If your face has tiny bumps that are neither as large as blackheads or whiteheads nor as red and inflamed as acne, it could very well be 毛周角化 (keratosis pilaris)—a commonly overlooked facial skin concern.
Keratosis pilaris (毛周角化) may sound unfamiliar, but it is widely known as “chicken skin” (鸡皮肤). It is also referred to as 毛发苔藓 or 毛发角化病, and is a chronic keratinization disorder of the hair follicles (毛囊). In this condition, excessive keratin builds up abnormally in the follicles, creating a rough skin texture similar to the surface of a plucked chicken.
On the face, keratosis pilaris tends to appear in oilier areas such as both sides of the nose (鼻翼两侧), the chin (下巴), and the forehead (额头). On the body, the condition is more widespread and can be found on the upper arms (上臂), outer thighs (大腿伸侧), calves (小腿), and buttocks (臀部).
Though keratosis pilaris (毛周角化) is a medical condition, it is neither painful nor itchy. On the face, it feels like numerous tiny bumps with a grainy texture—subtle but visibly affecting the skin’s smoothness and clarity. On the body, the condition appears as keratinised papules (毛囊角化性小丘疹) with varying degrees of redness around the follicles (毛囊周围红斑), making it more prominent.
Typically, keratosis pilaris is common among adolescents and is largely associated with the gene (遗传问题). However, non-genetic factors (后天原因) such as change in hormonal levels (激素水平变化), overwashing (清洁过度), and photo-damaging (光损伤) can also lead to its development. In such cases, aesthetic medicine (医美) offers several cosmetic dermatology (皮肤美容) treatments to help manage and improve the condition.
At Ai Beauty Clinic in London, the two most popular treatments for improving “chicken skin” are HydraFacial (海菲秀) and Acid Peel (刷酸).
HydraFacial (海菲秀) is a cutting-edge deep-cleansing facial treatment. It is approved by the U.S. FDA, CE-certified in the EU, and CSA-certified in Canada. It uses a unique serum formula combined with Vortex-Fusion two-way vacuum technology (真空双向VORTEX专利技术) to provide non-invasive cleansing, restore the skin’s oil-water balance (平衡油脂), accelerate cellular metabolism (加速代谢), and smoothen the skin surface (细腻肤质).
Acid Peel (刷酸) helps stimulate epidermal turnover and promotes collagen fiber regeneration and reorganization in the dermis. It effectively improves skin texture (改善肤质，尤其是鸡皮肤), minimizes pores (缩小毛孔) by inhibiting oil secretion (抑制油脂分泌), and brightens skin tone (提亮肤色).