3 Effective Home Remedies For Keratosis Pilaris

Keratosis pilaris, also known as chicken skin, is one of the most common but totally benign dermatological disorders characterized by rough bumpy patches on different parts of the body.This condition typically starts in early childhood with mild localized lesions. It eventually spreads to larger areas of the skin between the ages of 10 and 20 years.

Keratosis pilaris will resolve on its own after running its full course, usually by the age of 30. In the meantime, there are things you can do to speed up the skin healing process and reduce the severity of the symptoms.

This article presents tried-and-tested treatment modalities, home remedies, and tips that can help you manage this condition better.

# Follow a dermatologist-recommended skin care routine

Many dermatologists recommend the following three-step plan to be followed every day until clearer skin is observed.

- Start with gentle exfoliation

Your skin keeps regenerating and repairing itself by shedding dead damaged cells from its surface and making new cells to take their place. This is a gradual process, and it takes almost a month for the entire outermost layer of the skin to be replaced by a fresh layer from underneath.

Dead cells often start accumulating on the surface of the skin instead of sloughing off into the environment. This cellular buildup can trickle down into your skin pores and hair follicles to cause congestion, which will worsen a condition like keratosis pilaris.

- Apply a keratolytic

Once you have exfoliated your skin, apply a keratolytic agent all over it. This helps to remove any cellular debris that might have stuck to your skin even after the exfoliation process as well as the excess keratin oozing out of your follicles. Keratolytics work by softening the extra skin and keratin to facilitate their easy removal.

You can either consult a skin doctor to get a prescription-strength keratolytic such as a retinoid or urea or purchase an over-the-counter keratolytic that contains glycolic acid, alpha hydroxy acid (AHAs), or salicylic acid, depending upon the severity of your condition.

- Finish with a thick moisturizer

Keratolytics can be quite drying, so it is important to hydrate your skin with a good-quality thick moisturizer afterward. Preferably use an oil-free cream or ointment moisturizer with lactic acid, malic acid, vitamin C, squalene, urea, or chamomile extracts to prevent clogged pores and soothe your skin.

Reapply the moisturizer after washing your skin or whenever you feel its effects wearing out, at least twice or thrice daily.

# Use aloe vera gel to soothe skin inflammation

The bumps caused by keratosis pilaris do not cause any pain or itching, but they are usually accompanied by localized redness (erythema) due to the underlying tissue inflammation.

Aloe vera gel can help bring down this inflammation to make your skin appear less red and irritated. This gel is credited with anti-inflammatory and cooling properties that can help calm your inflamed bumps.

These effects can largely be traced back to a specific chemical found in aloe vera called aloin. Aloin is known to block the activity of cytokines, which trigger inflammation in the body.

Plus, aloe vera gel is deeply hydrating, which helps banish the skin dryness associated with this condition. It also promotes cellular repair and works as an antimicrobial agent to prevent secondary skin infections.

- Extract the gel from an aloe vera leaf and apply it all over the affected skin.
- Gently massage it in for a few minutes so that it is properly absorbed by the skin. Let your skin soak in the goodness of the gel for at least 30 minutes.
- Rinsing it off with cool water.

# Get enough of vitamin D

Vitamin D facilitates the removal of excess keratin from the skin and therefore plays an important role in the management and prevention of keratosis pilaris.

Your body is capable of making this vital nutrient itself (inside the skin), but only when exposed to the UV rays of the sun. Thus, you must soak in some sunshine every day to keep your vitamin D levels up. The best time to do this is early in the morning when the atmosphere is clean and clear enough to allow direct sunlight.

Meanwhile, avoid the sun when it is at its peak (midday) as it can burn or damage your skin. No matter how bright it is outside, you must never step in the sun without wearing a broad-spectrum zinc- and/or titanium-based sunscreen on all the exposed areas of the skin.