Tips to Combat Itchy Legs

Itchy legs may not be serious enough to drive you to the doctor immediately; but they can keep gnawing at your patience little by little, everyday. It is of utmost importance that you have a doctor take a look at your itchy legs to rule out any skin conditions that may be the cause. These conditions include venous eczema (a rash due to trouble with your veins), infection of your hair roots (called folliculitis), chicken bumps (medically called keratosis pilarisis), atopic dermatitis (an allergic condition) and a host of other skin diseases. Other than these, hormonal disturbances and other illnesses like liver and kidney troubles can also cause itchy legs.

Other than the above, dryness of skin can be a common cause of itchy legs. This may be due to excess perspiration, wearing synthetic trousers or socks, frequent swimming, bathing repeatedly with soap. (Who would have thought that too much hygiene could be bad!) Below are a few tips to combat itchy legs:

• It’s too hot! Bathing with too hot water for too long can rip your body of natural oils. Since our legs occupy a significantly large area of our total body surface, itchy legs may be the first sign of dry skin.
• A soap to whiten your skin or double up as a deodorant? The primary job of a soap is to cleanse your skin. Period. Choose as mild a soap as possible. (It would not be wise to take the ‘creative visualizations’ of soap commercials too seriously!).
• Soft clothes; but Itchy Legs. Make sure your trousers, socks and inner wear are rinsed well. Laundry additives in detergents like bleaches and softeners may irritate your skin if they are not washed off the clothing thoroughly. Prefer cotton wear over synthetic clothing.
• Your legs need moisturizing too. We are so busy taking care of our face that we often forget to moisturize our legs. Remember to moisturize your legs too, especially after a bath. Pat yourself dry after bathing instead of rubbing vigorously. Avoid cosmetic products containing alcohol as they may dry out your skin further. You may consider using a bath oil, especially if you spend most of your time in a dry environment.

These home remedies will help you tackle most itchy legs. If your itchy legs are not resolved with these self-care measures even after 2 weeks, affect the entire body, are severe enough to disturb your sleep or are accompanied by other symptoms (weight loss, fever, redness of skin, extreme tiredness etc.), you need to visit your doctor.

Dr Rajesh Shah (MD Hom) at Lifeforce Homoeopathy has a rich experience of over 30 years of treating chronic skin diseases. To know how Homoeopathy can help you with your itchy legs, do get in touch with us today.