Keratosis Pilaris rubra faceii is a constant and unrelenting reddish rash on the cheeks (blushed look). When keratosis pilaris occurs on the cheeks, the affected area is not only crimson red but it also feels coarse. The typical "reddish" aspect of this type of facial keratosis pilaris gives it the medical name of Keratosis Pilaris rubra faceii.
It is identified by its redness (erythema) and the occurrence of rough bumpiness (follicular spines) which may begin at birth, during childhood or adolescence.
This condition can only be detected in white, Caucasian people. When present with darker skins, it is too often confused with acne or atopic dermatitis, so a biopsy is needed to rule everything else out. In white folks, KP rubra faceii is often misdiagnosed as rosacea.
KPRF is benign, self-limiting, and often goes away with age. It is more widespread in patients with atopic dermatitis (eczema) and seems to run in families. Most doctors associate this skin condition with a hereditary or genetic condition.
In some cases, small bumps, similar in appearance to goose bumps and redness will be the only symptoms a person will manifest over the cheeks, but some people complain that it itches. If this is your case, by no means, you should scratch it. Irritation can only make the condition worsen. Individual lesions consist of small, skin-colored papules that form inside hair openings. The condition is generally worse in winter and often clears in the summer, being this one of the first differences with rosacea.
Symptoms
Coping with Keratosis Pilaris
When you have keratosis pilaris, you do not really have much of a choice but to endure it and learn to cope with it. Keratosis pilaris is a skin condition that is believed to be inherited. Its causes are not entirely known although people usually mistake it for other more serious skin conditions as acne. Keratosis pilaris rubra faceii are small patches of bumpy skin appearing on the face, sepcifially the cheeks. While similar in appearance, keratosis pilaris on the face is different from acne in that keratosis pilaris is caused by a keratin plug which prevents the follicle from erupting. Acne, on the other hand, is caused by bacterial growth.
There really is no known cure for keratosis pilaris. In fact, experts have found that such a skin condition actually eases over time. A large part of the population experience such a skin condition during their adolescent years. Almost half of the adult population are also afflicted with such a skin condition. While some people choose to wait things out and let nature take its course in ridding their skin of this skin condition, there are actually ways by which you can make this "waiting" a more bearable experience. Through several natural methods, you can successfully ease the appearance of keratosis pilaris as you wait for it to completely disappear at some future time in your life.
If you have keratosis pilaris on the face, there are several things that you should keep in mind. One is that you should always keep your face clean. Washing about twice per day would be your best bet at keeping your skin condition at bay. You have to be able to resist the urge to want to scratch off or to scrub off the rough bumps. No matter how appealing it sounds to be able to simply wipe off the papules, you have to stop yourself from vigorously scrubbing your face lest you cause further damage to your face. Remember that the skin on your face is more sensitive than the skin in other parts of the body. Gentle cleansing with mild soap and water is all that is needed to eventually make the papules smaller in size and reduce the inflammation on your face.
Next is that you have to keep your skin moisturized for it to look nice and healthy. Without proper hydration, your skin will be drier and you will be prone to more skin diseases. Drink at least 8 glasses per day – more if the weather is dry and cold. Preserving the skin's moisture is best done by applying lotions and creams that contain effective emollients. There are good facial moisturizers made of all natural ingredients being sold in pharmacies. Check out those moisturizes that are highly recommended by experts and actual users.
Lastly, eat and live healthy. There is a correlation between the way you eat and how bad your keratosis pilaris rubra faceii looks. A healthy diet begets healthy skin and body. Load up on junk and you will see that your facial keratosis pilaris will most likely be worse than others – to make things worse, you will also most likely have acne problems as well. Eat a fiber rich diet composed of fresh fruits and vegetables. Add healthy servings of food with Omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, walnuts, tuna etc. and you are sure to be free of any skin troubles for quite a while.
It is identified by its redness (erythema) and the occurrence of rough bumpiness (follicular spines) which may begin at birth, during childhood or adolescence.
This condition can only be detected in white, Caucasian people. When present with darker skins, it is too often confused with acne or atopic dermatitis, so a biopsy is needed to rule everything else out. In white folks, KP rubra faceii is often misdiagnosed as rosacea.
KPRF is benign, self-limiting, and often goes away with age. It is more widespread in patients with atopic dermatitis (eczema) and seems to run in families. Most doctors associate this skin condition with a hereditary or genetic condition.
In some cases, small bumps, similar in appearance to goose bumps and redness will be the only symptoms a person will manifest over the cheeks, but some people complain that it itches. If this is your case, by no means, you should scratch it. Irritation can only make the condition worsen. Individual lesions consist of small, skin-colored papules that form inside hair openings. The condition is generally worse in winter and often clears in the summer, being this one of the first differences with rosacea.
Symptoms
- fine, bumpy texture to skin over the cheeks
- bumps the size of a grain of sand and skin colored
- slightly higher redness or whiteness may be seen around some bumps
- Signs and tests
Physical examination is usually enough for your health care provider to make this diagnosis. Testing is usually not necessary, but to be perfectly sure, a biopsy can be done. The procedure is almost painless, and it consists of scrapping of some of the skin. Keratosis pilaris rubra faceii may fade slowly with age, but in most cases, it stays for life in a less noticeable way.
Coping with Keratosis Pilaris
When you have keratosis pilaris, you do not really have much of a choice but to endure it and learn to cope with it. Keratosis pilaris is a skin condition that is believed to be inherited. Its causes are not entirely known although people usually mistake it for other more serious skin conditions as acne. Keratosis pilaris rubra faceii are small patches of bumpy skin appearing on the face, sepcifially the cheeks. While similar in appearance, keratosis pilaris on the face is different from acne in that keratosis pilaris is caused by a keratin plug which prevents the follicle from erupting. Acne, on the other hand, is caused by bacterial growth.
There really is no known cure for keratosis pilaris. In fact, experts have found that such a skin condition actually eases over time. A large part of the population experience such a skin condition during their adolescent years. Almost half of the adult population are also afflicted with such a skin condition. While some people choose to wait things out and let nature take its course in ridding their skin of this skin condition, there are actually ways by which you can make this "waiting" a more bearable experience. Through several natural methods, you can successfully ease the appearance of keratosis pilaris as you wait for it to completely disappear at some future time in your life.
If you have keratosis pilaris on the face, there are several things that you should keep in mind. One is that you should always keep your face clean. Washing about twice per day would be your best bet at keeping your skin condition at bay. You have to be able to resist the urge to want to scratch off or to scrub off the rough bumps. No matter how appealing it sounds to be able to simply wipe off the papules, you have to stop yourself from vigorously scrubbing your face lest you cause further damage to your face. Remember that the skin on your face is more sensitive than the skin in other parts of the body. Gentle cleansing with mild soap and water is all that is needed to eventually make the papules smaller in size and reduce the inflammation on your face.
Next is that you have to keep your skin moisturized for it to look nice and healthy. Without proper hydration, your skin will be drier and you will be prone to more skin diseases. Drink at least 8 glasses per day – more if the weather is dry and cold. Preserving the skin's moisture is best done by applying lotions and creams that contain effective emollients. There are good facial moisturizers made of all natural ingredients being sold in pharmacies. Check out those moisturizes that are highly recommended by experts and actual users.
Lastly, eat and live healthy. There is a correlation between the way you eat and how bad your keratosis pilaris rubra faceii looks. A healthy diet begets healthy skin and body. Load up on junk and you will see that your facial keratosis pilaris will most likely be worse than others – to make things worse, you will also most likely have acne problems as well. Eat a fiber rich diet composed of fresh fruits and vegetables. Add healthy servings of food with Omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, walnuts, tuna etc. and you are sure to be free of any skin troubles for quite a while.