{"id":3163,"date":"2019-01-29T05:40:41","date_gmt":"2019-01-29T05:40:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=3163"},"modified":"2021-03-25T14:35:05","modified_gmt":"2021-03-25T14:35:05","slug":"15-symptoms-of-keratosis-pilaris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/15-symptoms-of-keratosis-pilaris\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Symptoms of Keratosis Pilaris"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Keratosis pilaris describes a skin condition where the surface of the epidermis develops small bumps that feel rough to the touch. Also known as \u201cchicken skin,\u201d this harmless, non-cancerous skin disorder typically affects both men and women under the age of 30-years.
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Chicken skin typically affects the skin around the upper arms, cheeks, buttocks, or thighs. Most individuals affected by chicken skin notice a decline in their symptoms in the late twenties, with the condition disappearing before they turn 30.
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Keratosis pilaris occurs when the skin produces too much keratin, a protein responsible for strengthening hair while protecting the skin from infection. However, individuals affected by chicken skin experience an increase in keratin production, which blocks the pores.
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Treatment for the condition includes the use of Sulphur soap, lactic acid lotions, and retinol oils to reduce the bumps. Here are eight symptoms of keratosis pilaris, if you notice any of them occurring on your skin, speak to a dermatologist about treating your skin disorder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Bumps on the Skin
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Keratosis pilaris<\/a> occurs when hair follicles become blocked by excess keratin production. The body increases its production of keratin to protect the skin from dry environments, keeping it healthy. Unfortunately, it may not know when to stop, and keratosis develops as a result.
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Chicken skin is an accurate description of the bumps that develop on the epidermis during a bout of keratosis pilaris. The surface takes on the appearance of a freshly plucked chicken, where the follicles holding the feathers have a raised appearance.
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When keratin blocks the hair follicles, it traps a tiny hair underneath the skin, forcing the keratin to the surface of the skin. This blockage leads to the development of a small bump. Outbreaks tend to produce anywhere from a few bumps, to thousands. The most affected areas of the body are the skin of the upper arms, representing over 90-percent of cases. The thighs and buttocks are other common areas for the condition to develop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Halos
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Keratosis pilaris bumps are typically small and red or pink in color, and some may develop a white head. Many of the blocked pores have a \u201chalo\u201d around them that has a pink or reddish appearance as well. This halo-effect comes from additional inflammation <\/a>of the skin around the blocked follicle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Affected individuals can reduce this halo effect by applying moisturizing creams to the affected area to reduce the swelling of skin cells.
Some individuals mistake the onset of keratosis pilaris with the development of a rash. However, the bumps are not contagious and affected individuals don\u2019t have to be concerned with the condition progressing into another skin disorder.
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It\u2019s important to note that keratosis pilaris is a non-cancerous skin condition, and has no precancer characteristics, unlike actinic keratosis \u2013 where the skin disorder may progress into SCC. Still, affected individuals should consult with their dermatologist for recommended treatment therapies to reduce the inflammation of keratosis pilaris bumps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Itchy, Irritable Skin
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People suffering from outbreaks of keratosis pilaris report that their skin feels irritable <\/a>and itchy, especially when it gets dry. This skin disorder is an inflammatory condition that affects the skin cells, turning them a pink or red color, with a halo surrounding the bump.
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Affected individuals may gain relief from itching symptoms by applying an ice pack to the affected area for a few minutes. The cold compress reduces inflammation and symptoms associated with itching and skin irritability. We recommend you ice your affected area for four 5-minute intervals, with a break of 5-minutes between each ice therapy session.
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After the itching symptoms subside, treat your skin with a moisturizer containing retinol. This tonic penetrates deep into the layers of the skin, attacking the source of the inflammation while cleansing the blocked pores. Repeat this treatment whenever you experience an outbreak of itching, and never scratch the bumps as they may break and start to bleed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Dry Skin
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People suffering from actinic keratosis, typically have dry skin. The body produces keratin to keep the skin moist and supple, as well as protect it from inflammation and infection<\/a>. However, when the epidermis has constant exposure to a dry-air environment with low levels of humidity, it starts to produce more keratin than is necessary, leading to the formation of keratosis pilaris.
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Dry skin can be incredibly irritating, and the only way to get relief from your scratching symptoms is to use a moisturizing protocol every morning and evening. If you live in a city or suburb in an arid area of the United States, such as Arizona, you\u2019re more likely to develop chicken skin due to the environmental factors of the dry climate in the region.
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Your moisturizing treatment protocol should include a corticosteroid cream prescribed by your dermatologist. This cream helps reduce inflammation in the pores and relieves symptoms of irritated skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Sandpaper-Like Bumps
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Chicken skin is the best description of keratosis pilaris \u2013 the tiny bumps on the surface of the epidermis make you look like a freshly plucked chicken ready for the oven. Unfortunately, these bumps can stick around for quite a while if left untreated.
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Most cases of the condition clear up before the affected individual turns 30-years old, but they can cause untold grief and irritation during the peak years of the disorder. As the condition advances, patients complain of dehydrated skin that sensitive to touch. As the bumps firm up, they start to feel like sandpaper, with a very rough feel.
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We recommend that you use a lactic acid-based lotion to exfoliate your skin and follow that treatment <\/a>up with a moisturizing cream to reduce the sandpaper-like feel of the bumps. Affected individuals may need to complete this treatment therapy once or twice a day, every day until symptoms start to subside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Skin Discoloration
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One of the first signs of keratosis pilaris is a reddening of the skin. This discoloration occurs during the early stages of the condition before bumps appear. Affected individuals notice their skin turning light pink, to darker shades of the hue, and then eventually turning red as the congested follicles become visible.
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Chicken skin is typically red or pink, but in some cases, they also come in darker colors of brown and black as well. When the condition first starts, it\u2019s common for people to think that they are developing some mild rash, as keratosis pilaris rarely produces itching sensations in the early stages.
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However, after a few weeks, chicken skin symptoms increase, and the skin begins to form the tiny bumps characterized by the disorder. Inflammation and the halo effect follow a few days later, and then the irritability starts. At this stage, most people visit the dermatologist <\/a>for diagnosis and treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Keratin Buildup
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Chicken skin develops as a result of a buildup of keratin in hair follicles<\/a>. The condition can occur anywhere on the body that has hair, but particularly the back of the arms, thighs, and cheeks where hair follicles are small and easily clogged with excessive amounts of the protein.
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Individuals affected by the condition may notice that their skin feels waxy or oily in the affected area as the keratin production starts to get out of control. Keratin protects your skin from drying out, but in the case of keratosis pilaris, it doesn\u2019t stop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most cases, affected pores contain a tiny, underdeveloped hair that sits underneath the \u201cwhitehead\u201d of the bump. Scratching away the whitehead may cause it to bleed, and if you squeeze the pore, the hair may emerge from the follicle.
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The cause of keratin buildup is unknown to medical science, but medical professionals believe the condition has links to other forms of skin disorders, such as atopic dermatitis or other hereditary skin diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Exacerbation of Symptoms in the Winter Months<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Individuals suffering from keratosis pilaris may notice an exacerbation of their symptoms during seasonal changes, particularly during the onset of the winter months. The wintertime dries out our skin, making it susceptible to infection and skin disorders, such as chicken skin. The winter typically brings less humid conditions with it, and as the air changes \u2013 so does the health of your skin.
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Individuals dealing with the symptoms of keratosis pilaris should undertake an extensive exfoliation and moisturizing protocol every day. However, it\u2019s vital that you choose a skin cream that contains no additional keratin, to avoid further exacerbation of symptoms.
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This symptom typically affects people living in a dry climate more than it does those individuals who reside in areas of high humidity. Therefore, people living at the coastline may not experience a rise in symptoms during the early winter months. However, it\u2019s essential to monitor your skin <\/a>for seasonal changes and make adjustments to your moisturizing protocol as they arise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\r\n

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