What Is Keratosis Pilaris, The Skin Condition Yami Gautam Spoke Of Having In Her Recent Insta Post?

Yami Gautam recently revealed on Insta that she suffers from a skin condition called Keratosis Pilaris. What should you know about this?

Bollywood and beauty are almost two sides of the same coin. After talent in Bollywood, if anything matters the most, it is beauty.

In such a situation, Yami Gautam’s Instagram post surprised me when Yami, who promotes a variety of cosmetic products, made a sensational disclosure about her skin.

Sharing some of her pictures on Instagram, Yami wrote, “Hello my insta family, recently I shot for some pictures and when she was about to leave for my skin condition (keratosis – pilaris), which is a common thing. So I said to myself, Yami – why don’t you accept it. I guess it’s not as bad as your brain and your neighborhood auntie make it. I had this problem as a teenager and there is no cure for it.”

Yami says that she tolerated it for many years and now she has accepted this truth by putting aside her fear and insecurities, and dares to share it with all of you.

Yami’s courageous post is also getting a lot of appreciation. After reading Yami Gautam’s post, I am sure that all of you along with me will be very curious to know more about keratosis pilaris; there will be many readers who must be struggling with this problem too.

So let’s know what this skin condition keratosis pilaris is, and what are its symptoms and causes.

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What is keratosis pilaris?

• Keratosis pilaris is a skin condition in which rough patches, dryness, and small bumps appear on the skin.
• Usually it is visible on the arm, cheek, thigh, and buttocks. This causes roughness on the skin and also sometimes causes irritation.
• They are light in colour, but sometimes there is swelling and redness too.
• They are not contagious, nor do they usually cause any itching or discomfort.

Who can be affected by keratosis pilaris?

• This problem affects about 50-80% of adolescents and 40% of adults.
• Women are more prone to this Keratosis Pilaris than men.
• Although this disease can occur at any age, but it is more likely to occur in young age.
• According to some research, about 92 percent of people have this problem in the upper arms, then about 30 percent have this problem in the buttocks and 59 percent in the thighs.
• There is a risk of it getting worse in pregnancy
• The risk is higher in obesity

Some major causes

The main cause of keratosis pilaris is the keratin protein that protects the skin from infection. When this builds up, the opening pores of the hair follicle get blocked, causing this disease. Apart from this, there can be some reasons like:

• Your gender
• Having a family history of the disease
• Dry skin type
• cold weather

What are the symptoms of keratosis pilaris?

• Small painless rash on arms, cheeks, thighs, buttocks
• Skin dryness and roughness with the change of season
• Flesh (extra fat) visible on the outside due to the bulge
• Sometimes, there is warm skin, fever, or pain
• Itching persists even after using creams and oils
• Might not get better even after home remedies
• Sometimes there is also vomiting as part of the disorder

How to diagnose this disease and treat it

Although this disease does not come under the category of any dangerous diseases, and may get cured of its own by the age of 30, doctors recommend that in case of any kind of skin related problem, contact the doctor, as the right person to confirms this disease after examination instead of a self-diagnosis.

Although this disease is not serious, unfortunately there is no exact treatment for it. Sometimes this disease gets cured on its own and sometimes it lingers on even after treatment. A medicated cream may given by the doctor for its treatment, but it has often been seen that this disease comes back as soon as the use of the cream is stopped.

Laser treatment is also an option. This treatment is used to relieve redness when the cream has become ineffective.

Some home remedies for keratosis pilaris

• Use lukewarm water for bathing
• Avoid using soaps that dry out the skin
• Use cream so that moisture remains in the skin
• Avoid wearing tight clothes, as tight clothes can cause skin abrasion
• Regular use of coconut oil can also be beneficial in this disease.

Now as we all know that keratosis pilaris is a skin related problem. It is necessary to know here that this problem is not a problem of allergy, but due to lack of proper care and information, it can definitely lead to the problem of eczema. It is my request to all of you that do not become your own doctor nor ignore these skin problems; sometimes this small looking problem becomes the cause of big trouble.

I believe that by speaking openly about this disease, Yami Gautam has created an awareness helpful to all. My best wishes to Yami.

Image source: Wikipedia and Yami Gautam’s Instagram

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