Chicken Skin: 7 Natural Ways to Treat This Common Skin Condition

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.

In general, keratosis pilaris is aesthetically displeasing, but medically harmless. It’s always possible that it might become more noticeable at puberty. It’s caused because excess skin cells build up around individual hair follicles. Sometimes, a hair is unable to reach the surface and becomes trapped beneath the debris. During puberty, this is an ideal set-up for triggering follicular acne. But more often than not, KP improves with age.

Keratosis pilaris creates havoc with the skin’s surface as a raised, rough, bumpy texture and uneven nutmeg-grater appearance forms. It is often quite noticeable. Inflammation within each hair follicle can cause embarrassing pinpoint red or brown polka dots to form beneath each miniature mound of keratin. Seasonal fluctuations can be seen with improvement more likely during the summer.