Keratosis Pilaris: An Overwhelming Skin Condition

At the risk of much, much negative e-mail from eczema and acne sufferers, I am going to go ahead and dub Keratosis Pilaris as the utmost worst superficial skin condition to be stuck with. Why, you ask? Well, not only does it consist of hundreds of unsightly tiny red bumps covering your upper arms and thighs, but it is inexplicably ignored by the beauty and dermatologic industries. While eczema and acne sufferers have tons of treatments and products bombarding them from skin care powerhouses like Neutrogena and Murad, Keratosis Pilaris sufferers have very few options, save for a much negatively reviewed line by DERMAdoctor, available at Sephora.

Keratosis Pilaris web sites and message boards contain a lot of unfortunately desperate people with a lot of silly, far-fetched remedies. One message board contains a much-responded to thread promoting "oil pulling" as a possible cure. Oil pulling is the process of swishing 2-3 tablespoons of oil (sesame and sunflower are recommended) first thing in the morning for a ludicrous fifteen to twenty minutes. Supposedly, the oil will turn from filmy and yellowy to white and foamy, as it has allegedly absorbed all the negative toxins from your system. This new age home remedy is so out there (not to mention of unverifiable effectiveness) that you'd have to be truly miserable with your skin to even try it. Gargling oil for twenty minutes first thing in the morning for nice skin? Before I've even had coffee? Give me a break. Another thread on the same message board suggests trying peanut butter as a cure. Not as in, eat more peanut butter for health benefits, but rather use it as a mask on the affected areas of your skin.