Keto rash’s scientific name is prurigo pigmentosa. It’s also referred to as Nagashima’s disease because it was first described in 1971 by Japanese dermatologist Masaji Nagashima. This condition is not specific to keto, and there are other reasons that you may develop it. Although it is most commonly seen in Japanese, it’s also been reported in Korean and Middle Eastern populations, among others.
Symptoms of Keto Rash
Do you know?? Symptoms of the keto rash are that it:
Starts with inflamed, itchy skin with raised spots forming a broader pattern
The rash is usually accompanied by itching.
Red-coloured spots known as “papules,” which usually have a web-like appearance.
The spots are mostly symmetrical and occur on the back, abdomen, chest, and armpits
Keto rash usually comes and goes.
As it heals, the keto rash can become scaly and often leaves dark spots or hyperpigmentation which will take time to normalize.
Stages of Keto Rash
The keto rash consists of four main stages, including early lesions, fully-developed lesions, resolving legions, and late lesions.
Early lesions:
Early stages consist of light pink raised skin lesions that look similar to scratch marks. These will usually occur around the stomach, chest, back, and neck. Oftentimes, people confuse this stage as a temporary rash and don’t do anything to address the symptoms.
Fully-developed lesions:
The skin begins showing more distinct skin lesions, also known as papules. Sometimes these papules contain liquid or pus-filled cysts. This is typically the time when people become concerned about the condition.
Resolving lesions: read about Cico Diet
The rash begins to recede and papules become crusty. The colour of the legions tends to get darker.
Late lesions: Once the rash begins to go away, the spots turn darker and they form a web-like appearance. This formation of dark skin discolouration can last an extended period of time, even after the rash is gone.
What causes keto rash??
- Besides dietary choices, there are also external factors which can influence the severity of keto rash including:
- Sunlight
- Excessive heat
- Sweating
- Friction
- Skin trauma
- Other skin allergies
- Hormonal differences
- Gut bacteria
How long does keto rash last?
For how long keto rash lasts?? That’s impossible to answer. Some sufferers have reported that their skin cleared up in a matter of hours or just a few days. In other cases, the rash has lasted a week or so. Some people report that their keto rash comes, goes, and comes back again. Other sufferers get it once, and it never reoccurs.
How to treat keto rash
If you are one of the unlucky few and find yourself suffering from keto rash, the first thing to do is not worry. Stress and anxiety will make things worse. Instead, just follow these easy-to-implement action points.
Let keto rash
heal on its own
Don’t be tempted to slather your skin in lotions, start taking antihistamines, or wrap your skin in bandages. Instead, try and let your rash heal by itself. Most keto rash sufferers report that it usually heals all by itself.
Increase your carb intake
If you find that your rash vanishes when you increase your carb intake, you may benefit from following a cyclic ketogenic diet, or CKD for short. With this keto variant, you go keto for 5-6 days per week, and then break ketosis with 1-2 days of more carbs. This may help you avoid triggering a keto rash.
Eliminate potential allergens from your diet
- Identify potential allergens in your diet and eliminate them one-by-one to see how your skin responds. Common
- sources of allergy include:
- Dairy (e.g., cottage cheese, full-fat yogurt, hard cheese)
- Eggs
- Fish (tuna, mackerel, salmon)
- Shellfish (oysters, clams, crab, prawns)
- Tree nuts (macadamia, almonds, brazil)
- Peanuts (oil, butter, and the nuts themselves)
