Ladies love to show off smooth, hair-free legs. But when shaving your legs leads to red spots, you suddenly want to hide those legs until the spots go away. Red spots can signify one of several issues. Depending on the cause, the spots may go away quickly on their own or may require medication to heal. If you notice that you get red spots on your legs regularly, try another form of hair removal.
Ingrown Hair
The most common reason for red spots to appear on your legs is that you have ingrown hair. Ingrown hair can be itchy and unsightly, resulting in raised red spots, though it can easily be remedied by sterilizing a needle and puncturing the spot. The puncture will let out a small amount of clear fluid, allowing the spot to heal faster and the hair to grow out.
Folliculitis
The red spots on your legs may also be a manifestation of folliculitis, or an infection of your hair follicles. Folliculitis normally appears as an itchy, reddish rash, though sometimes it can feature little yellow spots as well. Talk to your doctor if you suspect you have folliculitis. Your doctor can prescribe an antibiotic cream or tablets to get rid of the infection.
Razor
If you are not normally prone to getting red spots on your legs but they start appearing suddenly, check the blades in your razor. If the blades in your razor are getting old and dull, they won't provide the same clean cut as they did when your razor was new. Dull blades may end up yanking hair out of the follicle or causing other forms of irritation--razor burn--and leading to a sudden emergence of red spots.
Moisturizing and Exfoliating
Keeping your legs hydrated and moisturized before you shave can help achieve smoother legs with fewer red spots, and there are many gels and creams on the market that can serve this purpose. Exfoliating can help if you need to get rid of red spots quickly. Exfoliating removes the dead cells from the upper-most layer of your skin, which can heal ingrown hair red spots faster.
Avoiding Red Spots
If you are especially prone to getting red spots after you shave, try alternate routes of hair removal. Waxing is a common alternative to shaving, as are hair-removing creams. Another alternative to shaving is a technique called threading, which is more common for use on facial hair but may be applied to your legs.
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