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Pimple-like bump on legs??


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My dd was in tears tonight. She has a bunch of red pimple-like bumps on her legs - they are red and scabby or have a white head on them. They are about the size of your pinky finger nail (mine anyway!) She thinks they are terribly ugly and that everyone will notice them. Well, dh and I do notice, but I think most people do not. That doesn't help though!

 

She had been a huge scab-picker in the past, but she is not picking at these. However, she is continuing to shave. I've told her not to shave for a week, although she's not thrilled about it - she has dark hair on her legs - and hopefully that will help.

 

Other than not shaving, is there anything else she can do? She uses Jergen's moisturizer and I've told her to stop using that as well, in case it was irritating her skin.

 

Any products you can recommend or to avoid? Do you think they are caused by ingrown hairs, or something more?

 

Thanks for any advice you can give her!

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Just some things to think about:

Do they itch?

Has she had the chicken pox?

Are they anywhere else on her body?

Have you changed laundry detergents lately?

Have you changed bath soap lately?

 

How long have they been there?

Do they come and go?

Has she tried any acne treatments on them?

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No itching

Not chicken pox

No where else on her body

No change of laundry soap

 

She's says they've been there since before she began shaving (in the spring), and I do remember her picking at 'things' on her legs (what I thought were simply dry skin patches), but they've gotten worse over the past month.

 

She uses a 'scrubby sponge' occasionally in the shower

 

She did start field hockey 2 weeks ago, so is wearing shin guards twice a week, but she showers right afterwards. However, the pimples occur above (on the front of her knee) and below (around her ankles) the shinguards, as well as under them.

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Hmmm...if they are that big (pencil eraser size?), then I doubt it's ingrown hair - unless they've been ingrown for a VERY long time.

 

Keep in mind that I'm not a doctor, nor do I play on on tv.:lol: If it were my dd, this is what I'd try first:

 

Without seeing what it looks like it can be hard to tell. It sounds like there is some infection. Can you 'pop' them? Drain what is in there out? I find that things heal much faster and more cleanly if you can get the infection out. If that's not an option, I'd try soaking in a strong salt bath - or using warm compresses of salt water (maybe with some thyme leaves steeped in it like tea). In fact, even if you can drain them, I'd still try to get warm compresses on several times a day.

 

If they don't get better after a couple days, or if you see red streaks or other signs of worsening, get thee to a dr. My dd had a staph abscess on her leg a month ago, and needed antibiotics as well as the above.

 

 

 

If they hurt it could be MRSA. Consider having it checked.

 

They are not at all painful, unless squeezed. I did pop a couple of them to see if a hair came out - nothing, but some clear fluid. But they are hard-ish to the touch.

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Maybe the razor is too dull or otherwise bad and is causing irritation? It's hard to say. I think I'd probably take her to a dermatologist.

 

That's what I'm leaning towards. I called the derm today to make an appt for older ds and was lucky that there was a couple of cancellations this week. Otherwise it will be October before we get in.

 

Maybe I can piggy back her into ds' appt?

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If they hurt it could be MRSA. Consider having it checked.

 

Yep, my dh just got done having surgery on his leg b/c of MRSA. It started as one bug bite that appeared to be an ingrown hair, but with in two days, dh could hardly walk. He ended up being admitted to the hospital and needing surgery. Now he's on a antibiotic IV every 12 hours (going into the hospital EACH TIME).

 

I would get it checked tomorrow!

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Maybe I can piggy back her into ds' appt?

 

This will really irritate the doctor and the staff & is a good way to get on their bad side. Is she an established patient at the dermatologist? If so, just change out the appointments. If not, explain what is happening to the person who makes appointments. They may go ahead and let her take your son's appointment or work her in.

 

Either way, you want to make sure that the doctor has enough time to address the needs of both of your kids. If they can't see her in soon, ask them who she should see while she is waiting for an appointment with the dermatologist.

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This will really irritate the doctor and the staff & is a good way to get on their bad side. Is she an established patient at the dermatologist? If so, just change out the appointments. If not, explain what is happening to the person who makes appointments. They may go ahead and let her take your son's appointment or work her in.

 

Either way, you want to make sure that the doctor has enough time to address the needs of both of your kids. If they can't see her in soon, ask them who she should see while she is waiting for an appointment with the dermatologist.

 

I was going to call and ask them before taking her in with us. I'm hoping they'll have more cancellations this week or next.

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Hardish, and painful when squeezed indicates (to me) an abscess. If there are that many I'd take her to be seen. They'll heal easier with antibiotics, and the dr can make sure there's no underlying problem causing it.

 

:iagree: you don't need the derm for this. Bettter to check sooner than later. And take precautions with drainage in case it is staph.

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Because of closenest to MRSA I would definitely get them check out. It sounds like foliculitus which is easily cleared with a anti-biotic and change of razor and preferably shaving less freqently. Even if this is the cause she still needs to stop picking at them and scratching them because it can spread bacteria and make her condition worse.

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So many times, if you just SHOW up at the doctors office as they open, explain yourself, and offer to wait it out patiently (pun?) until they can slide you in for five minutes...they will, and gladly.

 

It could be a million things from dull razors to MRSA as others have mentioned.

 

Just be ready to sit and wait it out.

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I don't know about larger bumps, but I had smaller ones once when I happened to be at the doctor for something else. She diagnosed it as dermatitis and said I needed to wipe my razor with rubbing alcohol before using it. I thought it was just using a cheap razor (one of those orange disposable ones that cost $3 for 12. I threw them out and got an expensive razor instead and the bumps went away.

 

But they were very very small pimple-like bumps, not large, and not painful.

 

I guess I second the dermatologist.

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Thanks everyone for all your suggestions.

 

They look a lot better this morning. She had just shaved last night and they were oozey, but this morning they have dried out and are not angry looking at all. Neither are they big - they are actually less than half of what they looked like last night.

 

I'm pretty sure that they are just the result of shaving. They do not look like a staph infection, they are not painful or oozing.

 

She's agreed to not shave for a week, so we'll see then. I discovered that she does have an icky plantar's wart on the bottom of her foot, so I will be calling the derm for that and have her look at the leg bumps if they're still there.

 

Thanks again for all your help. You guys are awesome!

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Guest melimou

I am prone to skin problems after shaving but not to the extent of your daughter. I've remedied the problem by using good razors and a product called Tend Skin. It's an expensive product but it really works wonders.

Glad to hear she is doing better!

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She should be sure to dry that razor between uses - don't let it stay in the wet shower.

 

If she's getting ingrown hairs, a loofah - used gently! - can help prevent that between shaves. That and a good moisturizer like olive oil, coconut oil and/or aloe vera gel.

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