I have Keratosis pilaris,please help

[rajeev]

i have small acne-like bumps on my upper arm and buttocks.I went to a dermatologist and he said it doesn't need treatment.I guess therea are many peoples in net that have the same symptoms.Would you like to share what medications you use..and is there any way to treat it.

[Ashu]

There are not much effective treatments as far as i know..preventing excessive skin dryness and use of mild cleansers could help.you can apply some emollients, lactic acid, tretinoin cream, tazarotene, alpha-hydroxy acid lotions and peels, urea cream, salicylic acid, topical steroids, and topical immunomodulators. applying topical retinoids weekly are generally the most effective, but the result usually is not complete.After you stop the drugs it might reappear.

Microdermabrasion might help but it needs long term therapy..

[rajeev]

thanks ashma for your quick answer.i have been using AHA and salicylic acid but not much benefit,i was just interested if anyone here have the same problems and what they are using..

[SkinCareDiva]

Exfoliate, use thick lotions and products with glycolic and AHA's. I love Mario Badescu AHA Botanical Body Soap and their Papaya Body Lotion. Smells soooo yummy! Its a harmless condition but if it bugs you that much a derm can get you Rx strength creams.

[saggy]

Keratosis pilaris occurs when the human body produces excess keratin, a natural protein in the skin. The excess keratin, which is cream colored, surrounds and entraps the hair follicles in the pore. This causes the formation of hard plugs (process known as hyperkeratinization). Bearing only cosmetic consequence, the condition most often appears as a proliferation of tiny hard bumps that are seldom sore or itchy. Though people with keratosis pilaris experience this condition year-round, it is during the colder months, when moisture levels in the air are lower, that the problem can become exacerbated and the goose bumps are apt to look and feel more pronounced in color and texture.

Many KP bumps contain an ingrown hair that has coiled. This is a result of the keratinized skin's "capping off" the hair follicle, preventing the hair from exiting. The hair grows encapsulated inside the follicle. The hair's removal can lead to scarring.

[Julia Bartlet]

Get a glycol based exfoliator that you would use on your face. Should melt those bumps and redness in a few weeks. Worked for me! Good luck:

Julia

[prasanth5]

Doctors usually prescribe a cream with a high level if Retin-A for the treatment of Keratosis. This appears to be a hereditary shortcoming. May be the treatment could be a bit expensive.

[sallyB]

KP duty worked for me some what. Still use it. Get it at sephora. Of course...pregnancy did wonders for my KP. But it's not a solution I'd recommend for everyone.

[smoothskin]

KP duty worked for me some what. Still use it. Get it at sephora. Of course...pregnancy did wonders for my KP. But it's not a solution I'd recommend for everyone.

Pregnancy helped your keratosis pilaris? Is that because the hormone fluctuation changed your cell renewal process? How was you kp after your pregnancy was over? I think the cost of maternity might be more than my pharmaceutical creams both in terms of money and responsibility.

[sallyB]

Pregnancy helped your keratosis pilaris? Is that because the hormone fluctuation changed your cell renewal process? How was you kp after your pregnancy was over? I think the cost of maternity might be more than my pharmaceutical creams both in terms of money and responsibility!

KP continued to be much better after birth I think because I'm breast feeding. And yes I'd chalk it up to hormone levels but I don't really know why. Except as you mention during pregnancy everything grows faster, hair, skin, nails.

But definitely not the treatment for every one. Though I love my child and she's helped my skin, she's been horrible for the bad under my eyes. You know, new parent = no sleep.:rolleyes:

[lovelie.skin]

My friend used a keratosis pilaris kit that worked wonders for her! It was a 4 step regimen that included a Skin Smoothing Cream Cleanser, Skin Smoothing Green Tea Exfoliating Scrub, Hydration Spray and Skin Smoothing Body Lotion. She has been using it for about a month or 2 now and her skin is almost 100% clear of the keratosis pilaris!

The cleanser gently exfoliated and hydrated the skin with antioxidants and CoQ10. Then the exfoliator sloughed of fall the dead skin cells. The Hydration spray had 40% Urea to soften and smooth the skin. Finally the Lotion had 15% Glycolic Acid to exfoliate dead skin cells to smooth skin cells while Vitamin E nourished the skin.