Pimples on the thighs are not very noticeable to others, so they are often ignored. In some cases, this is extremely dangerous, because such rashes can be a sign of a serious illness in both women and men. So, if they appear and are regular, you should consult a dermatologist for an accurate diagnosis. You may need to have your blood tested for sugar and hormones.
Main reasons
Women are more susceptible to pimples on the thighs, but they also occur in men and children. Among the main reasons are:
Allergic reaction. Allergies are often caused by synthetic fabrics - nylon stockings and tights, which do not allow the skin to breathe and further aggravate the development of acne. With allergies, red and watery pimples appear on the thighs, which are accompanied by itching, discomfort, and redness of the skin. In men, incorrectly chosen clothing also causes allergies and, as a result, acne. These are trousers made of synthetic materials, thick fabrics, as well as wearing tight-fitting clothing models.Friction, incorrectly selected underwear. Very often, acne on the inner thighs appears due to friction from clothing. It causes irritation, since the skin in this area is delicate and sensitive to intense stress. In fairly obese people, irritation appears when walking, when clothing rubs the thighs and injures the skin. In the heat, when wearing synthetic clothing, sweating increases (a “greenhouse effect” is created), sweat acts as an irritating factor and provokes the formation of small pimples that resemble prickly heat, which is why such pimples are called “prickly heat”. They go away when changing underwear or clothes.
Why do watery and purulent pimples pop up?
Watery rashes are characteristic of two diseases:
- chickenpox, in which they often “scatter” throughout the body;
- scabies, in which they begin to itch severely in the evening and at night, since at this time the parasites are most active.
In the autumn-winter period, when due to a lack of sun and vitamins there is a decrease in immunity, or when the body is overcooled, inflamed purulent pimples may appear on the skin. They are characterized by pain, often accompanied by itching or burning, and more often pop up on the thighs one by one.
Treatment methods
If pimples do not go away on their own, specialists may prescribe the following to treat them:
- Use of topical antiseptics. They help cope with the inflammatory process. To do this, problem areas are treated with salicylic or boric alcohol. Sometimes it is recommended to lubricate pimples with iodine. If these remedies do not help, then the doctor prescribes more powerful antibacterial agents - tetracycline or erythromycin ointment. For dermatological diseases caused by parasites - mites that have settled in the epidermis, sulfur or permethrin ointment is used.
- Taking medications. They are prescribed for the treatment of acne caused by metabolic disorders, hormonal imbalances, and vitamin deficiency. Prescribing pills on your own is strictly prohibited, especially retinoids, as they cause many side effects.
- Proper nutrition. Regardless of the cause of acne, it will speed up the healing of the skin. In the diet, the proportion of lactic acid products is increased, which perfectly cleanse the intestines and remove harmful substances. They forget about fatty, spicy, fried foods; the taboo extends to fast food, canned food and alcohol. A large amount of fresh fruits, herbs, vegetables, berries and nuts appear on the table. They are rich in nutrients, fiber, amino acids, which is good for overall health, as well as for the skin. Read more about nutrition for acne-free skin here.
- Physiotherapy. This method quite quickly helps to get rid of inflammatory processes, as it speeds up metabolism and improves blood circulation. For this purpose, magnetic therapy, laser therapy and electrocoagulation are prescribed.
Pimples on the thighs appear in both men and women. They bring the same discomfort to both. The only difference is that men don't take their skin imperfections as seriously as women do.
Summer is one of the most charming times of the year. For some, this is a great opportunity to show off their perfect body on the beach, but for others, it’s another reason for frustration. It is necessary to consider the problem of pimples on the legs and methods for eliminating them.
Causes of occurrence and solutions
- As a rule, pimples appear on the legs during the cold season. Under a layer of thick clothing, trousers and tights, our skin does not breathe, sweats and becomes steamy. As a result, it becomes irritated, and the inflammatory process begins, which people are accustomed to seeing in the form of pimples. Speaking about the localization of pimples, it can be noted that most of them are observed on the thighs. The skin on the calves is not so susceptible to irritants, but still sometimes pimples appear there.
- Often the appearance of a small rash indicates a hormonal imbalance caused by the use of oral contraceptives or a lack of vitamins.
- Often people observe a certain periodicity in the appearance of acne. They disappear and then appear again. In this case, you need to pay attention to the clothes you wear (they can cause allergies), or to the cosmetics you use. A number of chemicals are added to the composition of modern hygiene products and cosmetics, to which there may be individual intolerance. Usually it is enough to change the shower gel or lotion to get rid of the rash. Do not use products with aggressive ingredients such as alcohol, menthol or camphor.
- In the fair sex, pimples on the thighs and calves may appear due to shaving or improper depilation. If you buy a razor with a floating head or choose hair removal creams more carefully, you will partially protect yourself from the appearance of new pimples. An easy way to eliminate shaving irritation is to pre-moisturize your skin. Sometimes the usual shaving foams do not give the expected effect. If you have dry skin on your feet, use gel products or try using hair conditioner. It is even possible that you have chosen the wrong hair removal method, and it is better for you to go to a salon where hair removal will be carried out with laser or wax.
- There are a number of cases in which improper shaving provokes ingrown hairs in the legs. Small bumps form on the skin. If you scratch them, wounds will appear, which serve as an excellent breeding ground for bacteria. If wounds have already appeared, you can try applying Hydrocortisone ointment to clean skin twice a day.
Treatment at home
Ointments that contain salicylic acid have proven excellent in treating pimples on the thighs. You can try topical antibiotics such as Zinerit or Dalatsin. They are sold without a prescription in almost every pharmacy. When applying the above preparations, remember that they dry out the skin very much, so you should use moisturizing creams after them. If after 10 days of using ointments you develop an even more rash or the skin on your legs begins to peel, consult a dermatologist.
A decoction of calendula and chamomile has excellent antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. All you have to do is wipe your feet with a decoction of these plants in the morning and evening, and your skin will return to its former fresh appearance.
Another method of combating pimples on the legs is acetylsalicylic acid and glycerin. The ingredients are mixed together in equal proportions and applied to pimples.
Diet adjustments and ozone therapy
Try to adjust your diet. Excessive consumption of fatty, spicy and fried foods can show up in skin rashes. You need to supplement your menu with foods high in vitamin A.
Beauty salons use a procedure called ozone therapy. The patient's blood is replenished with oxygen, and metabolic processes in the body improve. Externally, this manifests itself in improved appearance of skin, nails and hair.
As additional recommendations, we can mention that it is through the skin that the human body is freed from harmful toxins and wastes. It is important to keep it clean at all times. It is failure to comply with the rules of personal hygiene that provokes defects on the skin. Separately, I would like to note the use of chemicals, for example, washing powders. Buy hypoallergenic powders or options for washing children's clothes. They wash clothes just as well, but are much less harmful to the skin.
Colds, which can manifest as a rash on the legs, also have an impact.
The skin is the largest human organ, so when the protective forces decrease, it is the skin that signals a malfunction.
Do not under any circumstances delay going to the doctor; at first glance, an ordinary cosmetic defect may be one of the symptoms of a serious illness. A skin rash usually indicates problems with the liver, gastrointestinal tract and inflammatory gynecological diseases. Consultation with a doctor will help rule out dermatological skin diseases or infectious diseases such as rubella and chickenpox. In any case, do not try to self-medicate, this will make the situation even worse.
Pustules on the legs are always unsightly, but if they are pimples on the legs of a child, then perhaps they are dangerous.
Therefore, it is important to know what causes the problem, what types of formations there are, and how to deal with such a nuisance.
Reasons for appearance
Feet are the part of the body that often gets dirty, especially in summer. That's why pustules are a matter of time if you don't take care of your skin. As Elena Malysheva says, “it is important to take into account the number of acne, the more there are, the more serious the situation.”
The abscess, according to Malysheva, occurs for the following reasons:
- increased number of male hormones;
- microbial inflammation;
- increased sebum production;
- increased keratinization of the skin.
Without the last factor, the previous ones might not have given such an effect. But since the sebaceous glands are clogged, the pus simply does not come out, and an abscess forms.
If a person is in adolescence, rarely washes his feet and wears dirty clothes, it is not surprising that he develops pustules. This is especially common in people with oily skin, due to the abundant secretion of sebum.
If a person uses a regular disposable razor, one day after shaving, ingrown hairs will appear. And the latter sometimes become the cause of pustules.
It is worth remembering: sometimes such ulcers are a consequence of an infectious disease, including, possibly, a venereal disease. For example, pimples on the inner thighs in women and men may indicate genital herpes.
What are the dangers of acne on legs?
It is easier to accidentally crush such ulcers than those on the face. This is the main danger of pustules on the legs. When a person sleeps, no matter how much he lies down first, he can always roll over in his sleep and land directly on an abscess.
If the problem is on the inside of the legs, then when walking and accidentally hitting one leg against the other, they can again be crushed.
Pimples on the toes are easy to crush if a person scratches their feet against each other in their sleep, and the abscess is large. But even if the rashes are small, pressing on them sometimes drives pus into the blood, which can lead to meningitis.
As for children and adolescents, their risk is at least three times higher, because they still do not have an understanding of how dangerous squeezing out an abscess is. And even if you explain to a child that it is impossible to crush pustules, and he follows the advice, it is unlikely that he will refuse to play football because of pustules on his legs. And this is fraught.
Therefore, it is better to deal with the problem immediately and with the right methods. And the ideal option is prevention. It is clear that in adolescence it is unlikely that the problem will be prevented, but with proper skin care the number of ulcers will be minimal.
What are such formations?
There are several varieties of such ulcers. It is important to take into account what the pustules look like, because this determines what should be done with them next.
Here are the types of rashes that occur:
- small - pustules are usually grouped. They are not necessarily elevated; sometimes the rashes are at the level of the skin. If this is the latter case, the ulcers are colored red and are (relatively) empty. If the formations are elevated, then they are filled with liquid inside.
- Red pimples on legs are not filled in. These flat formations, however, eventually develop a yellow-white head. Such abscesses are large. Hence the discomfort, for example, when wearing tight clothing.
- White formations are papules. The contents of these are white, hence the color of the entire abscess. The peculiarity is that they are located at a great distance from each other. They vary in size: there are both large and small.
- Solid formations are nodules. If you carefully feel the knot, it will seem dense. Color, size and fullness vary. For example, there are also empty formations. This problem cannot be cured quickly.
- Dry rashes are usually grouped and are not large in themselves. Empty. Rough and dry. It is important to be careful, because these formations can easily be accidentally picked off, and this is sometimes fraught.
It is worth noting that there are other types of formations. For example, if the disease is prolonged, ulcers of different colors may appear.
Therefore, it is almost impossible to make an accurate diagnosis yourself and you should consult a doctor. It is important to remember that sometimes such formations are only a consequence of external factors, and sometimes they are a symptom of a dangerous disease.
Fighting the disease
Treatment methods directly depend on the cause. It is important that the doctor examines the patient at the appointment, because it is difficult to make a diagnosis from a photo. The doctor will select the treatment that is needed.
Of course, sometimes rashes can be removed with cosmetics at home, but if this does not help, then it is not a matter of external factors, or not only of them.
The main cause is eliminated in different ways. If it is a hormonal imbalance, hormone therapy is prescribed. If the cause is vitamin deficiency, they fight it by changing the diet and taking vitamin-mineral complexes.
The formations themselves are eliminated by means specially designed for these purposes. However, there is a specific treatment for rashes on the legs that differs from that for troubles on the face. Regardless of whether a person has acne on the thighs or acne on the thighs, retinoids and antibiotics are not prescribed.
It is possible to purchase at least three products that will help in the fight against rashes:
- Akriderm is prescribed if the problem is a consequence of an allergy, or if acne on the legs itches. It is also used for other discomfort from ulcers on the legs. The good thing about this product is that it helps in a short time.
- Skinoren also quickly eliminates inflammation. In addition, the product also has antibacterial properties. The drug is indicated for acne. As in the case of Akriderm, there are analogues, but one cannot say that they are better.
- Salicylic ointment is suitable for many due to its availability. At the same time, the remedy cannot be called highly effective. Almost no therapeutic effect is observed. The only thing the ointment does is disinfect (thereby preventing new formations) and dry problem areas, which improves appearance.
How to prevent trouble
The appearance of pustules is influenced by many factors. Therefore, the only way to gain confidence that there will be no acne is to lead a correct lifestyle in all aspects:
- Eat properly. Avoid fast foods and other similar eateries. Do not abuse flour, sweet, fatty foods. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that nutrition alone will provide the body with everything it needs. Therefore, complexes of minerals and vitamins are an important aspect of rash prevention.
- Wash on time. For example, if your feet become dirty, you should immediately take a shower, which will reduce the risk of rashes. It is important to choose the right skin care products. Some options are good for one skin type but bad for another.
- Healthy microclimate. Many people do not pay attention to this, but the factor is extremely important, especially if a person stays indoors for a long time. Both humidity and temperature should be comfortable for the skin and the body as a whole. If you walk around the house in a lot of sweaters, your skin will breathe worse.
- Clothes are also important. You should not choose items made from synthetic fabrics (unless it is some modern material that is not harmful to the body). It is also important that the clothes are spacious and do not prevent the skin from breathing.
Don't forget about healthy sleep. The latter allows the body to restore strength, and therefore affects the immune system.
Healthy sleep for an adult is from ten in the evening to six in the morning, or from eleven to seven. There are many methods of how to get rid of such troubles on the skin, but it’s easier to prevent it.
Conclusion
Acne on the legs is a serious problem that is best prevented. Under no circumstances should you force something like this out. It is not possible to quickly get rid of pustules, but timely treatment will give the skin its previous appearance in a few months.