Skin issues with my 7 yr old?

Question

My 7 yr old daughter has, what we call "chicken skin" on the back of her upper arms. It is very small, raised bumps, most are flesh colored, others are slightly red or a very few are white.
We put lotion on daily (non petrolum based) but she says sometimes they hurt.
We have seen our dermatoligist and he says there is nothing wrong, its just the way her skin is.
Is he right?
Would you go for a second opion?
Is there something we can do at home?

Thank you for your time!

Answer 1

It sounds like keratosis pilaris. Don't worry, it isn't dangerous or anything - just annoying. Many people have it and don't even know it's anything more than dry skin. I've had it as long as I can remember. Check the first link below for some photos of KP and see if it looks like hers. If that's it, she may lose them as she gets older (lucky girl), or she may have them forever. It's very common on the back of upper arms and thighs, but can also be found on the torso, butt, and even face - basically anywhere except palms and soles.

There isn't a cure for KP, but you can treat it with lotions that contain alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) or beta hydroxy acids (BHA) and urea. They're harder to find in your regular drugstore (I'm trying Eucerin Plus - the "plus" is important because that's the kind that has AHA's and urea), but you can find a lot of different products online. If you do start using these, keep in mind a few things. First, start slowly. This can irritate the skin and you want to give her a chance to get used to it, and to catch any major irritations before they get too bad. Second, they cause the skin to be especially sensitive to sunburn, so ALWAYS put on sunscreen if she's going to be outside for any length of time. Third, it generally isn't a good idea to try to scrub these bumps away. It just irritates the skin, and doesn't really remove the bumps. Finally, it doesn't take very long to notice results, although it may be a few weeks before everything is smooth. However, it also doesn't take very long for the bumps to come back when you stop.

Answer 2

many folks have this. it is commonly referred to as foliculitis. it happens when the hair gets trapped under the last layer of skin. it is basically an ingrown hair.

i find that in the summer, when i wear less restrictive clothing, they seem to dissapear. in the winter, when the skin is more dryer than normal and the wearing of long sleeves, i battle the same issue all winter long- sometimes they hurt (sorta like a pin prick sensation) and sometimes they don't. this problem you mention is hereditary as well. it is not something you catch and is not something infectious.

some things that might help are a loopha sponge or one of those plastic hand scrubbers, then adding lotion. i prefer to use the "in shower" lotion. you spread it on and then rinse off. it keeps the skin softer, therefor helps in keeping the ingrown hairs from appearing in abundance. do not over scrub the skin. try this twice a week and the in shower lotion three times a week.

the other thing you can try is a sugar scrub twice a week. this will take the place of the loopha and how much lotion you need to put on.
squeeze the juice of one lemon and add enough sugar to be able to scoop up some in your hands, rub all over the arms, concentrating on the worst area first and work your way out.

you will still need to apply lotion on the days you do not do the sugar scrub. you also need to look into lotions that don't have a lot of wax as that can coat the skin and prevent the hair from making it out of the follicule.

you might have to figure out a good routine just for your daughter as everyone is different. personally i would try the sugar scrub first. twice a week as i stated earlier, but try and scrub it for at least 4 minutes. apply more if you need to during that time.

(sugar scrubs are for dry skin. lemon has natural oils and works as a lotion) try it on your hands first and you will notice a difference, however, again, if you do this too much it can slough off the dead skin cells and you might think you have dry skin again! (i bet your daughter would love this sugar scrub, trust, me...i do it twice a week on my face just because it tastes so good! lol

Answer 3

I would use a loath gently over her skin with a cleansing soap such as Neutrogena, they are more than likey clogged pores this is the best way to remove them. Apply lotion for extermely dry skin twice a day, after the skin is cleasned.