follicles. It is caused by infections, hot showers, waxing, and any treatment that results in open hair follicles. Folliculitis is always associated with redness of the skin, and at times, discomfort and pain.
7. Tight Clothes
Tight clothes prevent the ventilation around the skin, make the skin sweat, rub and irritate the skin, and give a warm environment to bacteria stimulating their growth. Consequently, they can clog pores, cause folliculitis, and result in dark pitted areas over the skin.
8. Keratosis Pilaris
Keratosis Pilaris is a condition in which keratin and dead cells clog the pore and become hard. They appear as rough spots. Unlike dark dots seen commonly in strawberry legs, the plugs of keratosis pilaris are light brown, red, or purple.
Ways to Treat Strawberry Arms at Home?
Strawberry skin is not as hard to treat as it might appear. So, here are some simple methods to get rid of strawberry arms and achieve smooth skin.
1. Proper Exfoliation
The answer to clogged pores lies in proper exfoliation of the skin regularly. Using a washcloth, dry brush, physical mitt, body scrubs, or a loofah can unclog the pores and remove debris entrapped in them helping in the treatment of strawberry skin. Moreover, you can you a chemical exfoliant containing BHA once a week.
2. Regular Moisturization
To counter effect dry skin and letting your shave go smoothly can also help in the treatment of strawberry arms. Take a rich cream or body lotion and apply it on damp skin to let the moisture absorb and get locked in the skin.
We have the recommendation for the best body lotions for dry skin for you. Additionally, aloe vera gel can be used as a lightweight moisturizer.
3. A Good Shaving Routine
If you often get strawberry arms after shaving, pay attention to your shaving routine. Make sure that you apply a cream or gel pre-shave treatment, shave with a hygienic and sharp razor, and end the session with a good body moisturizer. Also, do not shave on dry, sensitive, or Irritated skin.
4. Using Products Having Salicylic Acid or Retinol
Look for body products containing salicylic acid, retinol, or glycolic acid. The acids help in exfoliating the skin and shrinking the pores while retinol is great for preventing acne and unclogging the pores by stimulating cellular regeneration. Moreover, here are the benefits, side effects, and tips to use salicylic acid .
5. Switching Your Hair Removal Method
Changing the method of hair removal can save you from strawberry legs if it is shaving causing strawberry legs, or the ingrown hair caused by waxing. Although an electric epilator works wonderfully by removing the hair from the roots with no chances of infection or folliculitis, it is painful making you look for other methods of hair removal. Here are the best hair removal options for hairless skin in summer .
6. Using Mild Cleansers
Using mild cleansers helps in regularly removing impurities from the skin preventing the chances of pore clogging. So, look for cleansers with salicylic acid, lactic acid, or glycolic acid as they also help in skin exfoliation.
Moreover, they prevent the stripping of natural moisture in the skin.
7. Cold or Room Temperature Showers
Strawberry arms are more visible when the pores are open. So, go for cold baths instead of taking hot showers as it shrinks the pores and makes the dark bumps on your arms less obvious.
8. Sea Salt
Sea salt is full of minerals that can be used to treat dried or malnourished. Moreover, it removes dead skin cells that cause strawberry arms and regulates the pH of the skin. Thus, it can help in making the skin smooth.
However, sea salt can be harsh on the skin. So, add a body oil like coconut oil to make it more suitable for your arms.
9. Consult a Doctor
If following the methods mentioned above do not treat your strawberry arms, there is probably a hidden cause behind them. In such cases, consult your doctor. In-clinic procedures like microdermabrasion can be done to treat chronic strawberry arms.
How to Prevent Strawberry Arms?
Prevention is always better than cure. So, how about putting effort into preventing strawberry arms in the first place? Here are some tips to avoid strawberry skin.
1. Preparation of Skin before Shaving
Before Shaving, make sure that your skin is in the best condition to be shaved without giving you blunt ends or clogged pores. So, use homemade scrubs like ground coffee and oil, brown sugar and honey, or baking powder and water to exfoliate the skin gently. Then apply shaving cream so that the unwanted hair is trimmer without irritating the skin.
2. Use Sharp and Fresh Razors
Blunt and overused razors do not cut the hair accurately giving way to strawberry skin. Using sharp and fresh razors trim the hair at a deeper level with precision. It also prevents the clogging of hair follicles by shed skin cells. You can buy yourself a good razor from the best hair removal razors for women.
3. Pat Your Skin Dry After Bathing
Rubbing the towel on the skin after a bath can aggravate the symptoms of strawberry arms in addition to causing skin dryness and irritation. So, take a soft cotton cloth and pat your skin dry gently.
4. Regular Exfoliation
The key to avoiding strawberry arms is well-exfoliated skin which does not allow the hair follicles and pores to be clogged. So, use physical or chemical exfoliants regularly to keep your skin in the best condition.
5. Consider Permanent Hair Removal
Lastly, the best way to prevent strawberry legs is to have no hair at all that makes those dark bumps appear on your arms. So, consider permanent methods of hair removal like laser, electrolysis, or IPL hair removal. The most affordable solution of these is at-home IPL. Here are the top IPL hair removal devices to choose from.
Conclusion
Strawberry skin on the arms is the harmful appearance of dark-colored spots. It heals on its own after a few days. However, it can be treated quickly at home to enjoy beautiful short-sleeved or sleeveless dresses in summer.
The treatment options include exfoliation, moisturization, a good shaving technique, and a few months as we discussed in detail in this article.
