Have you ever found yourself looking at your upper arms and thighs and wondering what that weird, bumpy skin is that WON'T GO AWAY, no matter what you do?
It's called keratosis pilaris (colloquially known as "chicken skin"), and it's easily recognisable as pinkish, rough skin that's similar to permanent goosebumps.
And there are a few things that you should probably know about it...
1. If you have KP, you're not even slightly alone.
2. And it's more likely to affect you if you're young, female, and fair-skinned.
3. While it's not contagious, KP is hereditary.
4. And there's no need to worry – it's completely harmless!
5. It typically appears during childhood, and gets worse during puberty – but it also gets better during adulthood, and often disappears completely.
6. It's caused by some pretty darn science-y stuff...
7. While it's most likely to affect the skin on your upper arms and thighs, in rarer cases it can be found on your forearms and upper back.
8. It's symmetrical!
9. It's often more prevalent during winter, because of the colder, less humid weather.
10. It can't be completely cured (sorry!), but there are several measures that you can take to improve the appearance of your KP.
11. The most important thing to know is that you shouldn't feel insecure about it. Not only do a lot of people have KP, it's also highly likely that it will go away as you get older.
