I took my mom to a doctor the other day and as I was waiting for her, I saw a brochure on kp. I then was able to catch the dermatologist who had an office in the building and low and behold, he have me some great advice. He first told me that kp was self-limiting meaning that it will EVENTUALLY improve on its own, it just takes a long time because it has to run its course and that could take years. Much to my surprise he than told me that the sun is great for this condition (moderate exposure) and that it actually helps to keep the bumps at bay. He truly sympathized with my situation and it was really refreshing to talk to a derm who had pretty much nothing but positive things to say. He did say about the redness that they really aren't scars, just inflammation trapped in the follicle and said a tca peel would probably help get rid of that ****. I am going to set up a consultation with him so I can talk more with him because I really didn't get a chance to go in to it too much, but I will certainly let everyone know what else he has to say.

I went in recently to derm again (second time ever, about a month ago). KP wasent the only topic I was there for, but I got very little encouragement. I basically left with a feeling of hopelessness and some am-lactin packets. I did get some good advice on where to buy Am-Lactin for cheap (Costco, 15 bucks for a bottle). The stuff actually does help a bit. But it doesnt stop or cure anything. It just seems to tone it down a bit. I have considered shaving my arms: Maybe it would help the KP, and maybe my hair would grow back a bit thicker to hide it better... I know it sounds dumb. But I am pretty desperate.

I share your frustration and I also share your thoughts that it may never get better, but I truly believe we are both wrong. First off, I was told by the derm that there are ways to get rid of the redness and bumps, but it just takes patience. I do think that you may suffer from a little bit of obsessive compulsive disorder because I suffer from it as well. I know I can sit hear and preach to you that no one notices (which is true by the way) but that never really helped me any. Think of it this way wolf, when you finally see improvement in your skin and the redness and bumps have finally faded and you have a grip on this ****, think of how happy and humble you will be. I will certainly share any info I come across with you and believe me, I will come up with an effective treatment for this because I have been told its out there.

Thanks Brian. Please do so and keep us updated on any treatments you come across.

KP does eventually get better, but only if you don't pick at it. Picking causes inflamation which causes the adjacent pores to swell and then clog with skin cells more easily. My mom used to have terrible KP her whole life until she hit her late thirties, and stopped picking her arms. She was so busy raising six kids she didn't have time to pick at it, and slowly but surely it subsided until now, in her forties, she has NO BUMPS AT ALL. So there is hope. All us pickers and scratchers out there need to recommit ourselves to giving up our habit! It's our only hope!

I always have to add my two cents when people talk about picking. DON'T DO IT! You'll regret it!!

Hi All,

I'm so glad i found this forum! It has really helped me to put a lot of things in perspective. My story in a nutshell - i didn't even know what KP was. I always thought that the i had this self-inflicted rash by picking at my skin constantly (trying to get ingrown hairs out). So i decided to go to a derm and guess what...i'm sure you've all heard this one - KP can't be cured and it will go away on it's own as the years go by. Years? **** i thought, but at least i know what i'm suffering from finally.

I've spent a lot of time just reading the different topics and the conclusions seem to be the same. I just have a couple of questions you might be able to shed some light on:

1. Does shaving help?

2. Has anyone ever done laser hair removal and what were the results as far as KP was concerned?

3. What creams, oils etc. seem to help you?

Thanks for taking the time!

Prolly a stupid question, but why? I get a sense of relief when i pick here and there occasionally.

Popping a really annoying bump or two probably won't cause a problem, but picking a lot at an area causes the bumps to spread and get bigger. I don't know why this is, but it is SO true.

Whenever I leave my arms or legs alone, they clear up and the redness diminishes. The other problem with picking is that it can become psychologically addictive. It is almost like an obsessive-compulsive behavior where you see the bumps on your skin and you HAVE to pick at all of them. I have spent literally hours messing with my skin, causing infections and scabs and scars.

My KP used to be really mild, just a few bumps on my upper arms and thighs, but because of picking it has spread all over my arms and legs and other places as well. Anyway, the point of this is to say, DON'T PICK!!!

Todor 17, Nylarual said exactly what I would have said. What happened to me was that a few bumps turned into a red, scarred mess because of what started as just a little picking slowly turned into an obsession. If something negative happened or I had an especially stressful day, I would take it out on my skin. After a picking binge, you feel so relieved and "purified". But it got to the point where I would always feel guilt and self disgust afterwards. I am totally convinced that my KP would not look so bad if I hadn't damaged myself so much. I gave it up for good a couple of months ago, and my arms definitely look way better, but I'm still paying for my sins I guess you can say, cuz I think it's going to take a long time for the scars to fade.

I suppose you're both right. I'll take your advice and run with it!

Thanks!