Keratosis pilaris
Overview
Keratosis pilaris is a very common harmless condition where small bumps appear on your skin. It can last for a long time, but there are treatments that may help.
Symptoms
Symptoms of keratosis pilaris may include: You usually get patches of small bumps on your arms, thighs or bottom, but they can appear in other places. The bumps are usually the colour of your skin. They can also be red if they're on white skin, or darker on brown or black skin. The skin can sometimes feel itchy, and may be better in summer and worse in winter. Keratosis pilaris can affect people of any age. If your child has a rash and you're not sure it's keratosis pilaris, see more aboutrashes in babies and children.
Causes
Keratosis pilaris happens when your hair follicles become blocked with a build-up of keratin, a substance found in skin, hair and nails. Nobody knows exactly why keratin builds up, but the condition is thought to run in families. So if your parents have it, you may get it too. Keratosis pilaris is not infectious, so you cannot spread or catch it.
Treatment
Other treatments available for keratosis pilaris include steroid creams and laser treatments. These types of treatments are not usually available on the NHS because they have not been proven to be effective, and they can be expensive to pay for privately.