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.

Pants On Fire! A Solution For Your Ingrown Hair Blues...

As the summer months transition into autumn, chances are that you’re wearing more jeans, yoga pants, leggings, etc. You may also have noticed an upsurge in the severity of your ingrown hairs along your bikini line and even extending down your inner thighs. Since I began performing waxing services over 18 years ago, I have long noticed that the frequency of ingrown hairs along the bikini line seems to increase during changes in weather, particularly from warmer into colder months.



So many questions about this phenomenon have run through my mind...

...Is it me? ...Is it my waxing technique?

If so, why would there be more ingrowns at that time of year? And why would the frequency of my clients' ingrown hairs increase compared to other months? If this really was connected to my waxing technique, why am I noticing more ingrown hairs on the sides of the client's bikini line rather than all over? ...I also had to wonder why the ingrown hairs would also exist in those same outer/side-areas in people who had never even been waxed at all.

Instead of focusing on myself, I began to ask my clients about their ingrown issues.