Dr. Chheda – What are these bumps on my upper arm? It’s a form of dry skin called keratosis Polaris. And 50% of the population has keratosis Polaris. It can affect the cheeks, the upper arms and the upper thighs. There’s really nothing much to do about it. It feels like bumpy skin at times. Kids rarely complain about it as they grew up to be more teenagers or adults. That rough and bumpy feeling is a little unpleasant. I found the best thing to do is Cerave S A cream. The SA stands for salicylic acid and it actually helps smooth the bumps out. I’ve been using it for a while and now my skin is smooth. I can still see them, but I don’t feel them as much