Keratosis pilaris is a mild dry skin condition in which the dry skin surrounding the hair follicles on the legs, arms, face, and other parts of the body form what are known as “keratin mounds”. To the eye, these look like small bumps, often red in color, occurring on the face, upper arms, and upper legs as well as on the buttocks. The bumps are caused by the buildup of a scaly plug around the hair follicle, which is actually the buildup of keratin, the protein that protects the skin from infections and is not exfoliated during the normal skin cells’ turnover.

The condition is symmetric in nature, which means that if it affects the left upper arm, it will also affect the right one. The rash-like bumps are painless, and they are often described as “sandpaper-like” bumps that have the appearance of goose flesh. The condition is neither harmful nor contagious and does not indicate any underlying issues.

Risk factors

• While it is mild in nature, it can be chronic when it affects people who have excessively dry skin, plaguing them most of their life. Keratosis pilaris affects children, adolescents, and adults, but it rarely affects the elderly.
• It seems to commonly affect some patients undergoing chemotherapy as well, because of the use of a particular medicine.
• It is also genetic in nature, and nearly half the individuals suffering from it have someone in their family who also has the condition.
• Keratosis pilaris also affects people who have family members suffering from other dry skin conditions like eczema and atopic dermatitis.
• It is a skin condition that worsens in the winter season when the air is particularly dry and the humidity drops. The heater used during the winter months can also dry up the skin by reducing the moisture content, making it scaly and rough. It is usually not itchy, but it may lead to scarring and pigment changes if it becomes itchy.

Treatment
There is no cure for keratosis pilaris, but one can follow good skincare tips to reduce the appearance and severity of flare-ups. Soaps can further dry up the skin of people with keratosis pilaris as the detergent reduces the lipids on the skin and leads to water loss. This increases the production of scaly skin and plugs around the hair follicles. Moisturizing the skin is crucial to keeping the skin supple, and it should be done regularly if the skin is seen to be drying out again.

One can visit a dermatologist if they are too worried about the manifesting symptoms, especially in their child.

Keratosis pilaris may have a profound effect on the psyche of the affected person. Their self-esteem takes a beating, and they often think twice before moving around in social settings for fear of embarrassment, and it is especially difficult for children. One should consider visiting a therapist or a certified counselor to help them through this.