Keratosis pilaris, also referred to as “chicken skin”, is the fancy name for those pesky small red bumps that can form along your upper arms or thighs and keep you from living your best skin-baring life.
For me, those bumps are the reason I never bared my upper arms in high school or my twenties; those bumps made me so self conscious about my skin and to this day, I still prefer long sleeves to tank tops, even though my condition has greatly improved.
While there’s no permanent cure to get rid of keratosis pilaris (although sometimes it fades as you get older, fingers crossed…), there are definitely steps you can take to minimize these bumps and keep them from forming – because you always have the right to bare arms!
Find out how to remove and reduce keratosis pilaris from your body for silky, smooth skin in three easy steps.
Plus, I share a number of products to get you started in each section!
What Is Keratosis Pilaris?
Keratosis pilaris (KP), a.k.a. “chicken skin,” is a totally common skin condition that can cause small red or brown bumps to form on the skin. Keratosis pilaris can also cause skin to feel rough and itchy.
These tiny bumps, that can look like little pimples, are actually hair follicles that are clogged with keratin. Once the growing hair follicles become clogged and blocked, a small bump forms over where a hair should be.
Keratosis pilaris is commonly found on the upper arms, thighs, cheeks and even your bum and is a skin condition that can worsen in the winter months when the skin gets dryer and we wear heavier clothing. Again, there’s no cure for this annoying skin condition, but there easy ways to get rid of keratosis pilaris.
3 Must-Do Steps To Get Rid Of Keratosis Pilaris
1. Exfoliate Skin To De-Clog Follicles
The first step to reduce keratosis pilaris is to regularly exfoliate the affected areas. Exfoliation removes dead skin cells that can clog pores and create bumpy skin. There are two ways to exfoliate the skin: through mechanical exfoliation using body scrubs or abrasive tools, or chemical exfoliation, which involves applying alpha and/or beta hydroxy acids that break down dead skin cells.
Methods of mechanical exfoliation include:
-using exfoliating scrubs on the affected areas (I’ve heard on Instagram that this scrub from First Aid Beauty is amazing for KP!)
-using a dry brush before showering (I love using the Prana dry brush! It’s copper bristles are crazy effective for removing bumps!)
-using a loofah(soak skin in warm water first for best results)
-using an exfoliating glove – these gloves are amazing at removing dead skin; old skin literally comes off in clumps!
Personally, I find dry brushing or using a good set of exfoliating gloves has made the biggest difference in the appearance of my keratosis pilaris and leaves my skin crazy soft.
Chemical exfoliation options include exfoliating liquids or peels that include alpha-hydroxy acids like glycolic acid or lactic that work on the surface of this skin for a smoothing effect. Beta-hydroxy acid like salicylic acid is great for deeper exfoliation to remove plugged-up hair follicles. Leave-on exfoliating toners and wash-off chemical peels to consider include:
–The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
-The Ordinary Lactic Acid Solution (5% or 10%) – reviewed here
–The Ordinary AHA+BHA Peel – reviewed here, it’s strong!
-Paula’s Choice Weightless Body Treatment
-Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Exfoliating Body Treatment
-SkinFix Resurface + Glycolic Renewing Scrub
Tip: Over-exfoliation will irritate your skin and can cause redness and flaking. Limit exfoliation of your bumpy areas to once or twice per week – don’t over do it!
2. Moisturize Always
Once you’ve made sure to remove all that skin-clogging dead skin through exfoliation, it’s important to keep your bumpy areas moisturized and hydrated, as dry skin makes keratosis pilaris worse. Look for moisturizers with 10-20% urea as a main ingredient to help breakdown the excess keratin that doesn’t properly shed away. There are also great body lotions that contain lactic acid to moisturize and exfoliate in one application.
It’s important to maintain a healthy skin barrier and not overly irritate the area, as that can cause more redness and flakiness. Avoid super hot showers and over exfoliation! You can also consider trying a body lotion containing retinol to boost cell turnover and smooth the skin.
Tip: Moisturize your body after a shower while your skin is still damp and add on a body oil to seal in your moisturizer all day.
Some great moisturizers that can moisturize and de-clog skin are:
–Eucerin UreaRepair PLUS Lotion 10% Urea
–Eucerin UreaRepair PLUS Lotion 30% Urea
-Eucerin Roughness Relief Lotion
-Urea Cream 40% Plus Salicylic Acid
-Cerave SA (salicylic acid) Cream For Rough & Bumpy Skin
-SkinFix Resurface + Glycolic Renewing Body Cream
-Gold Bond Rough & Bumpy Skin Daily Skin Therapy
3. Be Consistent
Since keratosis pilaris isn’t curable (although it can fade with age), you’ll need to be consistent in your exfoliation and moisturizing to keep those bumps away on a regular basis. Incorporate regular exfoliation and moisturizing of your body into your regular skin care routine and I promise you those bumps will start to fade and improve!
And that’s how you can get rid of keratosis pilaris!
Easy, right?!
