What Is Keratosis?
Keratosis is a type of skin condition that is quite common. This skin condition looks like very tiny bumps on the upper arms, thighs or cheeks. These bumps are dry and harmless, usually not hurting or itching. This skin type is sometimes called “Chicken Skin,” because of the way it resembles chicken skin. Unfortunately, this skin condition can’t be cured or prevented. Although, It can be treated with proper moisturizers and creams, usually prescribed by your doctor and will go away by age 30.
What Causes Keratosis?
The exact cause of Keratosis is unknown for doctors and scientists. Doctors do think that it may be a result of genetic skin conditions. Keratosis is a buildup of a hair protein in your skin called keratin. This protein sometimes can get clogged, blocking the opening of growing hair follicles. As a result, this creates a bump from where a hair should be. Anyone can get this condition, but it’s most common in children and teenagers. It’s also most common in those who have fair skin.
Treatments
As we mentioned before, your dermatologist will recommend a moisturizer to help soothe the dry skin. There are many over the counter creams you can also use to remove the dead skin cells or prevent more hair follicles from being blocked. There’s also common ingredients that can help in your moisturizer like urea and lactic acid. Your dermatologist may also recommend getting a microdermabrasion, chemical peels and retinol creams.
You might want to look out for ingredients in creams that could irritate your skin even worse. These ingredients include acids that can cause side effects that cause redness, stinging, irritation, and more dryness.
Home Remedies for Keratosis
Milk Bath – Did you know that milk is a great skin cleaning agent. The natural contents of milk is very beneficial to treat skin problems like Keratosis. All you need to do is mix milk into bathing water and soak your body for as long as you want. You can do this as often as you would like as well to get maximum relief.
Oatmeal Scrub – Oatmeal has an abundance of minerals that is great for your skin. These minerals can help enrich and make your skin healthy again. There are many recipes to make your oatmeal scrub. Here is one of many you can use.
-2 cups of finely ground oatmeal
-1 tablespoon of brown sugar
-1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil (you can substitute for olive oil)
-2 tablespoons of regular milk
-1 egg white
Mix all ingredients very well. Once you are done mixing you can apply to the skin in a circular motion. Rinse with a warm wash cloth and apply a cream or moisturizer, as it scrubs away dead skin cells.
Lemon – lemons have an acidic content that helps in removing keratosis and opens pores. All you need to do is squeeze a fresh lemon on your skin where the keratosis is located. Using the lemon regularly will help you receive relief from the bumps and scars.
For more information on keratosis or to schedule an appointment with our dermatologists, contact Allen-Tainter Dermatology in Ogden, UT today!