Anyone with KP (Keratosis Pilaris)?

[clc053103]

I have this on my arms and legs- legs definitely got worse after pregnancy. I've had it my whole life, and now I see DS has it too.

I recently saw a product advertised in Fitness magazine called "KP Duty" by Dermadoctor- has anyone tried these products? Or does anyone have another product they have found effective on KP?

Thanks!

[SummerBaby]

I have had it all my life too. I hate it and I'm very self-concious about it. I've seen 3 dermatologists about it and none offered me any hope of getting rid of it.

I haven't tried the KP duty (although it's tempting)- just wanted to empathize with you. I'd love to hear from anyone who has tried it!

Val
Mom to Madeline
7/28/04

[lilycat88]

My DD was diagnosed with it sometime back in the fall but she had the bumps for months before we did anything about it. The peds dermatologist recommended we use Eucerin Plus Intensive Repair Body Cream http://www.eucerinus.com/products/hb_plusbody.html It mentions KP on the website description of the product. I can't say whether it works well or not. I think it helps. Despite the dermatologist, and ENT, and an allergist saying that the bumps were definitely KP and definitely NOT related to an allergy, when she was diagnosed with an egg allergy and we removed them from her diet, the KP all but disappeared. She still has *very* slight chicken skin every once in a while but nothing that anyone but parents would notice upon close inspection.

[clc053103]

Thanks for your response! Maybe someone else will post with tips for us both!

As a child, I went for months to a dermatologist who treated it with Cleocin T and Retin A- and required me to wrap my arms in plastic wrap at night! But it took forever to show progress, and came right back if you stopped.

[s7714]

I have it on my upper arms. I've read that the majority of the world population has it to some degree, they just don't know what it is (other than calling it chicken skin or bumpy arms ;) ). I've tried a whole slew of creams/lotions/exfoliants and nothing has improved it in the long run really.

I was pretty jazzed that mine disappeared during both of my pregnancies, but always came back. The only things that seem to improve it for me, is to make sure I drink a lot of water and let the skin be exposed to air. (It always gets worse in winter when I have to wear long sleeved shirts.)

Jennifer
Mommy to
Miss Pure Energy 3/03
Miss Limit Tester 6/05

Our bones may be brittle, but our spirit is unbreakable.
Osteogenesis Imperfecta www.oif.org

[clc053103]

This was very interesting- one thing I remember was the dermatologist telling me to eat a certain # of eggs a week to help my KP! How odd!

I think the Eucerin is worth a try- and easily purchased at the local drug store!

If anyone else has any experience to share, please do!

[Lilysmom06]

I also have had KP my whole life. It really improved with pregnancy, and has been much worse since I gave birth. :(

Apparently it is due to a problem with the skin cells shedding properly, so any treatment that exfoliates is supposed to help. I have not found anything that works great, despite trying many, many things.

I have been using a lotion called Amlactin that I got at CVS, it is working OK and is about $15 a bottle. I also exfoliate with a loofah in the shower, and sometimes use a salicylic acid toner on the areas. I have seen some improvement, but it is annoying to have to keep these up all the time. Because once you stop, it just comes back.

I had read that about 50% of the population has the condition, and your kids will have a 50% chance of having it. My sister also has it, but much less severe than mine (I have it on my arms, legs, butt). I had also read that it should start disappearing when you reach your thirties, but I am still waiting. :(

Hope this helps someone, and I am anxious to see what others have to say too!

Kathy

[DrSally]

I have a friend who's baby has it and after she switched from cow's milk to goat's milk, it got better.

eta: Here's what Paula Begoun has to say about KP:

Little Bumps on the Backs of Arms
Problem: Since I was five or six, I have had little bumps on the backs of my upper arms and now they have spread to other areas of my body. They don't hurt (although they itch sometimes) but they are very annoying. I read that these are Keratosis pilaris, a genetically inherited skin disorder caused by the skin's inability to exfoliate itself. Does this sound right? If so, what treatment options are available?

Solution: The diagnosis sounds fairly right-on. Keratosis pilaris is very common, finding a home on the upper arms, thighs, and shoulders. Keratosis pilaris tends to be more severe during the winter months but no one is sure why that is the case and it definitely isn't consistent for everyone. Basically, the bumpy rough spots are clogged pores that sometimes get red and irritated but rarely itch. Regrettably there is no available cure or universally effective treatment, though it is generally well accepted that unclogging pores and reducing inflammation can improve matters greatly (Source: eMedicine Journal, July 2, 2001, Volume 2, Number 7).

Lactic acid (a very effective form of alpha hydroxy acid) can help exfoliate skin cells, but lactic acid isn't effective for dissolving lipids, so it can't penetrate into the pore and exfoliate the lining of the pore that is a major cause of the problem. For that, you would need a beta hydroxy acid product with the active ingredient salicylic acid and a pH low enough for exfoliation to occur. It is also helpful to avoid bar soaps that can irritate skin or cause clogged pores. A gentle body shampoo is best. The recommendation to scrub away the plugs can mean you inflame the area and still leave the skin feeling rough and bumpy below the surface where the abrasive can't reach.

Another common condition that can manifest itself as visible red bumps on the arms and thighs is bacterial folliculitis. This inflammatory condition involves an infection of the hair follicle by the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. It begins with mild swelling and redness around the hair follicle and may eventually become small, inflamed pustules. This condition is most common in persons with a lot of body hair, but can occur on anyone. The most common form of prescribed treatment is a course of oral antibiotics (penicillins, cephalosporins) but topically applied antibiotics are also helpful (Source: The Skin Sourcebook, 1998, pages 162-164). You can also try treating the affected area with daily application of a product containing 5% or 10% benzoyl peroxide. This topical disinfectant is often helpful in keeping these inflamed, acne-like bumps under control.

[LaurelC]

I have it too, and it has been worse during pregnancy, and generally gets worse in the winter too. About a month ago, I noticed it was so bad that I had to do something and quick! I have always had it, but this was the worst it had ever been.

I was thinking about purchasing the KP Duty by Dermadoctor, but after reading some bad reviews of the product on Amazon, decided to try something cheaper first. I have been using the Am Lactin 12% lotion ($11.99 for an 8 oz bottle) pretty religiously twice a day for about three weeks. The bumps are significantly better, almost totally smooth, but you can still see some "dots" where the bumps were. The skin is also still pretty red. Also, someone else mentioned that as soon as you stop using the product you are using, the KP starts to come right back, and after skipping a day or two - well, definitely that is true!

Someone else mentioned that it starts to go away in your 30's - I had read that too. I am 38 and I am waiting.....

[drsweetie]

All my life I thought I was the only one with this condition, and now I find out it's really common! Anyway, I've tried KP Duty and can't really recommend it wholeheartedly. It didn't make things worse, but I didn't notice any significant improvement either. And it burns going on -- not so bad that it made me discontinue using it, but enough that I was unhappy about it, though I got used to it after a few days.

I haven't found anything that helps my KP.

Ellen