Learn from my mistakes- Read the Instructions

My sister always had little bumps on her legs. I never paid any attention to it. Never thought about it.

Then, years ago, I had a couple of scars on my legs and I used my son's Vitamin E oil that claimed to get rid of scars. I didn't read the instructions on the bottle. I didn't research. I just started slathering this oil on my legs every day. The first thing that I noticed was that the scars didn't go away, but my legs were noticeably lighter in tone. I definitely like my skin color so I immediately stopped. Then soon after the bumps that my sister had on her legs appeared on my legs!

I asked my sister about her bumps. She had never investigated the issue. I talked to multiple dermatologists. They dismissed me as healthy and thought my bumps to be too minor for their attention. One told me that it was just genetic and indicated that I should not be concerned about it. I brought the question up to my primary care physician and that is when, after careful study of my leg, she said that she thought that I had strawberry legs, keratosis pilaris, and that the bumps were basically overgrowths of skin/sebum with hairs trapped underneath. This is often a genetic condition that runs in families.

Side note: Shot out to my primary care physician! She is truly amazing. I only get to see her once a year but I get a full blood panel run a week prior. We spend 20-30 minutes talking about my results, health and lifestyle. She is a vital partner in my health journey. If you don't have someone like her already, find you someone like her! Hint, they are probably a DO.

Back to the story...

This makes sense. I had damaged my skin barrier by overapplying the Vitamin E Oil. Combine that with my daily shaving and my skin was in trouble.

Lesson learned. Instructions are there for a reason. It only takes a minute to learn to do things the right way.

Ok now, how do we fix strawberry legs?

Well, exfoliation is key. Exfoliate 2-3 times weekly for 4-6 weeks at least. Chemical exfoliation is best. I chose a combination product called KP Bump Eraser by First Aid Beauty. It contained both glycolic acid and alpha hydroxy acids. I have no affiliation with First Aid Beauty. I just know that their product worked very well for me. I also used glycolic acid pads.

After exfoliation, it is important to follow up with good hydration. The condition is considered chronic, so it is unlikely that it will just go away. Developing a routine of exfoliation and hydration for your legs can go a long way to keeping the bumps down and make the appearance of your leg smoother.

I can say that I saw marked improvement in 2 weeks years ago when I first got the bumps. But I have not keep up my routine and the bumps are noticeable again. I am about to start a new routine with the glycolic acid pads and now, use my Hyaluronic Acid Serum for hydration.

I'll give you an update on how things go in about 4-6 weeks.