Keratosis Pilaris

A common dry skin condition called keratosis pilaris is brought on by a buildup of keratin in the hair follicles. The cause of keratosis pilaris is aberrant keratinization of the hair follicles top lining. Rather than scrubbing the follicle, the keratin fills it. Although the exact cause of keratosis pilaris is unknown, autosomal dominant inheritance is considered to play a genetic role. There have been correlations found with mutations in filaggrin, a crucial protein for the function of the skin barrier. Wintertime seems to be a more noticeable time for keratosis pilaris, probably because of the lower humidity in the air.

 

In moderate circumstances, keratosis pilaris may be restricted to the posterior upper arms. Each hair follicle has a sticky plug as its outward manifestation. The next most frequent location is the thighs, although lesions can also appear on the face, forearms, buttocks, torso, and legs. Even when this type of acne does not leave other scars, facial involvement can be misinterpreted for the condition and result in tiny, pitted scars. Under the category of keratosis pilaris atrophicans are variations of the condition with more noticeable scarring. The individual lesions are tiny follicular papules that are acuminate. They might or might not have erythema. At times, the majority of the lesions are punctate erythematous papules, but other times the most noticeable aspect of the eruption is the keratotic plugs.