Smooth and soft skin is desired and many efforts are put into skin care for it apart from money and time. In growing-up years and adolescent years, one must have experienced a small, bumpy, and hard eruption in the skin near the elbow, arm, buttocks, and knee. This skin condition is called Keratosis Pilaris (KP) which gives a feel of sandpaper.

The keratosis pilaris can occur in adults too. In this condition, the hair follicle gets clogged with the protein – keratin. Although, it is not a harmful skin condition but unsightly and reason for itch and discomfort.

The treatment options range from personal skin care to medicated treatment. Moisturizers and gentle exfoliating scrubs help in removing dead skin cells and soften the skin. Topical creams or lotions containing urea, lactic acids, or alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) exfoliate the clogs and sheds the dead skin layers. Dermatologists may prescribe skin preparations containing steroids or retinoids to cope with inflammation and improvement in skin texture for treating severe cases.