Keratosis pilaris, or KP, is a genetic follicular disease that is very common and has symptoms of rough bumps on the skin and is therefore colloquially known as “chicken skin.” It will usually appear on the outer sides of the body in addition to the upper arms, but it can also occur on the thighs and buttocks or anywhere on the body except the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet.
KP is believed to affect an estimated forty to fifty percent of the adult population and approximately 50 to 80% of all adolescents. It is more common in women than in men. Varying in degree, KP cases can range from moderate to severe. Moderate KP bumps are scattered and with little or no irritation. Severe KP will include large areas of skin that have almost no smooth texture. The affected area is always covered with bumps and in most cases it is very irritated.
Keratosis pilaris is particularly common in adolescents on the upper arms. In babies, it appears mainly on the cheeks and neck. Keratosis pilaris is unsightly but completely harmless. It usually worsens during the winter months or other times of low humidity when the skin dries out, and it can worsen during pregnancy or after childbirth. The condition is exacerbated here with increased pronunciation in color and texture.
When the natural protein in the skin’s keratin is produced in excess, it accumulates around hair follicles. This process is called hyperkeratinization. This leads to the proliferation of small hard bumps on the skin that are a cosmetic nuisance. They rarely itch or hurt.
Keratosis Pilaris Treatment
As hair follicles become clogged with hair and dead cells from the outermost layer of skin, the skin loses its ability to renew itself. The excessive adherence of this material leads to the formation of these scaly plugs. Effective treatment requires that dead cells can be shed to introduce fresh, healthy cells into the follicle. What is needed is a skin care treatment that will uncover the blocked follicles so that the skin resumes its natural regeneration process.
