“Goose bumps” on the shoulders and hips: what you need to know about follicular hyperkeratosis

Areas with small nodules are called follicular hyperkeratosis. According to various sources, from 4% to 34% of people have this feature, and according to the British Skin Foundation, even more: up to 40% of adults and 50-70% of teenagers.

In winter, the skin on the legs is drier, and the tops of these nodules turn red. Sometimes, especially after contact with tights, it resembles a rash, but with the beginning of spring, the redness and dryness disappear.

If the manifestations of follicular hyperkeratosis do not bother you, there is no need to treat it. But if the appearance of your skin or symptoms like dryness are causing you discomfort, there are a few tips that can help.

What is follicular hyperkeratosis and what areas of the skin does it affect?

Follicular hyperkeratosis, or goose bumps, is a fairly common skin condition in the form of a rash that occurs in early childhood or adolescence. It has a characteristic seasonality: in winter the rash worsens, and in summer it becomes almost invisible.

Manifestations of follicular hyperkeratosis are caused by the fact that dead skin cells in the form of scales fill the hair follicles and form characteristic “plugs”. As a result, small nodules form on the skin of the shoulders, front of the thighs, cheeks and buttocks. Very often, the skin around the nodules is prone to dryness, irritation and redness.

Causes of goose bumps

• Lack of vitamins A, C, D, E.
  As a result, the functioning of the epidermis is disrupted, its stratum corneum becomes excessively dense and clogs the exits of the hair follicles.
• Dryness of the skin.
  If the upper cells of the epidermis dry out before they have fully matured, they linger on the surface rather than fall off. This may occur due to genetic characteristics or incorrectly selected cosmetic products. Another reason is dry indoor air in winter. At this time of year, the number of women with goose bumps on their bodies increases.
• Neglect of hygiene procedures
  . Lack of peeling, rare baths, preference for soft washcloths - all this leads to the fact that dead epidermal cells exfoliate poorly and clog the hair follicle exits.

How not to deal with goose bumps? It is useless to try to squeeze out pimples - these are not pimples, they have neither sebaceous plugs nor pus. You should also not smear unsightly areas with medicinal ointments, since neither inflammation nor allergies are to blame for the appearance of “goose bumps” on the legs, arms, buttocks, etc.

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What causes this condition

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The exact causes are still unknown, but heredity plays a significant role in the occurrence of follicular hyperkeratosis. Almost half of the patients had a relative with similar skin manifestations.

Allergy sufferers and atopics are more prone to follicular hyperkeratosis. This is also largely due to heredity.

The effect of “goose bumps” or follicular hyperkeratosis. Methods of treatment and prevention

Goose bumps are a very unpleasant phenomenon that especially worries us during the hot season. Many of those who are faced with this problem have already come to terms with constant discomfort in the forearms and hips, and do not even think about the fact that you can get rid of the unpleasant sensations quite simply. But it’s better to do this before the onset of summer heat. Everyone knows that during the heat, sweating increases and inflammation of the sebaceous hair follicles worsens. To avoid aggravation and restore smoothness and even color to your skin, you need to know which procedures will help you.

Most often, the “goose bumps” effect occurs in certain areas and is a hereditary factor that is determined genetically. Sometimes it occurs when wearing synthetic tight clothing and poor body hygiene, when it is not possible to regularly cleanse the skin of dead cells. The reason for the appearance of a red-blue rash on the forearms and thighs is that the mouth of the sebaceous hair follicle is overgrown with horny skin scales from the inside, which clog the pores. Sebum continues to arrive at the mouth and accumulates, further compacting the plug. Under these conditions, bacteria, which are normally present in small numbers in the pores, multiply rapidly. The follicle becomes inflamed and the skin around the hair turns red.

If you try to remove the main cause of inflammation, the accumulation of horny masses in the mouth, and carry out anti-inflammatory external treatment, the problem will be solved. This is difficult to achieve at home. Since the pores are not just closed from the outside, but are overgrown from the inside. Therefore, ordinary mechanical scrubbing, injuring the skin, will only aggravate inflammation.

In the arsenal of cosmetologists there are special body peels that provoke the evacuation of horny masses from the inside of the follicle.

• Acid-free herbal peeling Rose de mer deep from the Israeli brand CHRISTINA works great. It requires several days of patience after the procedure, but has the fastest effect. It is important that the absence of acids in the peeling makes it safe in the summer! But only if you strictly follow the recommendations after peeling.
• Enzyme peeling Danne Prozyme. It gently “eats” dead cells and opens the pores over and over again.
• If there is an inflammatory process, exfoliating peels are combined with anti-inflammatory Azelain peeling. It does not cause burning or discomfort, azelaic acid has a strong bactericidal and lightening effect without destroying the skin.
• For a general effect on the whole body, use the French acid treatment from Ericson Laboratoire Novacid. The acid composition in it is selected in such a way that it does not cause peeling or problems with the sun, but is extremely effective in combating hyperkeratosis. Using this treatment, you can improve not only problem areas, but also tidy up your knees and elbows, and achieve ideal smoothness throughout your entire body!

Those who have inherited goose bumps By following the cosmetologist's recommendations after professional care, you will maintain beautiful, smooth skin!

Do people with follicular hyperkeratosis need to be under the supervision of a dermatologist?

Not necessary. If the manifestations of follicular hyperkeratosis do not bother you, there is no need to treat it. It is safe for human health.

What causes patients to seek help from a dermatologist is the appearance of the rash, dryness, and itching of the skin. The doctor’s task is to explain what follicular hyperkeratosis is, give advice on how to care for the skin at home,, if necessary, help select products and, in case of severe manifestations, prescribe additional treatment in the form of medicated creams. But sometimes proper home care may be enough.

How to remove goose bumps using cosmetics

To solve the problem, you will need two types of care cosmetics: body scrubs and moisturizers. The first ones are needed to remove keratinized particles of the skin and smooth its relief. It is better to use sugar or salt based products. These quickly dissolving ingredients will not harm goose bumps, even on delicate areas such as the buttocks or neck. The scrub should be applied once every 7-10 days; more frequent use may damage the fresh layers of the epidermis. And as a daily procedure, you should use a massage with a special washcloth-mitten. If you have goose bumps on the neck and décolleté, you need to use delicate products, for example, a peeling roll for the face helps a lot.

For the role of a moisturizer, you need to choose a cream with a delicate consistency, preferably in the form of milk. It should contain vegetable oils that soften the skin, and beeswax - it creates a film on the surface of the epidermis that prevents water loss.

Natural oils for the skin of the body are also excellent for moisturizing problem areas - natural sources of vitamin E. They are especially effective for getting rid of goose bumps on the elbows - the epidermis there is quite rough, which requires intense exposure.

An excellent effect is achieved by the combined use of different types of moisturizers. In the morning, the best choice would be milk - it is quickly absorbed and does not leave marks on clothes, in the evening - oil, the application of which should be given enough time so that it is well absorbed.

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How to care for goose bumps

To reduce the manifestations of follicular hyperkeratosis, constant and long-term care is required. If a person stops taking care of the skin, the rash quickly returns to its previous state.

When caring for skin with follicular hyperkeratosis, it is important to prevent dryness and pay attention to hydration. You should refrain from using rough scrubs, washcloths, regular bar soap - anything that can cause irritation and dryness.

It is recommended to take a non-hot, warm shower for a maximum of 10 minutes. For gentle cleansing, you can use products created specifically for the care of dry atopic skin. After each bathing, it is recommended to immediately apply cream to damp skin.

Emollients are also suitable for dry atopic skin. Sometimes a cream with urea (containing 10-20%), salicylic and AHA acids may be a more effective option.

Additionally, toners and non-aggressive home peels with these acids can be used once or twice a week, but it is important to be careful not to cause excessive dryness of the skin. To achieve optimal hydration and exfoliation of the skin, you can combine these products.

Salon procedures can also reduce the visibility of skin rashes: acid peels, microdermabrasion, laser and light treatments.

For severe manifestations of follicular hyperkeratosis, it is better to consult a dermatologist. He will help you adjust your home care and, if necessary, prescribe medicated retinoid-based creams and creams to reduce inflammation of the rash.

Vitamin complexes to combat the problem

To compensate for the lack of vitamins, it is not always enough just to add fresh vegetables and fruits to the diet. However, they are truly useful only during the season, and this period in Russia is 3-4 months a year. Therefore, when deciding how to get rid of goose bumps on the legs and other parts of the body, you should pay attention to special products - vitamin and mineral complexes.

They must contain the previously mentioned vitamins:

• A
  – helps prevent keratinization of the epidermis;
• C
  – participates in the production of collagen, therefore, helps improve the structure of the skin;
• D
  – has a positive effect on the state of the vascular system, which delivers blood with nutrients to the skin tissues;
• E
  - helps strengthen cell membranes, but at the same time make them permeable to beneficial substances.

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Nutrition and vitamins for youthful skin

Health, and therefore beauty, depends on our nutrition. No amount of cosmetics will help hide imperfections on your face if you eat just anything.

Strict restrictions affect the supply of vitamins necessary for the body. Therefore, if you suddenly decide that it’s time to go on a strict diet, it’s better not to do it. Proper nutrition should become a part of life, and not periods of “enlightenment”.

So what vitamins and microelements do humans need and what foods contain them?

Diagnostics

Basic examination methods:

1. External examination of the affected area (skin with pimples, discoloration noted) and history taking.
2. Palpation of the hyperkeratosis zone.
3. Scraping and histological examination to exclude other diseases.
4. UBC, OAM, blood for biochemistry and hormones.

The diagnosis is made by a dermatologist.

Additionally, consultation with a gastroenterologist or endocrinologist is indicated.

Exercises to smooth out wrinkles

Now there is propaganda of face-building as the best remedy against wrinkles. But this is far from the best technique, quite the contrary. One of the reasons why wrinkles appear is muscle spasms. And through Facebook building you will only intensify these spasms. This means that new creases appear.

But there are special exercises that are aimed at relieving spasms and smoothing the skin. You can learn about them at advanced intensive courses from Melannette. By the way, there you will work not only the area around the eyes, but also the entire face - you will get rid of the eyebrows, deep wrinkles on the forehead, nasolabial and jowls. You will tighten the oval of your face and the corners of your lips, and lift your drooping eyelid. With regular practice, you will look several years younger.

What to do if nothing helps

Proper care will help improve the condition of your skin, but sometimes this is not enough. The problem must be dealt with from the inside, since keratosis pilaris often appears due to a deficiency of vitamin A. However, you cannot simply take this vitamin, because it quickly accumulates in the body, and an excess is even more dangerous than a deficiency. It’s better to consult a doctor, get tested, and only then start taking any medications.

If the problem is a lack of vitamin A, you can get rid of keratosis with the help of vitamin complexes. However, this does not cancel proper care, otherwise goose bumps will soon appear again.

How to deal with crow's feet at home?

If you decide not to buy professional products to care for the area around the eyes, then you can use folk remedies. But in this case, you should try only proven recipes.

Even natural ingredients can harm your health and beauty. This is why it is so important to conduct allergy tests before applying any mixture to such sensitive skin.

Products that are definitely not harmful:

1. Potatoes - raw and boiled (don't forget to cool);
2. Cucumber - you can grate it and make a compress or apply circles directly to your eyes while you make a face mask;
3. Peach - grated pulp can be added to homemade masks or used in its pure form;
4. Bananas are healthy in their entirety, but especially the peel. Removes signs of fatigue in a few minutes;
5. Tea - do not immediately throw away the tea bags, but apply them to your eyelids;
6. Eggs - added raw to masks;
7. A variety of herbal infusions - use as a tonic or copres.