Keratosis Follicularis

Question: Skin condition- bumpy spots on arms and face. Help diagnose? I have been to the doctors before and been prescribed tablets and various creams, however, I cannot remember the name of the genetic disease. I think it may be keratosis follicularis or dermatisis something. My mother has it mildly on her arms and me and my identical twin sister have it quite bad on our arms and things. The spots are small, with a puss filled centre. I would like to find out the name so I can discover new creams or treatments as the spots are quite embarrassing, as you can see them when wearing t-shirts and they are not nice to look at. If you have this, please feel free to discuss what treatments you have tried. Thank you (: It is not acne as I have had it since I was young. I also moisturise every two days, but some say this does more harm than good. Thankyou everyone I knew it began with a 'p'!

Answer: It's called Keratosis Pilaris. It is extremely common, and is a skin "type" like freckles. There is no cure or cream or anything, it sometimes goes away or lessens with age. It is caused by an excessive amount of keratin in your hair cells, like cuticles. You might also have extra cutcle growth around your fingernails. I have had some success with using an apricot scrub every day in the shower, and then using a glycolic acid based skin cream afterward. It is controllable but , unfortunately, will never completely go away.