Do we have sebaceous glands in our legs?

Factual Questions
1

Wouldn’t it be more useful to have them there because legs can get really dry, whilst on your face, it causes spots… grrrr

2

You can get pimples on your legs too. Aren’t there sebaceous glands wherever we have hair on our bodies?

3

Yup, elfkin477, that’s right. Sebaceous glands are positioned next to hair follicles. They secrete sebum which lubricates the hair, helps to insulate the body, and prevents the hair from breaking.

I couldn’t begin to explain why sebaceous glands cause more problems on our face than on our legs, but I have been known to have the odd leg-pimple now and again, and I’m sure we’ve all heard of people with ass-pimples. Perhaps it’s just that we tend to flex our muscles in our face more often and in more complex ways, which might tend to constrict/stimulate the glands and make them produce more oil than in other parts of the body where muscle flexion isn’t as complicated? That’s, of course, a WAG. :slight_smile:

4

Thanks for the responses. So shouldn’t my body produce more oil on my leg since it’s really dry?

5

Your legs have plenty of sebaceous glands. Many of them are around the crotch area, below the inguinal ligaments. But also where there is hair in general. I don’t personally need leg blackheads or oilier legs. Rest assured there is some sebum there, and moisturize as needed.

6

I am currently recovering from an evil sebaceous gland on the inside of my thigh which had nefarious plans to take over my life akin to “How to get Ahead in Advertising”. The 2" sebaseous cyst developed over a week and finally had to get drained. The pain of the growth and friction caused by walking, sitting, standing and lying down was unbearable. After a week of pain due to the inflammation and the discomfort of the lancing and subsequent packing and repacking of absorbant ribbon into an open hole under my skin, I would gladly have necessity to moisturize on a daily basis than have the possibility of this again.

As a lesson learned, sometimes it is not a good idea to look up the details of a minor medical procedure prior to having it done.