4 Ways To Reduce Keratosis Pilaris

 

"What’s with this bumpiness on my arms,

and why do I break out on my butt all the time?!"

I get asked these questions a lot. 

The bumpiness and breakouts are caused by a condition called Keratosis Pilaris, or as its commonly referred to, "KP".

What exactly is KP?

During the lifetime of normally functioning skin cells, they're born, live for a while at the bottom of the outermost layer of our skin, and just when more new cells now start to push older cells up and out of the way to form the next layer, these cells slowly start to produce and accumulate keratin protein granules.  As more and more protein granules accumulate inside older cells, they take on a slightly bumpy exterior.  

Continuing to move up closer to the surface, these protein-stuffed cells start to flatten and smooth out, and various waxes, fats, and sugars glue all these cells together to form the brick-and-mortar-wall-like top layers that make up the protective, slightly acidic barrier we call the Acid Mantle.  These days, you might hear it referred to as "the skin's natural barrier". 

How To Manage Body Acne

I speak extensively about facial acne on this blog, but in addition to tweaking skincare and make-up habits, people who suffer from Adult Acne also sometimes have to deal with acne on other parts of the body.

These breakouts on the thighs, back or chest, are caused not only by excess oil, but warmth from sitting, salt from sweat, and friction caused by the many layers worn during colder months bothering pore linings.  Friction is especially a factor in cases where exercise is not followed immediately by a shower.  Adding to the mix is one of the biggest issues of all; pore clogging ingredients in dryer sheets being deposited from clothes and bedding onto the skin. 

In order to feel confident baring your skin as the weather warms up, here are a few tips and suggestions on clearing up existing body breakouts and keeping them away for good.

Summer Ingrown Hair Remedies

New swimsuit, check.  New sandals, check.  Wide-brimmed hat, check.  Electronic ticket, check.  If only you could check off getting rid of those pesky things on your bikini line, but there they are, staring you right in the face!   Check.  Mate.

Causes of Springtime Ingrown Hairs

As the winter weather transitions into spring, chances are that while wearing jeans, yoga pants, leggings, etc., you may find yourself perspiring just a little more than usual, most likely in an on-and-off kind of way. 

Since I began performing waxing services over 20 years ago, I have noticed that the frequency and severity of ingrown hairs along the bikini line and butt breakouts seem to increase during changes in weather, particularly from colder to warmer months.

Now, there are changes in weather other times of the year, why is spring so special?  

7 Ways to Clear Adult Backne

Back and Chest Acne in Adults

In the 17+ years of experience in skincare and acne clearing, I have observed that chest and back acne in adults is often completely baffling to the person going through this. 

As explained previously, acne in adults often hits with little prior history, if there’s any history at all, which is why it differs from teen acne so much of the time.  It can be such a total mystery for them, their skin has become completely jacked up from all the wrong products and medications by the time they contact me.  Body acne in the average adult occurs in quite the same way - - with little to no previous experience with it.

I have found that there are a few surprising aggravators of body acne, besides the obvious stress factors and drastic hormonal changes of life. 

Why your skincare routine for Adult Acne needs these products

Why do we need so much in our skincare routine?

Last week I touched upon the multi-masking idea of treating different areas where your skin is having different parties on multiple parts of your face. 

This week I'd like to address the importance of each category of products I recommend to my clients to help clear their acne.  

The truth is, properly clearing and soothing adult acne and sensitivity is actually more difficult with just a “three-step” Cleanser-Toner-Moisturizer program.  

How to Prevent Butt Breakouts !

I’ve been telling you for a long time now, dear readers, that body breakouts are usually caused by friction and/or pressure.  Ill-fitting clothes, sitting for long periods, textured fabric rubbing against sweaty skin, long term exercise with no skin protection.  How much more is this true of butt breakouts??

There are actually two issues with breakouts on the behind, as well as the backs of the thighs.  

How to Control Oil During Summer

How do we Control Oil During the Summer? Plus my very first ever book review.

Who doesn't love laying out under a tree, shaded from the beautiful summer sun, reading a good summer book?  Surrounded by flowers, enveloped by warm breezes, listening to kids playing in the park with their dads.  Spending an afternoon like this with a bottle of ice tea? Pure. Bliss.

"Can I Use the Same SPF for Face and Body?"

As an online skincare coach, a great many of the Eval by Email® forms I receive on a day to day basis reveal a pretty substantial number of Adult Acne sufferers who use the same moisturizer for day and night, or the same SPF lotion for face and body.  It may seem like this wouldn’t have any part in acne formation, and indeed, the part that moisturizers play in worsening acne is the same for all types of lotions; the presence of pore-clogging ingredients.  But there are other things to consider as well.

So, this week I'd like to tackle the question of Face vs Body SPF, and next week SPF vs Night lotions.

Is there really that much difference between 

Face and Body SPF lotions?

 

Let’s consider a few things.

SPF lotions for body are more likely to be pore clogging

This is true even of “sensitive skin” brands, and brands whose advertising implies that their products are healthy for the skin.  Since most people forget how much the hands and arms can touch the face every day, it’s easy to see why so many skincare formulators would use moderately to highly comedogenic (pore-clogging) ingredients in body moisturizers, figuring it doesn’t really matter. 

Introducing an Ingrown Hair solution you can't resist!

Summer’s Coming !

Get your skin bikini-ready before summer !

I’ve been waxing bikini lines for the better part of the last 23 years.  Along the way I’ve not only become quite expert at the famed Brazilian Bikini Wax (thank you veddy much), I’ve also honed an expertise in Adult Acne.  Both of these have given me tremendous insight into the formation, and treatment, of the dreaded ingrown hairs and body acne, whether formed as a consequence of waxing or simply an oily skin condition. 

Is Your Skin Under Pressure?

From destabilizing hormonal and environmental changes to poor product choices to a genetic predisposition to overproduction of sludgy oil and too many dead skin cells, there are many reasons for Adult Acne breakouts. It can be pretty difficult to know what can be causing a sudden or an ongoing breakout just by looking at first glance. But don't feel out of hope! 

There's actually one thing you can ask yourself before you try to analyze your own skincare regimen, stress levels, family history, or your diet when you first experience a breakout. 

Ask yourself if there has been anything pressing or rubbing against the area. A breakout can very well happen as a result of friction or pressure!
 

Makeup Breakout Prevention Cheat Sheet

There is so much information out there for people who suffer from Adult Acne and general skin sensitivities and while you can have the best skincare product routine to clear up your breakouts, your makeup products can be causing more frustration than necessary! The underlying cause of most of my clients' breakout troubles actually comes from pore clogging ingredients in their makeup rather than from any junk foods in their diet or not washing their faces "enough."

Use this post as a handy reference the next time you go out shopping for makeup! :)

What to look for:

The Journey To Clear Skin: Facials Or Products?

It's like I always say:

Getting facials without a good skin care routine at home 

is like jogging to Krispy Kreme! 

Especially if you're trying to solve a problem like Adult Acne.

The bottom line is that you need to have top notch products for home use.  Your skin won't get clear without them. It's that simple.

If you’re on a budget, skincare products for home use is where you should really put your money. Facials are great!  But without effective products for a skincare routine at home, you just won’t be able to get the results that you want.  If you need to choose between products and facials, you really should focus on products.

So what does a facial do in the first place? A facial from a licensed esthetician basically does three things: 

Getting Rid Of Ingrown Hair Irritation

I've covered the topics of body exfoliation, what to know before you get waxed, and how to treat and prevent body acne breakouts, but ingrown hairs can be persistent and frustrating to deal with if you don't know how to properly reduce them! Many of the same products and regimens used for breakouts on other areas of the body also apply in the case of ingrown hairs around the bikini line.  However, the blemishes that occur there are not always the same type for everyone.

8 Facts About Wax

While I'm an Adult Acne and Rosacea Skincare Specialist, I used to perform waxing services at my location in Chicago. Brazilian and bikini waxes were very popular at my facial and waxing studio, but over the years, I have actually realized that many women don't really know much about the waxing and hair growth process, even those who have been getting waxed for years! 

With winter coming to an end and many people looking forward to their sunny Spring Break vacations this month, you might want to take these waxing facts into consideration before your next appointment. And if you're new to waxing, these pointers will help you have a much more manageable appointment. 

Make sure to follow these tips for an easier (and less painful!) waxing experience.

       

        Your waxing cycle (and that other cycle)...

AcneWhispererTV: All About Body Exfoliation

With the winter season slipping away, you might find yourself with dry, rough skin, a case of Keratosis Pilaris, or even body acne! As spring gets closer and you shed the layers of thermal long-johns, socks, and the rest of your winter gear, you'll find yourself needing to shed all the dead skin-cells that have built up all winter long. 

In this AcneWhispererTV video, I explain just how you can properly exfoliate your body to get rid of that build-up and how to prevent KP or ingrown hairs!







Specific products mentioned:

• Spa gloves

• FerroRosa FrictionFix®

All products mentioned in the video can be found in my webstore.