This article is part of the series SkinCare Diaries and was originally published back in 2012. I reposted it today because I wanted to update you on how my son’s skin is faring now that he’s nearly four years old. I usually write about skin care products I’ve tried or tips for a quick morning routine in Skin Care Diaries. But because what we eat is connected to how our skin not only looks and feels but also how it functions, I think it can help you if you are wanting to take better care of your skin and that of your family.

A Picture of Health

My son has a condition called Keratosis pilaris alba. Before you get concerned, it is in no way life-threatening. Keratosis pilaris alba is a bothersome and somewhat unsightly skin condition that takes several forms but the one I am referring to is characterized by a bumpy, non-inflamed chicken-skin-like condition.

You’ve seen it, right? A lot of people have it. It usually shows up as bumps on the back of the arms, legs and sometimes the face. It is hereditary, unfortunately. Both my partner and I have this condition. Typically, your doctor will tell you that there is nothing to be done except exfoliate and moisturize. And while I spent a long time in the skin care industry I have never been able to rid myself of it completely, until recently.

This story begins in July 2012, when we were getting concerned about our son’s constant cough and sneezing fits. At first we considered environmental allergies and made sure to dust and clean his room often. We were also experiencing these symptoms and wondered if our new apartment was to blame. Our son seemed to be getting one cold after another with the cough never really going away.

After having it checked to see if there was an infection in his chest, we were reassured that there was not. Knowing that I am lactose intolerant myself, I wondered if this was the problem for him and so I switched my son to lactose-free milk.

Two Weeks Later

After just two weeks, his cough was virtually non-existent and the sneezing stopped.

But something unexpected happened as well.

The Keratosis pilaris alba that seemed to be taking over his little body showed significant signs of improvement. The skin on his arms and legs, once extremely rough and bumpy, was becoming soft again. His sweet little face, once covered in reddened bumps was gone. I knew I was on to something but being the science geek that I am, I needed to test my theory.

Testing the Theory

In order to know for sure that regular milk was the culprit, I reintroduced it back into his diet for a couple of days and didn’t change anything else.

The coughing and sneezing returned very quickly. And when my son had his checkup with his pediatrician a short time later. I told her what I discovered, hoping that she would confirm my findings and tell me that she’s seen it happen in other children too.

I’m not sure why I wanted her validation as I know that many doctors don’t understand the skin very well or how the foods we eat affect it. I think the problem is that we believe that doctors somehow know more about everything just because they are doctors. Not surprisingly, she said that there is no scientific evidence to support that drinking milk has any effect on the health and condition of the skin.

Doctors know a lot, but they don’t know everything

I’ve seen the transformation my son’s skin and his health went through with my own eyes and I know that the condition of the skin is a direct reflection of the body’s health. And as of today, July 10th 2014, my son’s skin has improved dramatically.

And what’s even better is that he is no longer having coughing and sneezing fits anymore. He’s also had far fewer colds since eliminating lactose from his diet and although he still eats cheese and yogurt they don’t seem to have the same effect that drinking milk does. Thanks for reading.

Have you made the connection between the food you eat and your skin’s health? I’d love to hear about it.