scars on legs due to waxing

i have shaved my legs for two years n  i wax my legs now but i have these black spots on each pore of my leg n even my skin looks dark as compared to my feet.plz help me bcoz it really looks bad and i cant wear any short pants n they looks really bad.plz tell me if they can be cured n what treatment is the best n the cost in india or will they last for life every time i wax my legs.
thanks

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

Your symptoms are suggestive of folliculitis or post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

Folliculitis is the inflammation of one or more hair follicles. The condition may occur anywhere on the skin.

Folliculitis starts when hair follicles are damaged by friction from clothing or blockage of the follicle. In most cases of folliculitis, the damaged follicles are then infected with the bacteria Staphylococcus (staph).Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation can be a result of trauma to the skin like in shaving,chemical peels and photoxic eruptions.

Pls keep the area clean and apply some topical antiseptics. Topical antibiotics such as mupirocin or neomycin containing ointment are also useful. The treatment for post inflammatory hyperpigmentation includes various skin creams like hydroquinone, azelaic acid, corticosteroids, tretinoin cream and laser treatment.It is also advisable to put sunscreens with a minimum spf of 15 atleast 30 min before going out in the sun.Pls discuss these options with your dermatologist before using them.

Hope it helps.Take care and pls do keep me posted on how you are doing and if you have any additional queries.