Natural Treatment for Pilaris Keratosis

Keratosis pilaris (KP) is very common, and unfortunately it is not easy to treat. Some treatment options are available, but many times it is left untreated since it is usually harmless. How about natural treatment options for this chicken skin condition? There are some remedies to choose from, which one that really works effectively!

There are some myths associated with natural treatments for KP. One of them is about the role of diet. Some people believe that diet changes may help treat the problem.

For many years, vitamin A is used as topical treatment for this chicken skin problem. There are many vitamin A creams to choose from. You can buy some without prescription, while others need prescription – depending on the strength of the cream!

How about dietary vitamin A? Currently, experts say that diet (including diet high in vitamin A) doesn’t significantly affect KP.

The deficiency of vitamin A may lead to signs and symptoms similar to KP, but it has nothing to do with the disease.

The affected skin can be covered by some or lots of Acne-like bumps. Even on face, the bumps may be mistaken for acne.

Vitamin A deficiency is just one of many factors that can trigger acne. So, you should not overestimate the connection between diet and skin. For example, diet is only about 25 percent of the overall image when it comes to acne!

However though diet is not directly related to KP, but healthy and well-balanced diet is essential for your health. It also can affect the overall health of your skin in long term.

In other words, it’s not bad idea to practice healthy diet along with your KP treatment. Vitamin A is not the only one. Zinc, vitamin C, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids are other essential nutrients for the skin (see more in this post).

As well we know, dry skin can trigger KP or make the problem get worse. In fact, KP is relatively more common in people with dry skin or other skin problems (particularly such as eczema).

Dry skin can affect people of all ages. It can be caused by many factors, but generally your skin is relatively easier to dry out as you age.

Many times, the environmental factors have a role, too. Typically dry skin will worsen during winter, in the low humidity environment, and will improve in the summer. The same thing goes for KP.

Fortunately, there are plenty of natural treatments and lifestyle measures to cope with dry skin (see also home remedies for dry skin)!

These acids include lactic acid, tartaric acid, glycolic acid, and citric acid. They belong to a group of natural acids that can be found in some foods. For instance, lactic acid can be found in sour milk.

Do they work? Typically, alpha hydroxy acids are applied topically (applied on the skin) to help moisturize and remove dead skin cells! They can help ease dry skin, too.

It seems that they work by erasing the top layer of dead skin cells. They also can promote firmness by increasing the thickness of the skin’s deeper layers. These are some reasons of why many times they are used to treat KP.

In addition, there are some medicated creams containing alpha hydroxy acids combined with other active substances such as urea and salicylic acid. Depending on the strength of the cream, you can purchase it without prescription.

Read the concentration information on the label! Use a product that identifies the concentration of the active ingredients, since not all products have this information!

Both have essential properties to help ease inflammation and improve the appearance of the affected skin by KP. They have some alpha hydroxy acids (especially lactic acid) and other essential ingredients (such as anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties).

You can use each treatment alone, but many times people find the best result when both coconut oil and apple cider vinegar are used together. After shower is the best time to take this remedy.

Do they work? Some people say that this option is helpful enough to remove the bumps of KP within a few weeks. But like most treatments for KP, therapy should be continued on a regular basis, otherwise the problem may return.

For more in-depth information about this home remedy, see this article!

Since dry skin is the major concern to cope with keratosis pilaris, topical treatment with olive oil can be another choice. This healthy oil can be great alternative option if you are allergic to other topical lotions or creams since it usually doesn’t trigger any allergic reaction.

Topical treatment with olive oil is also helpful to protect the skin from sun damage and even may help reduce the risk of skin cancer.

How to do this remedy? Take a bath /shower with a few tablespoons of olive oil added to the lukewarm water (not hot water) and then completely wash away the residue of the oil afterward! You usually will see the improvement within several weeks.

The water containing olive oil can be so slippery. So be careful getting out of your tub!

If you need to apply the oil in certain areas of your body, just make sure the oil will stay on the right place and will not get stuck in your clothes. Although it can help ease dry skin and great for the overall health of your skin, but the same thing doesn’t go for your fabric.

For example, if you want to moisturize your hands at night, apply the oil on your hands and put on some gloves before going bed.

If you are not worried about the risk of allergies, you can mix olive oil with lotion or another perfume. This is usually used to reduce the distinctive scent of the oil, especially if you cannot stand with the smell of the oil.

The following are other home remedies that may work: