What are the bumps on my arms?

As the weather starts to warm up and sleeveless tops are coming into fashion, one of the subjects I'm frequently asked about is 'what are these small bumps on my arms?'

Some people suffer from keratosis pilaris. It's a condition that looks like permanent goosebumps and they can appear on the cheeks, arms or thighs and often are accompanied by ingrown hair or dry skin.

Lots of children suffer with keratosis pilaris, but most people grow out of it by the time they reach adulthood. Although we don't know the cause at this time, it is thought to be genetic as children of parents with it are much more likely to develop it too.

That said, it could also be that families tend to share a similar diet, and it's most commonly seen in families where the diet is particularly low in vitamins A and C.

The condition is harmless, and shouldn't be a huge concern to you, but if you are bothered by it, there are a few things you can do.

Firstly, keep the skin well moisturized, with natural, organic, skin care products that don't contain lots of chemicals that can irritate the skin.

Secondly, you can start to address deficiencies in the diet, trying to include foods like organ meats, dairy, eggs, fish, dark leafy greens, yellow-orange colored vegetables and fruit to increase vitamins A and C.

You could also consider a good quality supplement to address any nutrient deficiencies that you might be experiencing.

One of my favourite quotes from Dr Cate Shanahan's book Deep Nutrition is 'form follows function' - and the idea that things we can see on the outside of our bodies are the visible signs of nutrient deficiencies; those deficiencies are also present internally, with some of the more crucial functions of the body, but we may not be aware of them until significant damage has been done.

I consider keratosis pilaris to be one of those early warning signals that your body is giving you, to let you know that you probably need to eat a slightly better diet if you want to experience long term, abundant health.