Keratosis pilaris (or KP for short) is often mistaken for acne or various other common skin conditions such as rashes, blisters, etc. It’s for this reason that so many cases of KP are never even diagnosed, much less treated. It’s been estimated that nearly forty percent of all adults have some form of KP (and up to sixty percent of teens and adolescents).
Without knowing that you have keratosis pilaris, and not acne, you can’t begin to understand your symtoms and breakouts, and therefore can’t start on a regimen to heal your skin and clear them up.
KP is treated different from acne and other such skin conditions, and the usual acne medications
First, look at the affected area of your skin. With acne (zits, pimples or other common oily skin conditions) you should see some indication that the pimple or zit wants to express some liquid (or pop) such as a white or black spot at the top of it.
A close up photo of keratosis pilaris bumps.
On the other hand, with KP the “bumps” will be small and look more like goosebumps, with the skin of the affected area having an overall reddish color in most cases. Have a look at our keratosis pilaris pictures section to see many example photos of KP if you’re wondering if you may have this condition.
Recently, an all natural treatment for keratosis pilaris has been getting a lot of national media attention. Many people are attributing their being KP free to this new system, which uses commonly available ingredients that can be bought at any grocery store. You can learn more about it here.