Keratosis Pilaris – How LUMI Can Help Relieve ‘Chicken Skin’

The name keratosis pilaris might sound unfamiliar to you, but the likelihood is that you know someone with the condition or even have it yourself! It’s one of the most common skin conditions in the world, affecting roughly 40% of adults, and goes by many different names, including follicular keratosis and ‘chicken skin’.

Whilst keratosis pilaris is an ultimately benign disease, its symptoms can cause distress, affecting our body image and making us less confident as a result. Frequently, people choose to ignore these symptoms, despite treatment being surprisingly simple and involving skincare solutions that will protect and rejuvenate skin more generally, too.

Today, we explore exactly what keratosis pilaris is, how this condition comes about, and how you can effectively beat its symptoms with LUMI. Let’s take a look!   

What Actually Is Keratosis Pilaris?

Keratosis pilaris is thought to be a genetic condition, and usually causes skin to feel rough, dry, and bumpy – as if you were suffering from permanent goosebumps! The condition generally first appears during childhood, and is even more common in children than adults, affecting somewhere between 50-70% of teenagers.

Most commonly found on the upper arms, thighs, and buttocks, keratosis pilaris occurs when excess keratin (a protein that helps form hair, nails, and skin) builds up in your hair follicles. For some people, it can even be found on the face and eyebrows, and is often accompanied by skin redness.

Several variants of keratosis pilaris exist, each with accompanying symptoms, including rubra (red, inflamed, grain-like bumps), alba (dry and rough with no redness), and atrophicans (indents or depressions in the skin’s surface). 

Though the variants may look quite different, treatment-at-home guidelines remain largely the same. The condition may become worse during summer or winter for various reasons, including skin drying out more or clothes rubbing on affected areas.

It’s also associated with a number of other skin diseases such as atopic eczema and ichthyosis vulgaris (a condition that causes dry and scaly skin), as well as several diseases throughout the body that all involve an overproduction of keratin. 

Fighting Back Against ‘Chicken Skin’ with LUMI!

If you suffer from keratosis pilaris, then we have good news – the condition’s symptoms are very treatable and respond well to some simple skincare approaches. Whilst the condition is not currently curable, managing its symptoms can greatly reduce discomfort and have you feeling your best again!

Fundamentally, keratosis pilaris treatment revolves around improving the condition of the skin – through moisturising, exfoliating, and the use of keratolytics which break down the excess keratin buildup on the surface of the skin.

Any LUMI moisturiser will work wonders in bringing hydration back to your skin, but in this case, we particularly recommend our Bio-Klinik Moisture Lock Body Cream. The Bio-Klinik series is Estonia’s first prebiotic, hypoallergenic skincare range, and was designed from the ground up to be suitable for any skin, no matter, the age, sensitivity, or condition.

For exfoliation, look no further than our brilliant Smooth Estonian AHA-BHA Anti-Cellulite Gel. As the name implies, this gel uses AHA and BHA acids to gently exfoliate skin, whilst also strengthening tissues and adding bounce back to skin by stimulating collagen production. Skin is left feeling gloriously smooth and plump! The included lactic and salicylic acid are also keratolytics that break down keratin.

The Nudist Hyaluronic Acid Body Serum is an incredibly versatile option that does it all! It’s a multifunctional moisturiser with hyaluronic acid and prebiotics, hydrating your skin and reducing wrinkles, whilst also strengthening skin and nurturing the microbiome. The citric acid also found within the serum is a potent keratolytic agent – what more could you want?

For skin needing a bit of extra TLC, we recommend our Professional 15% AHA Peel Exfoliator; a professional-grade exfoliating treatment to be used weekly. The peel’s acid-based exfoliation activates collagen, elastin, and ceramide production, making skin feel firmer, healthier, and more youthful. The included natural acids also work as keratolytics.

A weekly peel combined with daily use of Smooth Estonian or Nudist is a potent one-two punch for keratosis pilaris symptoms!

References

1. British Association of Dermatologists, (2024). Keratosis Pilaris. https://www.bad.org.uk/pils/keratosis-pilaris/ 

2. Fenner, J., & Silverberg, N. B. (2018). Skin diseases associated with atopic dermatitis. Clinics in dermatology, 36(5), 631–640. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2018.05.004 

3. Health, (2023). What Is Keratosis Pilaris? https://www.health.com/keratosis-pilaris-7504889 

4. Pennycook, K. B., & McCready , T. A. (2023). Keratosis Pilaris. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546708/ 

5. Thomas, M., & Khopkar, U. S. (2012). Keratosis pilaris revisited: is it more than just a follicular keratosis? International journal of trichology, 4(4), 255–258. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-7753.111215 

6. Wang, J. F., & Orlow, S. J. (2018). Keratosis Pilaris and its Subtypes: Associations, New Molecular and Pharmacologic Etiologies, and Therapeutic Options. American journal of clinical dermatology, 19(5), 733–757. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40257-018-0368-3 

7. Wang, M. A., Wilson, A., & Murrell, D. F. (2023). A Review of the Scoring and Assessment of Keratosis Pilaris. Skin appendage disorders, 9(4), 241–251. https://doi.org/10.1159/000529487

8. Yosipovitch, G., Mevorah, B., Mashiach, J., Chan, Y. H., & David, M. (2000). High body mass index, dry scaly leg skin and atopic conditions are highly associated with keratosis pilaris. Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland), 201(1), 34–36. https://doi.org/10.1159/000018425