KERATOSIS PILARIS

Keratosis Pilaris, appears as small, rough bumps often on the arms, thighs, or cheeks. This condition results from a buildup of keratin that clogs hair follicles, leading to a bumpy texture. At The Ritual Skin and Wellness Clinic, our treatments focus on gentle exfoliation, hydration, and skin smoothing to help minimise roughness and reveal softer, more even skin.

Keratosis Pilaris (KP) and rosacea can sometimes appear similar due to the redness and small bumps they share, especially on the cheeks. However, treating KP as rosacea can lead to mistreatment and irritation. Here’s how:

1. Overuse of Anti-Inflammatory Products: Rosacea treatments often include calming agents to reduce redness and inflammation. While beneficial for rosacea, these can be too gentle for KP, which requires regular exfoliation to remove keratin buildup.

2. Avoidance of Exfoliation: Many rosacea treatments avoid exfoliation to protect sensitive skin. However, KP benefits from gentle exfoliation to prevent clogged follicles. Without exfoliation, the buildup of keratin persists, and KP remains unchanged.

3. Incorrect Moisturisers: Rosacea is often treated with rich, hydrating products to soothe the skin. For KP, these products may not provide enough keratolytic (exfoliating) action, which is necessary to smooth the skin.

4. Laser and Light Therapies: Some laser treatments designed for rosacea target blood vessels to reduce redness. KP-related redness, however, is due to keratin, not vascular issues, so these therapies may have limited impact on KP and could irritate the skin without improving texture.

Treating KP requires a balance of gentle exfoliation, hydration, and sometimes specific ingredients like urea or salicylic acid. It’s important to correctly identify the condition to avoid approaches that could lead to irritation or insufficient results.