Overview Of The Risk Factors For Keratosis Pilaris

Keratosis pilaris is fairly common! This skin condition causes dry patches and small bumps to appear. Typically, they appear on the face, arms, and legs. The good news is that this condition is typically harmless! However, the symptoms are quite irritating. They also reduce an individual's self-confidence. This is, in part, due to the appearance of the patient's skin! Keratosis pilaris is triggered by excess keratin buildup on the skin. Keratin, a vital protein, protects the hair follicles and skin from infections!

Treatment for keratosis is quite simple! Typically, patients need moisturizing lotion for keratosis pilaris. There are also medical treatments! Chemical peels for keratosis pilaris are quite effective. Out of these, glycolic acid peels are the most common! Retinol products are also prescribed for this condition. Keratosis pilaris laser treatment is another intense option! Of course, a patient's risk factors influence the best keratosis pilaris treatment. Thus, patients must understand them first!

Eczema

Eczema is a common skin condition! In it, patients develop skin rashes! These rashes are itchy and painful. They often swell and fill with pus too! Patients also deal with dry skin that will crack. It is hard to pinpoint a cause of eczema. However, genes are involved in many cases! It is clear that most individuals with eczema will experience keratosis pilaris at least once. They already have compromised skin! That is why they are at a higher risk than others. Of course, treating skin rashes quickly helps lower this risk. Treating these rashes and other eczema symptoms also treats keratosis pilaris when it has already occurred!

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Hay Fever

Hay fever is another major risk factor for keratosis pilaris! This is an allergic reaction to airborne allergens. Most of the time, the allergen is pollen! The most common signs are sneezing, a runny nose, and nasal congestion. Hay fever also causes watery eyes and sinus pressure!

Unfortunately, it is not clear why hay fever increases an individual's risk of developing keratosis pilaris. Most experts theorize that it is due to the body attempting to fight the allergen! The body creates extra keratin during an allergic reaction. The extra keratin helps protect the skin! However, it is also what often leads to keratosis pilaris.

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Dry Skin

Dry skin is another significant factor that increases an individual's risk of keratosis pilaris. It does this because the skin needs moisture to protect itself. Dry skin is lacking in moisture, which means that the protection is not enough! An individual's risk of keratosis pilaris increases the longer that they have dry skin without treatment. Eventually, they will have red bumps and rough skin patches! However, dry skin treatment also works quite well on keratosis pilaris! This means that patients can treat both at the same time.

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Ichthyosis

Ichthyosis stops the skin from shedding dead skin cells. The result is the development of dry skin patches around the patient's body! These dry patches of dead skin look similar to fish scales. Individuals with ichthyosis also have a difficult time getting rid of extra keratin. Instead, keratin is trapped under the patches of dry and dead skin! This is what increases their risk of developing keratosis pilaris. Symptoms of keratosis pilaris, including the red bumps, appear once the extra keratin is trapped. Individuals need to treat ichthyosis in order to relieve keratosis pilaris!

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Gender and Age

An individual's gender and age also impact their risk of keratosis pilaris! Children and adolescents are at the highest risk. This is because their body naturally produces more keratin than adults! Thus, their condition starts to alleviate when they become adults. It often disappears when they turn thirty years old. This is when their body stops producing significant amounts of keratin! However, the presence of certain skin conditions and other risk factors change this.

Women are at a higher risk of developing keratosis pilaris than men. Part of this is due to pregnancy! During pregnancy, a woman's body will produce extra keratin due to the hormonal changes. In turn, this increases a woman's risk of keratosis pilaris!