Here is the negative response I recieved when inquireing about Laser hair removal and pulse dye laser on KP from a laser doctor. Very disappointing. I would like to see a study done.

Dear

Thank you for your email regarding Keratosis Pilaris.

When people have what is called Keratosis Pilaris Rubra on the face, this
does respond to three or four treatments with the vascular laser. If it is
on the arms however and is not particularly red, there is no known treatment
other than using a buff puff or a loofah on a regular basis to remove the
roughness.

Laser hair removal does not make any difference to this condition.

I am sorry to be so negative but, at the moment, we just do not have a magic
answer for you.

With very best wishes
Yours sincerely
Dr Blank Blank
Blank Laser & Dermatology Clinic

I'm sorry if this response was negative for you, however I do think that other people would see it as a very positive response if they are suffering from kprf. I also see this response positively as it sounded like he was implying that the laser could help with the redness on the arms as well.

Stygian...where is this clinic located ??and what kind of laser was the Dr. referring to.??.If he thinks that 4 treatmentts of the laser will help to reduce the facial redness that my son has I want to find this guy....send out any info you can..Thanks..Robin

Hi,

Yes I was disappointed with this response and I will show you why.

I have been doing some research and it is not yet conclusive and very preliminary, but I will list two websites on laser hair removal being a possible treatment for keratosis pilarus below.

I am not a medical professional and I do not know the terminology straight away, but I am educated and have recently completed a degree and I am capable of independant research. I have been looking up terminology on medical dictionarys online (a google search for dermatology dictionary is always effective) and KP is a follicular disease. It is possible that it occurs when the hair grows and then the follicle gets inflamed. Please refer to the following websites:

1. http://dermnetnz.org/acne/keratosis-pilaris.html

Here you will notice under treatment Laser assisted hair removal is listed.

2. http://www.ingentaconnect.com/conten...00001/art08100

A study using a long-pulse non-Q-switched ruby laser to treat follicular problems, one of which was a variation of KP.

Now this is in no way conclusive, but it is a start. If you are interested in learning more you can subscribe/refer to a website called www.pubmed.com and they have contacts of the researching doctors on there, although im not sure its common for laymen to contact them. Plus im also not sure how much more useful information it has for this particular scenario.

Also in my initial email to the doctor, what I was requesting was something more then just does it work. What I had said was I am interested in doing some test patches on one of my arms which is afflicted with the disease and I would be interested in treating maybe an area of one arm over a period of time with laser hair removal to see if there is a difference.

That applied both to pulse dye and laser hair removal.

Plus I dont think that it is uncommon for pulse dye laser to be used in this instance, but I was refered to him by my derm, who is a professor at a hospital campus with cambridge and oxford qaulifications, because i didnt want to go to just any shister. I have also let her know the update with that doctor and the research so far.

Beyond that, I am waiting for his response back and hers on the two sites above information, and if I am not satisfied with those, I will continue to probe down this line of investigation (continued research and perhaps looking to contact a doctor from the first listed site as a point to begin).

What I would like to see is perhaps a large group study done specifically for this, if there is evidence to support the possibility it could be effective and if this has not already been done.

I would also like to see detailed information being available on the degree to which pulse dye laser is effective. If anyone can direct me to this please do.

FYI I think from what ive read so far, perhaps laser hair removal might actually help prevent the KP from reoccuring, simular to the way it helps fight ingrown hairs.

Regards,

Stygian.

PS
yes I can give you his details please email me or perhaps can we contact each other privately through this thing? I will create a seperate email specifically for that and post it here soon, but this doctor is in australia and im sure you can find one locally who is qaulified to do it and knows about that also.

Yet,
Hey maybe I am wrong and he is right, but I dont see any point in not continueing to investigate because there is nothing to lose and everything to gain. If i am wrong, I dont feel bad for searching for the truth.

- Stygian