A Brief Overview of Keratosis Pilaris

Considered one of the most unique skin conditions out there, keratosis pilaris, or
commonly known as ‘chicken skin’, is a
skin ailment that manifests as rough bumps all over the skin. These small bumps
can be quite persistent and are in fact, dead skin cells that end up blocking
the hair follicles.



At times, these bumps can have a red, or
brownish appearance in color.

Chicken skin is normally concentrated on the cheeks, buttocks, or upper arms. Of
note is that the skin condition is in no way contagious, and the said bumps do
not have any feeling of discomfort, or
itching in particular.

The skin condition can be particularly
aggressive during winter, especially when the skin tends to be excessively
dried out, and can particularly worsen during pregnancy.

No
cure:-


There is no given cure for this genetic
skin condition, although it is completely harmless. That being said, there are number of ways it can be
treated, preventing it from worsening in the process.


Common
characteristics of keratosis pilaris symptoms:-


The most common symptom of keratosis is
its distinct appearance. The visible bumps that are present on the skin have a
goosebump-like resemblance. For this reason alone, the term ‘chicken skin’
became quite prevalent.

Other symptoms that manifest with this
genetic ailment include;

  • ·        
    Redness that appears as bumps with slight pinkness.
  • ·        
    Irritable
    and itchy skin
  • ·        
    Totally
    dry skin
  • ·        
    Bumps
    that give the skin a sand-paper feeling
  • ·     Bumps
    that can look like different colors depending on the skin-tone e.g. (flesh-colored, pink, red, brown, or
    white)

Causes
of keratosis pilaris:-


This skin condition is caused by the buildup of a specific hair
protein known as keratin which is found in the pores. Moreover, if one has an
aggressive eruption of chicken skin, the keratin of one’s body hair gets
clogged in the pores, resulting in blockage of hair follicles that are
currently growing.

The result? A small bump will form over
the place that hair was initially meant to be. So if one was to prick the bump
in question, they would notice the emergence of their body hairs, though ones
that would still be quite young.

Because the exact cause of keratin
buildup is not known, doctors have a strong feeling that it could be related with
another skin condition such as a genetic disease, or the likes of atopic
dermatitis.

An effective condition for treating
chicken skin would be Glycolic Peel For Keratosis Pilaris.

What
type of people can develop this skin condition?


Chicken skin is pretty prevalent with
people that suffer from the following conditions:

  • ·        
    Celtic
    ancestry
  • ·        
    Dry
    skin
  • ·        
    Melanoma
  • ·        
    Hay
    fever
  • ·        
    Obesity
  • ·        
    Women
  • ·        
    Ichthyosis


That being
said, pretty anyone can be susceptible to this given skin condition.
However, it normally clears off by the time someone gets to the age of 30.

Of note is that hormonal changes can
result in flare-ups, especially in the cases where the woman in question is
pregnant. The condition is also common in people that happen to have fair skin.