Having chicken skin on the armpit is one of the most common beauty struggles for most women. Keratosis pilaris or “chicken skin” is a skin condition where rough patches or tiny bumps appear on the surface of the skin. It is called chicken skin because it resembles the skin of a chicken when you remove or pluck its feathers.
This condition is not dangerous and often does not need treatment. But for some that find the bumps and discoloration unsightly, there are remedies that you can try to get rid of chicken skin on your armpit.
Keratosis pilaris (Chicken skin)
Chicken skin usually occurs on the armpit, cheeks, buttocks, and thighs. But it can also appear on different parts of your body as long as there are hair follicles.
These rough-feeling bumps on your underarms are dead skin cells clogging hair follicles. These usually occur when you have dry skin and it gets worse during cold weather. It affects not only women but also men.
What causes keratosis pilaris?
To manage symptoms of chicken skin, it is important to know first what causes it. The main reason why a person has chicken skin is the build-up of keratin on the skin. Keratin is a protective skin protein. If the build-up of keratin blocks or clogs the hair follicles, chicken skin may occur.
Researchers are still studying how the excess keratin develops on the skin and clogs the follicles. But according to Medical News Today, having chicken skin is more common in people with skin allergies and dryness. And if you are prone to keratosis pilaris, you are likely to have chicken skin breakout during cold weather.
Chicken skin is more of a cosmetic concern than a medical one. Because this is not linked to any serious health problems.
Chicken skin flare-ups may happen during pregnancy and puberty due to hormonal changes. Even infants can have keratosis pilaris. However, it usually clears up by the age of 30.
Chicken skin on armpit
According to the article written and published by GMA Network, a doctor said that some of the reasons why chicken skin appears underarm are:
- Skin irritation caused by shaving, waxing, and plucking the armpit’s hair
- Too much rubbing of rough deodorant
- Using too strong deodorants
- Dry skin on the armpit
On the other hand, Healthline highlights the risk factors of having chicken skin. According to their article, people with dry skin, eczema, ichthyosis, hay fever, and obesity are prone to having chicken skin.
Home remedy for chicken skin on the armpit
Are you struggling with the chicken skin on your armpit? Wondering how to get rid of it? There are various ways how to remove chicken skin from your armpit.
Although having chicken skin is inevitable, there are some home remedies to minimize its appearance and ease the itching and irritation.
Here are some simple tips on how to get rid of chicken skin on your armpit and other areas of your skin:
- Avoid wearing tight clothes that may irritate your skin. Friction on the armpit area caused by a tight cloth may worsen the chicken skin on your underarms.
- Exfoliate your skin using loofah or pumice stone. Exfoliating removes dead skin cells and improves the appearance of your skin.
- Use a humidifier to maintain moisturized air in the room. Moisturizing the air around you also helps to avoid chicken skin flare-ups.
- Apply moisturizer or cream with lactic acid or glycerin to soften the skin area affected by Keratosis pilaris.
- You can also apply rose water to the affected skin area to ease inflammation.
- Choose a deodorant that has a skin moisturizing effect. Also, avoid using deodorants with harsh chemicals that may damage your skin.
- Take a short, warm bath to unclog and loosen the pores.
More ways how to get rid of chicken skin on your armpit:
Aside from the given home remedies above, you can also do the following dermatological treatment to remove chicken skin on your armpit:
- Microdermabrasion or an intense exfoliating treatment
- Chemical peels
- Retinol creams
- Moisturizing treatment
Talk to your skin doctor, also called a dermatologist, before undergoing any skin treatment stated above. Your dermatologist knows what is the best treatment for your condition.
They may also recommend moisturizing creams that you can buy over the counter. Various OTC topical creams can treat itchy-dry skin, and remove dead skin cells from your pores to prevent clogging. Consult a dermatologist to know what kind of moisturizing cream is best for you.
When using any topical creams for your chicken skin, be wary of adverse effects that you may experience. Observe symptoms of side effects such as dryness, irritation, redness, and stinging sensation.
If these symptoms persist stop using the cream immediately, then talk to your dermatologist. They will let you know what is the right thing to do.
Furthermore, since plucking, waxing, and shaving hair from your armpit causes the occurrence of chicken skin, you may opt to undergo laser hair removal.
Aside from preventing chicken skin, it is also a non-darkening method to remove hair from your underarms. Permanent hair removal via laser treatment smoothens the skin on the armpit and helps remove the rough tiny bumps on your hair follicles.
Moreover, you can also try a method called pigment laser. It helps smoothen and whiten your underarms.
How to diagnose keratosis pilaris
Your doctor can easily spot if you have a skin condition called keratosis pilaris, commonly known as chicken skin. You just have to show your dermatologist the affected skin area. There is no formal test that exists for chicken skin diagnosis.
Your skin doctor may just ask you about your age, what areas are affected, what the skin looks like, and how you feel about it. They may also look at your medical history and do some physical exams to confirm the diagnosis.
Your dermatologist will be the one to recommend treatment options to manage and remove your chicken skin.
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