Bumpy Skin

KP is more prevalent in adolescents than adults, but this pesky condition can crop up at any time. It is caused when the naturally-occurring protein keratin builds up and clogs tiny hair follicles. These painless hard bumps can worsen during seasonal changes or when the ambient humidity is very low. Doctors have yet to pinpoint the exact cause of KP, but it often runs in families. As of now, there is no permanent cure for this condition, but using various moisturizers, exfoliants, and topical prescription creams can help to reduce the appearance and improve the skin.

These small white bumps may look like acne but are caused by a lack of proper exfoliation. Milia are tiny keratin-filled cysts that develop when dead skin cells are trapped under the skin. These white bumps typically form around the eyes, nose, cheeks, and mouth. While milia does have an association with newborns, usually triggered by the hormones of the mother, its effects in older adults is most often associated with skin damage. Blistering, burns, and sun damage are often attributed as to the development of milia in children and adults.

While these two conditions are generally the most common causes, there are plenty of others that can contribute to bumpy skin.

Some of these include:

• Acne. The most common skin condition in the United States. Skin bumps are usually swollen and range. They may range in scale from tiny to large and can be either painless or painful.
• Boils. Infected hair follicles that create red and raised bumps on the surface of the skin.
• Bullae. Fluid filled bumps that are often the result of intense friction and rubbing.
• Cherry hemangiomas. Bright and tiny red spots or bumps that can appear during the aging process.
• Cold sores. While looking like a standard pimple, cold sores are a variation of oral herpes. Between 50 and 80 percent of adults experience cold sores.
• Contact dermatitis. An allergic skin reaction that creates red bumps and an itchy skin rash.
• Cysts. Small flesh colored keratin filled sacs and bumps can appear when an oil gland or hair follicle is blocked.
• Cystic acne. Very deep in the skin, these red and tender nodules can form and be quite painful and difficult to treat.
• Eczema. Small itchy bumps may appear and can even ooze pus and other fluids.
• Folliculitis. An inflammatory response to shaving, short hair will get trapped in the skin resulting in a breakout.
• Hives. Whether caused by an allergic reaction, stress, or illness these bumps can vary in size and even merge together to create a larger affected area.
• Hyperplasia. Small, yellowish bumps that tend to appear during the aging process and get mistaken for pimples. Mostly caused by the overproduction of oil glands in the face.
• Ichthyosis vulgaris. When the skin doesn’t shed dead cells, they accumulate to create patches on the surface resembling the scaly patterns of a fish.
• Ingrown hairs. When the shaft of a hair is trapped beneath the surface of the skin, red bumps often develop around it.
• Keloids. More common in darker skin, this bump of scar tissue will grow beyond the boundary of the skin.
• Lipomas. Round and moveable fatty mass that is located under the skin.
• Molluscum contagiosum. Small, flesh colored bumps that can arise from directly contacting the skin of someone affected with them.
• Psoriasis. A chronic skin disease that can cause the appearance of red and itchy patches of skin.
• Seborrheic keratoses. Thick and rough bumps that have a waxy appearance. May start small and look like a wart, but can grow in size.
• Skin tags. These little growths of skin typically grow in places where the skin frequently rubs against other skin.
• Warts. Caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), these can pop up in various parts of the body depending on strain. They can also be passed to other areas of skin by touch.