Lichen Pilaris

a skin disease manifested by the eruption of dense acuminate papules with a convoluted downy hair growing spirally through the center of each; a keratosis.

Lichen pilaris appears in two- to three-year-old children, reaches it height between 15 and 20, and subsides during adulthood. It is found most frequently among girls and young women. The eruptions are usually located on the extensor surfaces of the upper and lower extremities, the buttocks, and sometimes the scalp. It is accompanied by dryness of the skin and mild peeling, especially on the outer surfaces of the upper and lower extremities. Lichen pilaris is often a congenital skin disease, but it can also develop from vitamin A deficiency. Treatment is prolonged, consisting of large doses of vitamins A and E and warm baths followed by application of vitamin A and ointments that dissolve the horny layer of the skin. Ocean bathing, in conjunction with sunbathing and radon and hydrogen sulfide baths, may have a favorable effect.