What Are The Symptoms Of Keratosis Pilaris?

Keratosis pilaris may be a harmless and common skin condition. Patients may deal with rough and dry skin. Skin bumps also appear to occur with this condition. Reports seem to indicate that a buildup of keratin causes this condition. This is a protein that should protect the skin, but in excess, can plug hair follicles. Unfortunately, it does not appear to be clear why this protein builds in some individuals' skin.

Patients do not seem to have a cure for keratosis pilaris available to them. However, if their skin does bother them, they may be able to try different treatments. This may mean trying the best skincare for keratosis pilaris. Patients may choose to use medicated creams or topical exfoliants. Retinol cream for keratosis also appears to be effective, as is KP laser treatment. Of course, some patients do not wish to try medical treatments. Thankfully, they may be able to find some success with a few natural remedies for keratosis pilaris.

Bumps On The Skin

It seems as if most patients who have keratosis pilaris will deal with bumps on their skin. Some may even consider this the most characteristic symptom. This condition may present with no bumps on the skin, although it appears that this is rare. The bumps may develop on young children the most. However, adults may also deal with them. The bumps seem to disappear for most patients by the time they turn thirty years old. They can be tiny and painless up until this point. With that said, they seem to vary in appearance and may be in clusters or even spread across the skin.

The skin bumps in this condition seem to appear in several potential locations on the body, including the upper arms, cheeks, thighs, and buttocks. They may feel similar to sandpaper. If this is the case, they can appear on dry skin patches and be clustered fairly tight. Some individuals claim that they look like goosebumps. Individuals may be able to see a dermatologist if the appearance of these skin bumps bothers them. However, they may not truly require medical treatment.

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Rough And Dry Skin

Keratosis pilaris patients may deal with rough and dry skin alongside the skin bumps. As mentioned, the bumps seem to appear on the dry patches, which is likely why they will feel rough skin. However, this does not always happen. Some cases of this condition may present with the dry skin patches and bumps in separate locations on the body. The dryness seems to develop because of how keratin builds on the patient's skin. However, doctors have not yet been able to determine precisely why this happens. They do claim, though, that it is harmless to patients.

If the patient's skin does feel similar to sandpaper due to the dry skin and bumps, they may be able to relieve some of this with a little moisturizer. They may wish to choose one with lanolin, petroleum jelly, or glycerin to increase the potential moisture they can return to their skin.

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Itchy Skin

Some patients may be concerned with itchy skin if they have keratosis pilaris. However, this seems to be a rare symptom. Many doctors say that if individuals have itchy skin, they probably have a rash rather than this condition. The rash could be contact dermatitis. This appears to be an allergic reaction to touching a substance or object that irritates the skin. Although this is rare with keratosis pilaris, patients seem to be more prone to reactions like this as they already have sensitive skin. They may also deal with flaking and peeling with their dry skin.

Patients with keratosis pilaris may need to put more effort into moisturizing and protecting their skin to prevent additional reactions like itchy skin. They should consider avoiding any products with harsh ingredients as well. This includes soap. Of course, if they have prescription creams, they will need to verify their dermatologist's directions and follow them.

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Skin Flares In Cold And Dry Climates

Individuals dealing with this condition may find that their skin flares in cold and dry climates. If this happens, more skin bumps may appear. The dryness of their skin may also increase. This seems to happen both in how severe the dryness is and the number of dry patches. Individuals with this condition are more likely to deal with irritated skin in dry and cold climates. However, this may not always occur, as irritation does not appear to be a direct symptom of keratosis pilaris.

Patients may wish to use a humidifier when their environment is dry and cold to help get more moisture into the hair. Some of these devices may even be able to increase the warmth of their home. This may help with some of their symptoms and reduce flares.

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Inflammation And Redness

Keratosis pilaris does not appear to carry inflammation and redness as typical symptoms. In many cases, individuals with red or irritated skin may be dealing with another condition. Of course, as previously discussed, patients with this condition do seem to have more sensitive skin. Thus, they may experience inflammation and redness if their skin comes into contact with an irritating substance or object.

This condition may make skin redness and inflammation worse than they would have been without it. Additionally, if these symptoms do appear, keratosis pilaris patients may need to contact a dermatologist for treatment. As mentioned, they are likely facing more serious issues and, at the very least, will likely need product recommendations.