Although no one would call it an epidemic, since the disorder itself is harmless, one could say it is at epidemic propotions as estimates have put the number of keratosis pilaris sufferers at 40 to 50 percent of the adult population and 50 to 80 percent of adolescents. Think about those number for a moment, it means that if you have a population split of roughly 60 percent adults and 40 percent adolescents across the world, for example, the number of people affected by keratosis pilaris, assuming a world population of 6 billion, would mean that more than 4 billion people suffer from this disease.
Indeed, while researching this disorder, we founder there were actually 11 different forms of keratosis pilaris.
For example, there’s a variety called keratsosis pilaris, alba, which features rough, bumpy skin with no irritation; or rubra that features inflamed bumps or skin; or rubra faceii that features a reddish rash on the cheeks, or small scar-like depressions on your face called atropicans faceii.
And, there are more, including a variety called Darier disease, a skin disorder that’s marked by abnormal keratin formation in hair follicles that usually leave the suffer with small conical or raised lesions on the face. There are specific forms of this disorder that attack the check, the outer part of your eyebrows and another variety that causes a bald spots on your head or your eyebrows or you might find patches of follicles topped by scaly spines anywhere on your body.
As you can see, then, this is a rather widespread skin disorder that is entirely treatable, but the treatment does take some work and, as with other forms of keratosis, if you stop doing the treatments you will quickly slip backward. For example, if you opt for a glycolic acid (AHA) you must remember to keep the treatments up every day and the same is true of lactic acid treatments. You can get relief from this problem, it’s not one that is a major threat to your health as keratosis pilaris is harmless, however, since it affects so many people it is the type of problem that you will likely want to treat since it is as much as cosmetic problem as a skin disorder.
Another form of treatment that works is dermabrasion where you use small rough sponge-like pad to gently remove the rough skin patches, revealing the good skin. You must also remember to keep up these treatments or you risk a return of the disorder.
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