We have had an intense ending to our winter season (it IS over, right?!). It has been SO COLD! This crazy weather has brought in so many patients with dry skin and eczema, many of whom also have small red bumps on their arms, legs and sometimes cheeks.

The common complaint is of “goose flesh” or “chicken skin” that has been present for a while but won’t go away despite consistent scrubbing.  This condition commonly runs in families and seen more frequently in children and teens (but can show up at any age!) as well as those with eczema and other dry skin conditions. And it has a name: Keratosis Pilaris. 

Keratosis pilaris is a very common skin condition and is not harmful.  However, a lot of people do not like the way it looks or feels.  Patients with this condition have small pinkish/red, rough feeling, sometimes itchy papules most commonly on the back of their upper arms and thighs but it can be on other body parts as well.  These bumps are formed because the body held on to keratin, a protein found in hair and skin, and let it build up at the opening of follicles.

Treatment is not necessary. Keratosis Pilaris is not harmful or contagious and there is no “cure”, but there are a few steps that can be taken to make the bumps less rough. Daily or twice daily moisturization is very important.  This helps keep that extra keratin soft and less itchy. Gentle exfoliation (emphasis on gentle) can also help by rubbing off some of that excess keratin.  There are also medicated creams and lotions called keratolytics that soften the keratin allowing it to loosen and shed which helps make those bumps thinner and less rough.  Salicylic acid, lactic acid and urea are the ingredients that make these medications effective and can now be found over the counter. 

The easiest way to know if you have keratosis pilaris is to see your dermatologist. This diagnosis is often made by looking at your skin and the evaluating the distribution of the bumps in question. In some instances a skin biopsy may be necessary but that is not often the case. Once a diagnosis is made, your dermatologist will help you come up with an ideal management plan.