pronounced in color and texture, during the colder months, when moisture levels in the air are lower. The symptoms may also worsen during pregnancy or after childbirth. Increased sun exposure might mitigate the symptoms of KP. Pathophysiology KP occurs when the human body produces excess amounts of the skin protein keratin, resulting in the formation of small, raised bumps in the skin, often with surrounding redness. The excess keratin, which is the same color as the person's natural skin tone, surrounds and entraps the hair follicles in the pore. This causes the formation of hard plugs (a process known as hyperkeratinization). Many KP bumps contain an ingrown hair that has coiled. This is a result of the keratinized skin's "capping off" the hair follicle, preventing the hair from exiting. The hair grows encapsulated inside the follicle. KP is more common in patients affected by atopic diseases such as allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis. KP subtypes are occasionally part of genetically inherited syndromes associated with intellectual disability, neuro-cardio-facial-cutaneous syndromes, RASopathies, ectodermal dysplasias, and certain myopathies. Diagnosis Physicians can often diagnose KP simply by examining the skin without specialized tests, but a dermatologist can use dermoscopy to confirm the diagnosis and assess if a person with KP is responding to treatment. Physicians often consider family history and the presence of symptoms when making the diagnosis. Those with this condition are generally encouraged to contact a physician if the bumps are bothersome and do not improve with over-the-counter lotions. Differential diagnosis Several medications that can cause a skin eruption similar to KP include cyclosporine, BRAF inhibitors, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Classification The several different types of KP include KP rubra (red, inflamed bumps, which can be on arms, head, legs), KP alba (rough, bumpy skin with no irritation), KP rubra faceii (reddish rash on the cheeks), KP atrophicans, keratosis follicularis spinulosa decalvans, atrophoderma vermiculatum, KP atrophicans faciei, erythromelanosis follicularis faciei et colli, and papular profuse precocious KP. KP is commonly described in association with other dry-skin conditions, such as ichthyosis vulgaris, dry skin, and atopic dermatitis, including those of asthma and allergies. KP does not bear any known, long-term health implications, nor is it associated with increased mortality or morbidity. It is not related to goose bumps, which result from muscle contractions, except that both occur in the area where the hair shaft exits the skin. Gallery Treatment KP is medically harmless, but