Sometimes, you see different types of bumps on the arms of many people. These bumps are very common. This condition is usually called keratosis pilaris. It is a common skin condition, and commonly, the arms and thighs are affected. However, these little bumps also have the chance to appear on the buttocks and face. The building up of protein keratin is the leading cause of small cracks, which then clog a hair follicle resulting in a bump.

We all know that keratin is a protein that protects our skin from many infections and diseases, but sometimes this kind of building up of protein keratin blocks the opening of a hair follicle and then results in the form of a bump on the skin.

What are the possible symptoms of keratosis pilaris?

The patient with this kind of disease feels some sort of rash on the skin in which the rash may appear as red or tan bumps .

. These tan or red bumps give the skin a fine sandpaper-like texture. Some people also find inflammation on the cracks if the condition persists for a more extended period.

So, the texture of the skin also becomes rough, and skin becomes reddish or pink, which also studded with tiny bumps.

The area with these little bumps have dry skin

The skin becomes even drier during seasonal changes.

These tiny bumps on the arms are painless, and the person might feel chicken skin.

Who gets bumps on the arms?

People of any age can have the chance to get bumps on arms or any other common body parts. However, many children and adolescents may get bumps on their arms. It is usually seen that females get these bumps on the arms more often than when. When the child reaches ten years old, he may get the bumps on the upper arm, and the condition becomes more severe during puberty.

There is also genetic connectivity of having keratosis pilaris or bumps on the arms thighs if you are the patient of atopic dermatitis. Then you have more chances of getting the bumps on the upper arm; however, the patient who has dry skin or any other dermatological syndromes may also get the bumps on the upper arm.

Are there chances of getting the bumps all over the body?

It is a rare condition of having bumps all over the body. However, the patient may have chances of getting keratosis pilaris on the back of the upper. They may also have these tiny bumps on back, thighs, buttocks, or sometimes on the face.

What are the leading causes of tiny bumps on arms?

The doctors are unable to reveal the exact cause of keratosis pilaris; however, there are many causes of having bumps on the arms.

More production of the keratin part of the skin which produces hyperkeratinization.

Defect in hair formation.

Production of defective sebaceous glands as these glands are indirectly associated with hair follicles.

Genetic predisposition related to bumps on the arms which affect many family members.

The person having dry skin has more chances of having tiny bumps on the arms.

Different types of allergies also trigger the formation of bumps on the arms

These allergies may be the cause of asthma, eczema, rhinitis, atopic dermatitis.

Excessive accumulation of keratin from the upper layer of the skin.

Perforation of mild thickening of the hair follicle.

Sometimes small superficial blood vessels become dilated; thus, the skin becomes red for giving the flushed appearance.

Are bumps on the arms contagious?

The tiny bumps on arms are not contagious as people do not get the keratosis pilaris whenever they come in contact with each other. However, many people who develop bumps on the upper arm or any other body part is because of genetic family history for particular skin type.

Itchy Bumps on the arms:

Sometimes the bumps on arms may be itchy. The person feels irritation on the cracks and also inflammation and redness on the skin. If the particular person has itchy palms, he may develop other skin problems such as:

Folliculitis:

When the hair follicles become inflamed, then the condition called folliculitis appeared. In this condition, you can see multiple bumps on the skin.

Heat Rash:

This is a condition that may develop from bumps on arms, and in this condition, the sweat glands on the skin blocked in heat rash. The Sweat does not get the place to come on the surface of the skin to evaporate. The patient feels itching on the skin in a heat rash.

Hives:

Due to bumps on arms, the patient may also get hives on the skin. It is an allergic reaction where the bumps become red.

Eczema:

In there, there appeared patches on the skin, and also, the skin becomes red, itchy, and rough. The skin also gets the inflammation, and in severe conditions, the patient may catch blisters.

Psoriasis:

In psoriasis, the color of the skin becomes red to silvery. Also, the patches appear on the surface due to the excessive growth of skin cells.

Non-itchy bumps on the arms:

However, the patients may feel itchy bumps, which we discussed above, but usually, the person does not feel itching on the bumps. The patients with non-itchy bumps may develop acne or pimples on the arms.

They can develop pimples on the upper arms or lower arm when the pores become clogged with bacteria, oil, or dead skin cells.

How to treat bumps on the arms?

If you want to get rid of bumps on the arms or keratosis pilaris, you must moisturize your skin with a good moisturizer. Do not scratch the bumps as it will make your skin worse. There are many drugs which the doctors advice for treating bumps on arms or thighs.

Ammonium lactate:

Ammonium lactate proposed to be a very effective ingredient for dissolving the little bumps, which cause redness on the skin. However, this ammonium lactate is a sticky product. So, some people feel irritated after using it and then go for ceramides and urea.

Urea:

Many doctors all around the world recommend the prescribed creams for treating bumps on arms who have a high concentration of urea. Urea containing moisturizer helps to dissolve the keratin protein gumming up the follicles.

Ceramides:

Ceramides are usually used by those patients who have severe skin problems, which are eczema and bumps on the arms. So they are the best choice for treating both skin problems. Moisturizers who have ceramides in it are beneficial to reduce roughness in the skin with keratosis pilaris.

Other treatments for bumps on the arms:

There are many different treatments for curing bumps on arms; however, it is usually treated with exfoliation regularly, and if the condition worsens, you can go for more profound exfoliating treatment such as dermabrasion. Sometimes a doctor prescribes a retinol cream for clearing up the bumps.

Exfoliation:

Exfoliation is a treatment for removing the top layer of the skin, having dead cells. So, you can remove dead skin cells through the process of exfoliation. Exfoliation is also used for treating bumps on arms.

This treatment is beneficial for treating acne, psoriasis, and dead skin cells build-up. You should exfoliate gently because sometimes you feel irritation and more bumps on the skin by rubbing your skin hard.

Medications:

There are many treatments for controlling keratosis pilaris. Make sure that if you are using any kind of lotion or cream, then continue it for a more extended period. To control the bumps on arms, it is essential to know that there is no therapy or universally effective treatment for bumps on the arms. Also, keep this thing in mind that different therapy or lotions to treat bumps have different effects on the skin.

I see many patients who get amazing results after treating it with some kind of lotion or treatment. When exfoliation is not working, your doctor will ultimately recommend medications to treat the bumps on the arms. You may have the danger of having folliculitis, heat rash, and eczema through exfoliation Keep this thing in mind that peeling is not made for treating serious bumps such as skin cancers. Some patients have inflammation on the skin, and this can only be treated with topical creams to get rid of inflammation and preventing more bumps on the surface.

Hydrocortisone:

Hydrocortisone is an effective cream to soothe itchy skin bumps, and it is beneficial for providing some relief from itching. Creams that have oatmeal is also useful for getting rid of itching on these bumps.

Other lotions and creams for treating bumps on the arms:

Mild cases of bumps:

A patient usually uses Aquaphor ointment or Cetaphil lotion with mild keratosis pilaris.

Other lotions and creams for the worst condition: If the situation becomes worse regarding the bumps on the arms, then doctors recommend other moisturizers such as lactic acid lotions having amLactin and Lac Hydrin, Alpha-hydroxy acid lotions, topical tretinoin cream or other topical steroid creams.

Laser treatments:

Some doctors have recently advised recommended laser treatments for treating bumps. Some patients go through carbon dioxide laser for treating keratosis pilaris, but they have come up with mixed results.

Possible home remedies for bumps on the arms:

There are many potential home remedies for treating the bumps on the skin, especially on the arms.

The first thing you can do to prevent yourself from the worst conditions of bumps on the arms is to keep your skin moisturized all the time. So, you should stop your skin from dryness, especially when the winter comes.

The soap you are using should be mild soaps such as dove soapless cleanser or Cetaphil cleanser.

You can massage your skin with different types of lotions on the affected area twice a day.

You should lubricate your skin with effective lotions such as AmLactin or Lac-Hydrin lotion having ammonium lactate in it.

You can also use urea cream, which I also discussed earlier.

Salicylic acid or Alpha hydroxy acid lotions having glycolic acid are also beneficial for treating bumps on the skin.

Do not give up hope as hope is the last thing that keeps you alive.

These topical creams will not give you immediate results, so do not expect more from these creams.

Never scrap of the skin or scrub it harshly as it will worsen the situation.

Do not use such lotions that are filled with chemicals.

Do not use harsh soaps, having more chemicals in it.

Do not go for hot showers or baths as it will suck all the moisture from the skin, and you will go for a moisturizer even in the summer.

Which type of diet you should eat to treat bumps on the arms?

Eat real food, whole food, gluten-free, or low glycemic diet:

Eating real food or whole food means you should eliminate processed foods, sugar hydrogenated oils, and other artificial ingredients from your diet. Your diet should also be gluten-free as I see many patients of keratosis pilaris who have an allergy to gluten.

Eat plenty of foods having Omega 3 fatty acids in it:

There are many foods which are enriched with Omega 3 fatty acids are fish oils, krill oils, on the other hand, there are best vegan sources such as Chia seeds, sprouted flax, and golden algae oil which also help to remove back pain.

Clearing the Toxins from Your Body:

Clear off toxins from your body by eating such foods having the ability to get rid of these toxins.

Balancing your intestinal flora:

Your intestinal flora must be healthy when you have these types of problems.

Eating foods rich in vitamin A and Vitamin C:

Vitamin A and Vitamin C are beneficial for treating bumps on your skin. If you have enough vitamin A in your skin, then ultimately, your skin cell will not be able to manufacture excess keratin. On the other hand, vitamin C is beneficial in reducing the inflammation, and it is required for the formation of collagen in the skin so that your skin becomes healthy and fresh.

You should eat coconut oil:

Coconut oil is beneficial for treating bumps on arms. Some people moisturize their skin with the help of coconut oil, but I recommend to eat it to treat many internal issues such as chronic skin conditions. You must eat 1/2 tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil in your meals.

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