Keratosis Pilaris

I swear I have more diseases than the average person.

Since my pre-teen years I've been bothered by unsightly bumps on the backs of my upper arms. They don't itch and they don't hurt. They're just there. And ugly. I've tried a couple different things to get rid of them: Eucerin cream, regular lotion, tanning, exfoliation...anything anyone said would help. Nothing did. Well I finally found the name today, inspired by facebook of all things: Keratosis Pilaris, also called chicken skin. If that doesn't inspire a great image, I don't know what does.

There are a couple creams I can try for $8,000 a bottle. I'm a little skeptical, based on past experience. Keratosis Pilaris is some kind of genetic (of course) skin disorder cause by an excessive production of keratin on the skin, compounded by dryness. So it gets worse in the winter. An estimated 40-50% of adults have it; most don't even know. Their's must not be as bad as mine, lucky dogs. There's no cure (of course) and treatment must be constant, otherwise the bumps can come back. I just hate that greasy cream...

At least my diseases are educational.