“Chicken skin” is the simplest way I know to describe my problem. I’ve got tiny bumps and spots all over my legs and upper arms, that are a little darker than my skin tone.
My arms and legs have been this way as long as I can remember, and I’m damn well tired of it. It doesn’t feel smooth, it doesn’t look good. From the elbow down it’s a lesser problem, almost non-existant.
So, I don’t know if it’s ugly hair follicles, since it isn’t AS bad after I shave, or it has something to do with neither area ever getting sunlight (both areas are always covered, even in summer), or… what. I don’t know.
Keratosis Pilaris?
I have that. I find that extra-strength hydrocortisone rubbed on my arms every morning helps quite a bit, but it can get expensive. Normally I just go for a very moisturizing lotion, like Lac-Hydrin, which should be available in OTC form at the drug store.
Yep. I used to refer to it not-so-fondly as “the bumpies”, until one day I discovered the actual name in Seventeen. Hey, at least that magazine was good for something. Happily, according to the link I gave, it usually clears up by age 30. So I’ve only got ::checks watch:: 8 more years.
If you don’t have a prescription for this, or you haven’t asked a doctor’s advice about doing this, I’d lay off. I have bad eczema and used hydrocortisone creams (a huge variety of steroid based creams) for about 17 years. My skin got dependent on them and I was forced by one hospital to stop using them - my skin wept and sloughed off for about six months before it got its act together and recovered. It was hell. (I hasten to say that I was getting help and other medication through this, but it was still awful.) I also got cataracts at the age of 30 which were put down to the hydrocortisone use. Overuse of steroid creams will thin your skin permanently and leave them thin, shiny and streaky red…
Hokkaido Brit, thanks for the warning. I did get a doctor’s advice about this, but that was a long time ago. I rarely use hydrocortisone for more than one week at a time. You’re absolutely right, check with your doctor first, and check with him again later.
In the meantime, any strong moisturizing lotion safe for daily use should help quite a bit.
I know I don’t moisturize nearly enough, so I’ll start there before I go to anything stronger. If I do get to that point (I might, since I’ve also got possibly 8+ years before it’ll go away), I’ll definitely seek a doctor first.
As it is, it isn’t uncomfortable or itchy. It doesn’t hurt in any way… it’s just ugly.
Yeah it’s ugly but there’s really not much you can do about it that isn’t a huge pain in the ass to do (according to my dermatologist). Easier just to not wear sleeveless shirts
Never heard that it’ll go away in your 30’s…that’s nice to know. I’ve had it since my teens. A nice endocrinologist put me on antibiotics for it when I was 13, which, when mixed with other drugs he put me on, landed me in the hospital with pseudotumor cerebri (note: this is not going to happen to you if you have keratosis pilaris. Only if you have a stupid doctor.)
Huh. I’ve noticed this exact skin condition on quite a few people and never knew it was an actual condition. I just thought they had blotchy skin. Ignorance fought…
