Keratosis pilaris (also known as follicular keratosis or KP) is a very common skin condition that affects the back and outside part of the upper arm. It doesn't affect the palms or soles of your feet, but it can affect your legs and face.

KP occurs around the hair follicles and shows up as small, benign bumps that are actually waxy build-ups of keratin. Skin sloughs off at a consistent rate, however, near the hair follicle where the KP papules form, the keratinized skin cells slough off at a much slower rate, clogging the follicles.

The result is small bumps all over the affected area. These are what we call goose bumps.

Keratosis Pilaris Treatments

Keratosis pilaris may subside with age, but if you don't want to wait till you grow out of them, you do have a choice of treating them now. KP responds well to creams containing alpha hydroxy acids, Vitamin A, and salicylic acid. If you prefer a more intense type of treatment, you might want to exfoliate with a microdermabrasion cream.

Vitamin A (retinol or retinoids) works on KP by causing the outer layer of the skin to grow more rapidly, which, in turn, decreases the amount of the keratin in the skin. As a result, the outer most layer of the skin becomes thinner and the blockage of pores becomes less likely. This ingredient is also helpful if you suffer from acne related conditions.

Keratosis pilaris creams benefit from alpha hydroxy acids or AHAs. This group of acids is derived from different types of foods. The most common AHAs are glycolic acid (sugar cane), lactic acid (milk), citric acid (citrus fruits) and mandelic acid (almonds).

AHAs have a profound effect on keratinization. It works by modulating the formation of a new stratum corneum. This is done by diminishing cellular cohesion between corneocytes at the lowest levels of the stratum corneum. This permits the stratum corneum to slough off at a higher rate than it was previously able to.

Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that is commonly used in a wide range of cosmetic products. Similar to AHAs, Salicylic acid also helps the skin shed more easily.

Or, if you prefer, you can also exfoliate your skin with a mechanical abrasive to help promote cell turnover. Mechanical methods include using terry cloth towels cloths, facial scrubs, crepe paper, sugar or salt crystals. You can also use loofahs and brushes or simply your fingernails if you are gentle, however, it is always recommended that you use specialized treatments.

Be careful not to use an exfoliant with pumice or other mechanical abrasives if you have sensitive or dry skin. Instead, try natural acids like milk or grapes to help remove dead cells.