Hey guys, I'm new here! This is probably my second post. This is probably going to be messy, poorly structured, preachy, and long winded, lol, so brace yourselves.

I'm 18, and I've had Keratosis Pilaris ever since I was small. Before finding out what it was called, up until about one year ago, I was trying lotions, creams, and even went on Accutane (something I think you should all avoid, even if its for acne). Since finding out it's name, and even before that, I've been constantly reading up and researching on skin care, KP care, and general all-around health, including hours of reading the many of posts in the old message board and this one. Here is what I have learned, from personal experience and the experiences of others.

1. I'll start off with the obvious. KP is caused from many different possible factors, such as over-production of keratin (the dead skin cells that clog your pores), under-exfoliation, dry skin, lack of vitamin A, water quality, poor diet, an unhealthy lifestlye in general, stress, and probably many more besides that. The magnitude of these factors are obviously different for everyone-- as are people's skin-types along with that. So of course, different treatments are going to be different for everyone. Sometimes its just a matter of only moisturizing, exfoliating, or changing your diet-- any one of these may clear up someone's condition. For others, its going to take a combination of many different regimens to lessen their condition. For some people, nothing may ever work. This is a genetic condition, afterall.

2. Don't go overkill on products and treatment. From personal experience, and after learning of many other people's experiences, its apparent that with prolonged use of one type of treatment, the skin/body will eventually adapt and become somewhat immune to it. Its a scientific fact that your body will put up a constant fight to maintain homeostasis. I believe that since its usually a genetic trait, this also applies to KP. Don't use many different treatments at once, trying to wage war on your skin. Keep it simple! Every couple of months, switch to something different, and then if you want, switch back. Unless it is extremely inflamed and dispersed all over your body, I think that there is absolutely no need to spend hundreds of dollars on your KP. It is a chronic condition and will never go away for good by simply using a cream. Sometimes just simple, gentle exfoliation and regular moisturizing (I personally recommend products with aloe vera) will provide a lot of temporary improvement. Be gentle and go easy on your skin, it will look much better overall.

3. Circulation affects KP. You'll notice that during moderate to intense exercise, KP flares up more than ever. Overly hot water usually has the same effect (and is also drying). Exercise is still very important, but avoid unnecesary stress. Learn to stay calm, cool, and collected. Find activities that leave you relaxed and relieved (yoga, perhaps?). Take some time out of the day for yourself.

4. KP changes with time. I know first hand that this is definately true. When I was younger, my thighs were covered, as were my forearms. Gym class in junior high was embarassing, KP on my forearms was HORRIBLE. It was thick, red, inflamed, and the running around only made it worse. I went through a phase of avoiding t-shirts. Today, only 4 or 5 years later, my forearms and thighs are 95% clear of KP when I exercise, and 100% when I'm relaxed. The KP sort of 'migrated' to my chest, upper arms, shoulders, and other places.

5. Tanning beds simply aren't worth it, regardless of the relief they provide. I'm sure the majority of us are guilty of trying it, I'm an 18 year old guy and even I've done it a couple of times. But the truth is, the risk of cancer, pre-mature aging, and other problems simply aren't worth the temporary camoflage. There are some suprisingly good orange-free fake-tanners on the market these days which will cover your KP just as good as the real thing while saving your skin. Would you rather have bumpy arms, or a fatal cancer? Bumpy thighs, or skin which appears twenty years older than what you actually are?

6. The quickest fix: Soft Lighting. This is great for around your house, and in the bedroom and bathroom. The softer the lighting, the better your skin looks and the less obvious your KP appears.

7. Live healthy. Even if you don't find a healthy lifestyle doesn't have a strong effect on your KP, do it anyways. You'll look better, feel better inside and out, emotionally, mentally, and physically. Everyone should be doing it.


MOST IMPORTANTLY:

8. If you've read this far, great! Thanks. Here is the best advice you'll ever recieve for KP, I swear: It's not as bad, not even half as bad, as you think it is. Okay, now we're into rant mode. Forgive me if I come across as rude or even cheesy, I just want to get to the point.

The most annoying thing I find when hearing people talk about their KP, is how overly-sensitive and self-concious everyone on this board can get. I know its bad, but really, we notice it on ourselves more than anyone else ever does. It is not half as disgusting as you think it is, its not half as noticable as you think it is. DO NOT let KP control your life-- you should not wear only long sleeves because of it, I'm glad I know that now. People aren't inconsiderate-- they just need to be informed (imagine if we knew what this was called years ago!). So next time they ask, give them a brief explanation. Don't be embarassed.

I have horrible KP; it's on my upper arms, back, buttox, chest, and shoulders. My older brother's case is even worse. I don't let it bother me even a fraction of what it seems people with just a light case on their arms do. If you actually think someone will deem you unnactractive, or unworthy of their attention because you have KP, get as far away from them as humanly possible-- they're not worth YOUR time in your life.

Sure, yes, its something you notice and care about having to deal with-- but it shouldn't play a big role in your life. No one should be going out and buying harsh, overly-strong chemical peels and long, frequent, time-consuming regimens. I recently saw a girl I knew and thought of as very attractive wearing a tank top. Her upper arms were red, splotchy, and bumpy from KP. Did I think less of her? Nope. She's still just as beautiful looking and attention-worthy as before.

I can tell you first-hand that changing your appearance will not make you a more happy person. During highschool, I lost 40 lbs of fat, gained muscle, and basically went from overweight to athletic and lean. It did not make me any more happy than I was before, like I thought it would. Sure, I'm going to reap health benefits from it for years to come, and I wasn't as self-concious, but I still wasn't any more happy with my life as I was before the change. Don't ever think that you will be a happier person by losing your KP. Depend on friends and family for that.

You see, this support group is great and helpful in many ways, but it comes with its share of downsides. I kind of feel that it helps to harbour over-sensitivity to such a superficial issue. It almost blows the KP issue up into sensational proportions. Don't think of me as insensitive, I just think we're taking it way too far. Read up on a good lotion and try it out, give it time and let that do whatever it can, try something different to treat it now and then, but end it there. Don't let it control your life, who you are, and who you want to be. Its an absurd thing to do. Doing so unlocks a world of freedom and ease. It gets hard now and then, but learn to love yourself and your body.
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There you have it folks, from my short few years of experience, this is everything I have learned from living with Keratosis Pilaris. I hope you can all take a little bit of new knowledge with you.

and i can tell you from experience "learn to love yourself and your body"..easier said than done. It's great that some people on this forum are overcoming it, and i think everyone should try to change their outlook, but it's not an overnight thing. I think this forum helps people let their emotions go about it instead of having them well up inside while being alone with the condition. But i do agree, everyone should try to put this in perspective.

For some people with severe cases, its not a matter of just getting over it and moving on. Its extremely taxing on the self esteem. I think some people do get too "poor me" here, but sometimes it feels good to share how you feel with others who have the same problem. My case is not very severe, however if I had it any worse it would be so much harder than it already is. I liked your post, it had a lot of good info in there. You sound so wise for being 18. Just remember that some people are not as strong as you.

I agree with you guys 100%. It's just very troublesome to see some people here willing to even consider going through chemotherapy for the sake of clear skin (I know this has not been seriously discussed as actual treatment as much as a theory to discuss, but still).

I know there are many severe cases, I consider myself to be a severe case since its all over-- places like the pool or beach can be potentially nervewrecking. It just takes time and work to cope with it. Mainly, people just need to remind themselves that its a common skin condition-- it comes no where near cancer and other serious diseases.

You are absolutely right but people are all different and they will deal with their KP in a way that suits and works for them. I think 'overcoming' and I don't mean getting rid of it as it is not cureable, is learning to adapt to a life with KP and learning on a daily basis to deal with it, and accept that it is part of your life. Finding creams that work for you and sticking to them. There are days when you start strong then by the end of the week grinds your mood down again until you pick up again. Then there are certain times of the year when humidity is low and the condition is worse (especially in the winter months). Find what works for you long term so you are able to deal with it on a more permanent basis and finally as agreed 'like yourself warts 'n' all.

Markis- You are too wise for your years....You can't be 18.

markis, i didnt understand what u said about u had in forearms...and now its gone???
u are lucky for that, forearms are the worst place, now mines had spread there and i am havcving a really bad time i also have in chest back and arms, in legs almost nothing

oh another thing, tanning bad? i dont think u gonna get cancer for tanning, my dermatologist after winter, now she tell me to get tan with sun, i should tan in bed...and anyway i dont care about cancer, i prefer the risk than have this...i dont really care much bumps, mines are not very bumpy...but the rednesss?? is horrible, kp make us look like sick people or something... if with tanning i dont get have forearms hide of kp...i dont know if i ll try make up or tattoo, just in forearms... it stress me over there
PD: sorry for my english xD

Joss, I had cancerous cells removed on my body twice as a result of tanning. I was lucky they found it early. Just be careful with tanning... skin cancer can kill.

but the problem is tanning with sun, or in a saloon.
if is it for sun lots of people work in street and they are almost black now
and in saloon, the dermatologist of the hospital said me they would do it in the hospital, so i guess it will be a low level

I'm new here also...but agree totally that KP should be something we keep in perspective. I too have had it my whole life and have not ever let it keep me from tank tops and swimming suits. I know everyone has a different opinions and I respect all of them.

18 years old and such a positive attitude. Very refreshing and good advice. You are dead on about the lighting too. Ive noticed at work (a hospital) the lighting is so bright and my KP always looks the worse. I get home and think its cleared up but its actually the lighting. I find a few minutes in the sun (10 min) a day helps with the absorption of Vit D and helps with clearing the skin.

hey im only 13 and ya that part about middle school gym is DEAD ON i live in arizona so its all short shorts and tank tops i alway fell out of place and i have been teased a few times i have question have you or any of your friends everyone NOT gone out with a gurl cause she has kp???

If someone won't go out with you simply because of your KP, then they aren't worth your time and energy. If they are so shallow that they can't see the fantastic person inside the skin, they aren't worthy of your friendship. Let your personality and positive attitude shine through and people won't even notice your skin. When my husband and I first met he didn't even notice my skin until I pointed it out.

First of all, Hi, welcome to the boards.
I'm not going to praise your intelligence and stuff with age qualifiers, because a) age has little to do with maturity or intelligence, and b) no one should be subjected to this broad, public evaluation and judgement as you have been. (When did this become polite? lol "Hey, everybody point at Markis and tell him exactly what you think of him!!")
I really agree with this and I wish people understood how truly damaging tanning is. Even removing the risk of skin cancer, people don't seem to understand that it is not "age" that causes wrinkling, spots, and lots of other skin issues that people associate. For the most part, old people don't look "old" because they are actually old. It is more circumstantial; they have just been around longer to accumulate more sun damage. In some ways I can understand that people don't worry about cancer, because skin cancer is pretty treatable and people totally expect that they will either live forever, or that medical science will cure them, no matter how they abuse their bodies. But people are obsessed with youth, and I would think they would want to preserve their skin texture.
However, KP is so damaging psychologically and difficult to treat, that people are desperate for anything that will reduce it or hide it. I think maybe they unconsciously decide that it IS worth the trade off - KP Treatment for aging and increased risk of skin cancer. The alternative is pretty bleak, too. If you can't treat or hide your KP, you suffer its life-damaging effects much more acutely, so you have to consider which is worse and will have a more severe impact on your life in the long run.
This is true for some treatments, though not all. I have not noticed any effect of tolerance with my treatment method, which has been successful. It works just as well now as it did when I first started nearly a year ago - if not actually better.
As for other treatments, it may be difficult to determine what is actually "tolerance," and what is just... Well, people who are impatient with a product and do not commit to it properly for enough time, and... treatment that never worked to begin with. I think sometimes people use products that "seem" to work, but maybe that improvement was actually caused by another factor, and then the product appears to stop working at some random point. Then there are some treatments (medications, I would think) that genuinely do **** out due to tolerance. There are a lot of factors here and it can be difficult to see what is really happening when it comes to treatment effectiveness. I do think the tolerance theory is a little more prominent in people's minds than it deserves to be, though.
I have always thought that people must have suddenly become much uglier when the incandescent light was invented. It would be so cool if we could just live *darker* generally; it would save energy, and we would not have to obsess about every little thing we see. Modern houses are too bright. I can't stand it. Maybe I was born in the wrong century.
Humans (Americans, especially) are so unhealthy generally that we really don't get a clear picture of KP's "pure" effect on the body. It is a genetic disease, just another one of MANY due to unnatural selection, but it is hard to separate what is KP and what is bad diet, obesity, unhealthy lifestyle, etc.
These things probably do distort KP and make it a little worse.
I also had a minor revelation the other day. I was wondering why Before and After photos are so rare. Even in threads that claim effective treatment, there are rarely photos to prove it. We have cameras on our damn *phones* nowadays; it can't be a technological problem. What if it's because people are overweight and ashamed to show their bodies?

This totally varies depending on the severity of the case, the gender of the person, and other issues. Plenty of people have been publically humiliated because of KP, dumped by partners, and openly ridiculed by others because their KP is very noticeable. It's also difficult for men to understand what it is like for women to have KP, because men are not judged physically with the scrutiny that women are. Generally, women suffer KP's effects much worse than men do, just as they are the ones with the eating disorders and everything else. Do you know what it is like to have your entire self worth dependent on how thin and attractive you are? Because that is what women face every day of their lives in the eyes of the public. When there is a 20 year old, half-naked Chippendale dancer with a perfect complexion staring at you from every billboard and magazine cover and TV show and setting that as the standard for what you're supposed to look like, then we can talk about how "secure" we all should be about having KP.
KP's destructive effects of self esteem cannot be understated.

Some people have this disease mildly and have not been pointed at and received rude comments. But many have suffered profoundly, and you can easily feel their pain and sense their psychological damage, all around these boards.