Have you ever experienced rough, bumpy skin on the back of your upper arms? If they’re not painful or quite like body acne, it could be something else entirely: keratosis pilaris.
To get all the answers on what exactly keratosis pilaris is and how to treat it, we tapped Dr. Aegean H. ChanMD, FAAD, a dual board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist based in California, for expert advice.
“It’s not poor hygiene or contagious. It’s simply a genetic tendency toward how your skin forms and sheds keratin. It occurs most frequently on the backs of the upper arms, but can also occur elsewhere on the body, like on the thighs, and rarely, on the cheeks,” Dr. Chan said.
Thankfully, you can easily treat keratosis pilaris at home with products (like liquid exfoliants and body lotions) designed to prevent plugged follicles and remove dead skin cells to leave your skin looking and feeling smooth.
Ahead, Dr. Chan offers expert-approved products for treating keratosis pilaris and everything you need to know about what triggers it, how to prevent flare-ups and more.
