Do you have red bumps on your arms that you just can't seem to get rid of? If so, you're in good company. In fact, 50% of all adults have "chicken skin" arms, officially known as Keratosis Pilaris.

KP is completely harmless, but for those of us with the rough skin it can be a downer, especially during hot, summer weather. You want to wear sleeveless styles, but it's just one more thing to be self-conscious about.

There's no cure for KP, but there are treatments. Mainly it's a combination of exfoliating and moisturizing, with lotions that can do both being the obvious one-step solution. It's important to find one that you like, because you have to keep up the treatments. Like dandruff, it's a skin condition you can manage but not eradicate.


Some of the most commonly recommended lotions contain glycolic or lactic acid for exfoliation and urea for moisturizing. Vitamin A treatments can also be used, and micro-dermabrasion is a solution for those with a higher threshold for pain and irritation, although again, it's a chronic condition, so you'll be back under the sandpaper sooner or later.

The lotions, because they are characterized as "treatments" can be kind of pricey, but they help if you use them religiously. Check out some of the most popular brands in the gallery.