• Small, acne-like bumps
• Painless, skin-colored bumps that can, at times, be red and inflamed
• Dry, rough patches
• In some cases, itchiness

The Mayo Clinic does not consider KP to be a serious medical condition and deems treatment as “not necessary.”

With this being said, you may wonder, “Then what’s the point in treating KP?”  Well, Keratoses Pilaris affects 80% of our youth to some degree.  And while it is far from life-threatening, studies show that cosmetic conditions have a huge effect on people, and youth in particular.  Ted Grossbart, Ph.D., states:

“People with skin problems are at high risk of developing psychological problems… Kids with skin disorders suffer, too. Two out of five of these children have some psychosocial impairment.”

In reality, we are not talking about some major disfiguring disorder.  But, to the teen who deals with KP on a daily basis, perhaps it may as well be.  Afterall, Dr. Grossbart points out that “Americans spend more on their appearance than on social welfare, health, and education combined.”  Because of this and a multitude of other factors, childhood and especially adolescence can be rough.  Teens are already dealing with awkward growth spurts and physical changes due to ever-changing hormones.  When you add in a skin condition that puts a damper on their self-confidence, growing up is all the rougher.  Teens may get teased by their peers for their “chicken skin,” which is never good on the self-esteem.  But even if no one ever comments on their condition, we are all our own worst critic.  And this may prevent your son from going to that pool party this summer or your daughter f rom trying on homecoming dresses with her girlfriends.

So keratosis pilaris, along with most other skin conditions, is rarely just skin deep.  ”Your body image accounts for about one-quarter to one-third of your self-esteem, and your self-esteem is a major influence on your overall psychological health.” says Dr. Grossbart.  KP Elements can help boost the self-esteem of KP sufferers by clearing up your skin and letting you go sleeveless with confidence.  And that boost may just mean the world to you or your teen.

An article on the Dr. Oz website talks about the origins of keratosis pilaris:

“Keratosis pilaris is hereditary, inherited as an autosomal dominant gene. This is similar to the brown versus blue eye color phenomenon. All it takes is a single gene from either parent to find oneself with less than perfectly smooth skin. But not everyone can point a finger at who’s to blame since only 30 to 50% of KP patients have a positive family history.

So the skin bumps are not caused by external factors, such as diet and allergic reactions. Chicken skin occurs because it is hereditary. The Dr. Oz article continues to say that not only is keratosis pilaris embarrassing  most people live with it because they don’t know what’s going on!

“Most people with KP are unaware that not only is there a designated medical term for the condition, but that treatment exists.”

If you have KP, then be rassured as it is harmless, and that there are ways to make the red bumps go away! The bumps are caused by inflammation in the hair follicles, which looks like brown or red dots on the skin.

There are a variety of options to treat KP, and our KP Elements Keratosis Pilaris Cream incorporates nearly all of them. Alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic or lactic acid are great treatments for KP. They help your skin to turn over faster, and work to soften and clear away the hard, rough bumps. Vitamins A and E promote soft, smooth skin, and help your body reduce the inflammation that causes redness.

Now that you know that there’s a name for those red bumps on your skin, you can start treating them! Give our keratosis pilaris cream a try, and soon you’ll be going sleeveless with confidence!

1. Use a lotion that is formulated to directly affect the symptoms of keratosis pilaris, like KP Elements.  Alpha hydroxy acids exfoliate your skin and encourage the healthy and rapid turnover of skin cells revealing smoother skin texture.  Vitamins E and C, the essential oils and omega 3 fatty acids support the health and hydration of your skin.
2. Keep bath time short and use warm water.  Hot water and long exposure can remove oils from skin drying it out further.  Use mild soaps and gently pat your skin dry afterward to avoid scrubbing off protective oils.
3. Eat a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins.  Make sure to eat plenty of fish (like salmon) for their Omega-3 content, and avoid white carbohydrates. Studies have shown that this type of diet along with a vitamin C supplement can promote younger looking skin.
4. Take an Omega-3 supplement. Omega-3 fatty acids help your body produce healthy, moist, smooth skin cells from the inside out.
5. Manage your stress.  Try moderate physical activity like walking or listening to music.  Yoga can be an effective tool for stress management as it usually includes some form of breathing technique and meditation for relaxation.  There is some evidence that stress can make skin conditions worse.

For some it may be hard to consider a skin condition as a quality of life issue, but your entire body is interconnected – your skin is your largest organ after all.

• Acne is one common cause of red bumps on the skin.  Acne occurs when the skin’s pores become clogged by oil and dirt.  It may show up as blackheads, whiteheads, cysts, pustules, or papules and can cause scarring.  Acne most commonly appears on the face or shoulders but can also appear on other parts of the body.  Acne is most common in teenagers but can occur in people of any age. At home treatments involve using gentle cleaners and topical ointments including salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.  Doctors also have a wide range of acne treatments including retinoids, antibiotics, dermabrasion, or phototherapy.
• Goose bumps are a normal response of the skin to a stimulus such as cold or fear.  When you get cold, the body’s nervous system triggers tiny muscles under your skin connected to the hair follicles.  Those muscles contract, causing the hair follicles to rise up.  The bumps caused by the rising hair follicles are what we call goose bumps.  Goose bumps are a temporary condition and require no treatment.
• Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is caused by a hypersensitive reaction that leads to chronic swelling and inflammation of the skin. Though eczema is not an allergic reaction, many eczema sufferers also have allergies or asthma and may find that their eczema symptoms get worse when exposed to certain triggers.  Eczema can be recognized by the characteristic dry, thick, scaly patches that can show up in various parts of the body.  The rash is always itchy and may sometimes ooze and crust. Home treatment involves keeping the skin moist, using a good moisturizing cream, and avoiding allergy-related triggers.  Doctors may prescribe a corticosteroid ointment, phototherapy, or cyclosporine to help control symptoms.
• Psoriasis is a fairly common skin condition that causes redness and irritation.  It often runs in families.  Psoriasis appears as thick, red skin with flaky, silver-white scaly patches on top.  The red patches can appear anywhere on the body but most frequently occur on the elbows, knees, or middle of the body. It may be due to an overactive immune response in which the body begins attacking healthy skin cells. Psoriasis is usually treated with ointments to calm the irritation and remove the scaling.  In severe cases doctors may prescribe medication to calm the immune response and suppress symptoms.
• Keratois Pilaris, sometimes called chicken skin, is a condition in which small flesh colored bumps appear on the body, most commonly on the back of the arms or thighs.  The bumps may have a sandpapery feel to them and are about the size of a grain of sand. The bumps are caused when the skin produces too much of a protein called keratin which then forms hard plugs in the hair follicles.  It’s a very common condition, affecting as many as 80% of teenagers and 50% of adults.  Keratosis pilaris can be treated with topical creams like KP Elements that help to dissolve the excess keratin and gradually remove the bumps.

Visit our “What is KP?” page to learn more keratosis pilaris, or the “How Does KP Elements Work?” page to learn about how our all natural formula can help you treat your KP.

• Don’t scrub. Though those bumps look like dry skin that could be simply scrubbed away, they aren’t.  Keratosis pilaris is caused by an internal condition:  a building up of excess keratin around the hair follicles that causes bumps to form underneath your skin. Excess abrasive scrubbing will only irritate your skin and make the condition worse.
• Go for warm, not hot.  Hot showers may feel great, but they’re hard on your skin and can be overly drying.  Stick to a comfortably warm shower or bath and don’t stay in the water too long.  Spending too much time in the water strips healthy oils from your skin, resulting in irritation and dryness.  Shoot for spending less than 15 minutes in the shower or tub.
• Use a mild soap.  Antibacterial or heavily fragranced soaps can also irritate your skin and cause dryness.  Choose a mild soap with added moisturizers. When you finish bathing, your skin should feel soft and smooth, not tight or dry.
• Lock in moisture. After bathing, pat dry instead of rubbing with a towel to avoid removing moisture from your skin.
• Treat with a keratosis pilaris cream. KP Elements is a cream specially formulated to treat your keratosis pilaris and lock in moisture after a shower.  Our product contains a 10% formulation of alpha-hydroxy acids that will dissolve the extra keratin, exfoliate your skin, and encourage new cell growth. Unlike other products that use harsh chemicals, KP Elements is gentle and made from all natural ingredients to treat your keratosis pilaris and deeply nourish your skin. Try it for yourself and enjoy the confidence that comes from having smooth, healthy skin.

KP, better known as Keratosis Pilaris, is caused by excess keratin that blocks your pores and creates the bumps, rough texture, and irritation to your skin.  The condition is also known as “chicken skin” because of it’s appearance.  There are numerous possible “cures” talked about on internet forums.  Some of these more common “cures” are:

• Heavy exfoliation using oatmeal or finely ground walnut shells
• Oil Pulling with sunflower or coconut oils
• Detoxifying the body with diet changes or supplementation
• Using hypo-allergenic soaps and detergents
• Apple Cider vinegar applied to the skin
• An Aspirin Mask

As you can probably tell from the above list, people are desperately seeking solutions to this condition.  What most people have found to be one of the more effective treatments are Alpha-hydroxy acids like those in KP Elements, which naturally exfoliate your skin.   This helps facilitate the release of trapped, excess keratin which is then replaced with new cells that are smooth and evenly colored.  Unfortunately, there is not one single ingredient that will work every time, since everyone’s skin is different. That’s why KP Elements also includes vitamins C and E, Omega 3 fatty acids, and essential oils like avocado, flax, and chamomile. All these natural ingredients work together to sooth your skin and clear up the red bumps on your arms and thighs. Learn more on our “How it works” page.

Our customers have confirmed that we have found an effective, gentle and affordable treatment that has meant life-changing results for many of them.

— Laurie B wrote in her testimonial:

“When I saw KP Elements provided a satisfaction guarantee I had to try it. Also, I make it a rule not to buy a product if I can’t pronounce all of the ingredients, so I appreciated the natural aspect of the cream. I began to see results in only a week and it is even fading scars that I’ve had for months. I am looking forward to showing off my smooth arms for the rest of the summer!”

Our customers have consistently expressed confidence and reported great results and we believe that we have found the best treatment for keratosis pilaris on the market today.  If you would like to get out and enjoy the final days of summer, this year, take advantage of our 100% money back guarantee and give KP Elements a try today.

So what causes this benign yet bothersome condition? Blame an overproduction of keratin, which is a protein found in hair, skin, and nails. When the keratin production builds up in the hair follicles, it can form hard plugs which result in tiny hard white or red bumps on the skin. Keratosis pilaris closely resembles acne, however, the bumps do not contain pus. Often times, the condition appears as dry, rough patches on the skin.

There are three main types of keratosis pilaris. Keratosis pilaris rubra appears as red, inflamed bumps, keratosis pilaris alba which appears as rough, bumpy skin but with no irritation, and keratosis pilaris rubra faceii which causes a red rash on the cheeks.

While it is a benign condition, there are some self-help measures you can take to help treat keratosis pilaris beyond using KP Elements. An initial first step that many doctors recommend is to increase moisturizing especially after bathing. Using a humidifier during the dry winter months can also help keep the condition under control.

While it is more of a persistent and annoying condition, keratosis pilaris is treatable with the above regimens. However, the condition does have a tendency to return if treatment is stopped.

What does Keratosis Pilaris look like?

Keratosis Pilaris, sometimes called “chicken skin” or KP, is a very common skin condition that affects 50% of adults and 80% of teens. While not painful, keratosis pilaris does cause embarrassing and ugly white bumps on the thighs, buttocks and arms. It isn’t a serious or life threatening condition nor does it cause pain or itch. It is, however, hard to treat and annoying.

They symptoms of Keratosis Pilaris are easily identifiable. The bumps are small and dry and are white or skin colored and often flaky. For the most part they are painless but can become red, inflamed and itchy if you pick at them. KP most often first appears on the upper arms and then shows up on the legs and buttocks. Keratosis Pilaris Rubra Faceii is a specific type of KP that can develop on the face and is often mistaken for acne.

What Causes Keratosis Pilaris?

Keratosis Pilaris is the result of an overabundance of keratin in the skin. Keratin helps to protect the skin from infection but when it builds up it causes plugs to form around hair follicles in the skin. That’s what causes the bumps and redness.

Doctors most often do not prescribe a drug for treatment. Specialty lotions for keratosis pilaris like KP Elements are developed especially to treat the causes and symptoms of KP. Over the counter lotions can improve the look of the bumps and ease any itchiness.

Spotting Keratosis Pilaris is easy. Watch for small, dry bumps that don’t itch or hurt. Avoid picking at them; just apply your all natural KP Elements twice daily to the affected area for a week or two and you’ll be going sleeveless with confidence in no time :)

Watch this space over the next few months as I blog about skincare, keratosis pilaris, natural skin treatments, and even a few anecdotes about starting our business. As always, you can reach us at customercare@kpelements.com – we look forward to hearing from you.

All the best,
Bill DAlessandro
Founder, KP Elements