What treats chicken skin on the arms?

A moisturiser containing urea, lactic acid, salicylic acid, or another keratolytic can loosen the plugs and smooth texture. Improvement is gradual, and bumps may return when the routine stops.

Keratosis pilaris develops when keratin collects at hair-follicle openings. It commonly creates many tiny, rough bumps on the upper arms, thighs, cheeks, or buttocks, sometimes with surrounding redness. The condition is harmless and cannot spread to another person.

Not every red bump is keratosis pilaris. Folliculitis is inflammation around hair follicles and may look more like tender or itchy spots, sometimes with a pus-filled centre.

Take short lukewarm showers, use a mild cleanser, pat rather than rub the skin dry, and apply moisturiser while the skin is still slightly damp. Introduce an exfoliating moisturiser gradually according to its directions, because stinging or excessive dryness means the routine is too irritating.

Skip rough scrubs, hard loofahs, picking, and aggressive squeezing. These actions can inflame follicles and leave darker marks. If pharmacy skincare is not enough, a dermatologist may consider a topical retinoid after reviewing sensitivity, other products, and pregnancy plans.

Schedule an assessment if the diagnosis is unclear, the bumps are painful or intensely itchy, or a careful routine keeps causing irritation. Pus, warmth, rapidly expanding redness, crusting, or fever suggests infection or another inflammatory condition rather than uncomplicated chicken skin.

Seek earlier advice if widespread bumps began soon after a new medicine or appear with swelling of the face, breathing difficulty, or blistering. Those symptoms are not typical of keratosis pilaris.

Ask whether the bumps fit keratosis pilaris or folliculitis, which keratolytic strength suits your skin, how to combine it with existing acne or eczema products, and which signs should prompt you to stop treatment.