Keratosis Pilaris is caused by an overproduction of keratin, a natural protein in the skin. The keratin traps the hair follicles in the pore, causing those annoying red bumps on the skin. While there is no specific cure for keratosis pilaris, some people have found that dietary changes can improve bumps and give them smoother, clearer skin! Dairy is one of the most common culprits of flaring KP bumps. Even though we all love our cheese and ice cream, it may be beneficial to your skin to remove it from your diet!
Keratosis Pilaris may be exacerbated by an inability to process Casein, which is a protein found in dairy products. An intolerance to Casein can be linked to other skin conditions as well, such as acne and eczema. To know if dairy is causing your KP to flare up, try removing all dairy products from your diet for 6 weeks and see if the bumps improve. If your symptoms improve, you can try adding some dairy products slowly back to see if dairy truly is the culprit.
In fact, one woman said:
“I have had keratosis pilaris for almost 20 years. I was frustrated with not being to get rid of the bumps, so I was willing to try anything. After reducing the number of dairy products I ate, I noticed a pretty good difference in the appearance of the KP on my arms. Just to test it, I drank milk for a couple days and it seems the KP has returned some.”
