How to Treat Keratosis Pilaris?

Right now you’re reading this post because you are interested in treating keratosis pilaris.  I have been treating keratosis pilaris for over three months now and would like to share with you my observations of which keratosis pilaris treatment methods work and which ones have not worked for me.  There are a variety of treatments for keratosis pilaris including the use of topical lotions, exfoliating scrubs, microabrasion beads, sunbathing and Seabuckthorn.  Treating keratosis pilaris can be an expensive process and can cost you hundreds of dollars in topical lotions and scrubs.  I for one have gone the thrifty route and do not like spending a lot of money in keratosis pilaris treatments.

Keratosis Pilaris Treatments

Here are some tips to treat keratosis pilaris.

1. Exfoliate – Make sure you exfoliate every other day with an abrasive loofah or scrub.  I prefer to use the KP Heavy Duty body scrub from Derma Doctor, but you can go the cheaper route and use Cetaphil and a loofah.  The key point is to get exfoliate and get rid of the keratin build-up.  The rough, bumpy skin that is caused by Keratosis Pilaris is due to an excessive amount of keratin that clogs the hair follicle. Exfoliating helps reduce and unclog the keratin buildup in your pores.  Some people have very delicate skin that can not handle the abrasive nature of loofahs.  If so, make sure to lightly exfoliate with a less abrasive scrub or loofah, but most imporantly, you MUST exfoliate.  Without exfoliating, your skin will always stay bumpy.

2. Use a topical lotion – After exfoliating and drying off, apply a topical lotion.  For keratosis pilaris treatment, I would recommend a topical lotion thats main ingredient includes either lactic acid, retin-a or urea.  Again,  I use Derma Doctor KP Duty Repair Lotion, however it’s quite expensive (about $80 for the set).  If you want to go a cheaper route, you can use AmLactin.  AmLactin can be found in your local drug store.  I bought my bottle of AmLactin at Wal-Greens for around $11. The only problem I had with AmLactin is that it stings when you apply it to skin that has cuts or scratches (it contains lactic acid). The benefits of using AmLactin is that it made the skin on my arms MUCH smoother.  If you want to go even cheaper than AmLactin, you can use Eucerin Intensive Repair Lotion.  Eucerin also helped my skin become smooth.

Remember, to treat keratosis pilaris, you must exfoliate and then use a topical lotion that contains active ingredients (lactic acid, retin-a, urea). Keratosis Pilaris treatment is a tedious task, but you will be awarded for your diligence by having beautiful skin.  With warmer weather coming around the corner, wouldn’t it be nice to show off those keratosis pilaris free legs and arms?

Reminder, do NOT use scented soaps or lotions.  Scented soaps and lotions can aggravate your Keratosis Pilaris and cause additional KP buildup.  I also recommend cleansing with Cetaphil because the soap is hypo-allergenic and non-scented.

3. Sun-bathing

Summer is almost here and with summer comes sunshine! Sun tanning is another way to reduce the red spots caused by keratosis pilaris.  However, I do not condone or recommend sun tanning as a way to treat keratosis pilaris.  I just want to state that in my case, sun tanning has helped reduce the red spots on my skin. Actually, it’s helped a lot.  I will post pictures soon.

4.  Drink lots of water

This one is a no brainer, but in order to hyrdate your skin, you must drink lots of water.  Carry a water bottle with you at all times and make sure you drink at least 8 cups of water a day.  Dry skin can increase the keratosis pilaris on your skin.

There are many more Keratosis Pilaris treatments that I will get into in another post, but to review, make sure you exfoliate, use a topical lotion that contains the key ingredients, get some sun (do it responsibly), and drink lots of water. Remember, there is no cure for keratosis pilaris, however treatment for keratosis pilaris starts with knowledge about the condition and being active in treating keratosis pilaris.  I will write about additional treatments for keratosis pilaris in my next blog post.