What is Keratosis Pilaris and How To Manage It

What is KP?

KP, Keratosis Pilaris or also known as chicken skin is a very common, harmless condition where small bumps appear on your skin. It can affect people of any age and it can last for years. It may eventually clear by itself. Symptoms could include:

Dry and Rough Skin

Painless Small Bumps

You can read some more detail on KP here: https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/keratosis-pilaris

Causes

KP happens when your hair follicles become blocked with a build- up of keratin, a substance found in skin, hair and nails.
Nobody knows why keratin builds up, but the condition is thought to run in families. So if your parents have it, you may get it too.

It is not infectious and you cannot spread it or catch it.

Here is What you can do to manage it

• Moisturise the skin.

  Using a natural body butter or lotion will make sure to deeply hydrate the skin without clogging your pores any further.

• Use mild soaps and bathing products.

  Most body washes on the market contain harsh chemicals that strip your skin of its natural oils which only adds to the problem. When the skin is lacking hydration it is forced to produce more oils quicker which could result in little bumps and clogged pores. Making sure you use a gentle enough soap will soften the skin making it more manageable.

• Gently scrub the skin with a wash cloth or exfoliating mitt

  Making sure you remove the layer of dead skin cells sitting on the surface of your skin is a must when you suffer with KP or dry and rough skin. You don’t want your moisturiser to be waisted on that skin and further, you guessed it Clog Your Pores. You can use a gentle natural scrub and a sisal body cloth for that step. Both work really well.

• Have cool/ lukewarm showers and baths

  Now as a KP sufferer myself, when I found out about this step I was not happy. I love nothing more than a SCORCHING HOT shower or bath🥵. However trying to reduce the heat every once in a while has proven to work, as much as I dislike it.

• Pat your skin dry instead of rubbing it after washing.

  I adapted this trick to my routine a couple of years ago and I have got to say it is not making it any worse. When you think about it, you don’t want the bacteria from your towel that you used the day before to be rubbed back into your skin. I believe patting your skin dry makes sure the little bumps don’t get irritated by the dry towel.

Are you a KP or dry and rough skin sufferer? What tips have you found that work for you? Let me know in the comments.😊