I have never posted to this site before and have read so many of the threads in the past, I felt I had to share this. Let me start by saying we've filtered our drinking water w/a Pur facet-mount filter for 5 yrs. due to high chlorine taste/smell, but it never occurred to me that it could have other effects.....................

I've always (age 35) had KP in varying degrees of severity and it goes in/out of remission. We moved to Atlanta in 2000 (lovely weather!) and both my husband and I developed severe KP that has taken over our arms. I, of course, have picked terribly at my arms and tried about everything on the market to no avail. So, my arms are scarred, I'm frustrated, and my wallet is near empty. Derms have little advice and just try to sell me their $30 lotions, which haven't worked. I've scrubbed, I've not scrubbed, I've used lotions and potions, I've cried, I've prayed...you get the message.

My chiropractor gave me a shower filter to try 3 yrs. ago and I couldn't get my husband to install it. He was worried about loss of water pressure...blah-blah-blah. (Vanity/Sanity Rule over water pressure!) I finally (2 mo. ago) put my foot down and told him I was a "desperate housewife" and he HAD to install it that day. Done, with grumbling. And HUGE, HUGE, HUGE improvement for both of us w/in a month! Wish we'd done it 3 yrs. ago! Eureka!!!! I think we've got it at least somewhat under control - just using Alba Botanicals lotion now and have very few bumps. He's the type of guy I have to BEG to use lotion, but he's noticed an improvement as well and admits it's working.

I bought a little $10 water test kit at Home Depot a few wks. ago and tested the unfiltered tap and the filtered shower water - huge improvement! Almost no chlorine getting through! Have told my sister to get a filter (most home places sell them) for my niece, who suffers as well.

So...now to try to get rid of scarring...hmm...will report back if I figure that one out. I scar badly as it is and I've basically mutilated my arms over the last 5 yrs.!!!

So is it the chlorine can aggravate it?

We have well water so it's not chlorinated, it hasn't helped my KP at all. I'm really happy you've found something that works for you though!

You could smell it strongly in a glass of water when drinking, so we filtered the kitchen faucet. I couldn't figure out why on earth it was so much worse than ever before on my arms. NEVER been that bad before sum-total in my life. I thought it was laundry soap, fabric softener, bleach, lotion, food allergies, inhaled allergens - you name it. I even did extensive accupressure-type allergy treatments for a year. Nothing improved it, but when I took my tap water in to my naturopath/chiropractor, I was allergic to our water! Makes sense now...the darned chlorine!

So, yes, to answer you - I totally blame the chlorine for the absolute worst outbreak I've ever had. Had a friend that had it horribly before and I thought I was lucky mine was never that bad (embarrassed to wear short sleeves - everyone stared)...then we moved here and mine was just as bad as hers! Yikes! Am just happy this helped so much - no saying it's gone, but it's 95% better. That's good enough for me!

Try filtering anyway. Or have your water tested. Could be something in high-levels in the ground water in your area. Never know what naturally-occuring contaminant could make your skin worse. I think that the pH being off could affect skin a lot, too. Groundwater filters through limestone to get into aquifers and such and the limestone could probably effect pH then (?). Not a chemist by any means, something to think about.

Good luck to you and don't forget to drink lots of good old water!

We have well water to.But I do know chlorine aggrevates my KP really bad.When I was on vacation to my aunt & uncles (im 16) with my little brother & we went to a water park ofcourse I was the only one in the water park wearing jeans & a shirt.I was wearing a shirt with short sleaves & just walking around while everyone eles went off to have fun.all I did was lean against the railing & some of that water got on my arms & my KP flared up really bad.I always knew it did but It was extremly bad that time.....Im so happy you figured out that it was part of your problem!!!! Congrads

Aha! Auntdynee, you're a genius! I live in Atlanta too and have been suffering like mad!

I've had KP more or less my whole life, and since I moved to Atlanta 5 years ago, my KP has gotten a million times worse - like uncontrollable, spreading, horribly red worse. I also have an empty pocketbook from buying all kinds of stuff from derms and dermadoctor (but I posted earlier - you can search for it - the Vitamin C scrub from Spa Sydell is awesome).

I've noticed that when I go back to my hometown for a few days, my KP seems to calm down, but I guess I always figured it was a Atlanta stress/hometown lack of stress thing - never made the water connection. Incidentally, my hometown is known for its great water that comes from underground aquifers.

I have to say this is great news because I'm moving back to my hometown at the end of the month! I'll keep you all posted on if/how my KP changes.

Just wondering... I do a lot of swimming and I am always in chlorine? It seems to help me though? Is it that you may just be allergic to it and it may irritate you, whereas the chlorine disinfects things for me better?

Maybe it's not the chlorine, but other chemicals used to treat the water that are the problem, and since they would also be filtered out it has helped your skin.

I think you could be right... this is weird, because chlorine dries out my skin... yet my kp looks better after I swim in it... maybe because it helps to keep the redness away.... not really sure.

I'm sticking to my thoughts on it being the chlorine due to all the research I've done on the effects of it on cells, skin and skin conditions. My background is in Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Safety, studying and preventing human exposure to irritating/hazardous compounds/chemicals. My head and my gut-feelings tell me it's the chlorine.

Regardless, long-term chronic exposure to chlorine at certain levels can potentially cause lung cancer and other problems I don't want - hence the filter. It is strong enough where I live that I could smell and taste it in the water when drinking it non-filtered and when showering. That is not to say that everyone has this problem or level of chlorine in their water. Chlorine dissipates/deteriorates once exposed to oxygen over a fairly short period of time. I live within a few miles (direct line, not driving) of the water treatment facility on the NW side of town. People that live very close to it probably have even higher levels than I do, whereas people living further way probably have less.

I tested my water with one of those handy-dandy kits from Home Depot before and after filtration - I wanted a more scientific approach and proof to show my husband the effectiveness of the shower filter (we both have engineering backgrounds and like scientific proof!). There were big improvements in pH and total alkalinity, with a dramatic improvement in chlorine. Total hardness, iron, copper, and nitrite/nitrate were all safe/low beforehand, so no change there.

Since your skin is your largest organ and meant to be a filter, it can be very effective at keeping contaminants out of the body. But when attacked daily by the same irritant over and over it's going to react - with contact dermatitis, KP, chemical burns, or a whole host of other things. This is what I think is happening to me personally.

To those who think their KP is better after swimming - determine how the pool is treated. Many pools now do not use chlorine to treat/decontaminate the water. There are other effective chemicals available that do not sting the eyes, dry the skin, or require special storage/handling like chlorine. While large public pools might still use chlorine, more and more are moving away from it. My sister has a pool and avoids the use of chlorine out of concern for her four kids.

Just my thoughts - take it for what it's worth. I'm not totally anti-chlorine. It's has it's uses. I can't imagine the world without this inexpensive disenfectant, as it kills little buggies (including HIV) at a relatively weak concentration of 9 parts water and 1 part bleach. (won't kill Hepatitis - only phenolic compounds do that - ie. Lysol)

Make your own judgement call - I'm just stating what I firmly believe to be a problem lurking in SOME showers/baths of KP sufferers. I was going MAD trying to determine the cause and I've made a huge step to keeping it under control. For $50/yr. a filter has hopefully put me on a path to better skin/sanity. We already see a HUGE difference in both of our skin/hair.

Hi there - What kind of shower filter are you using, and where did your chiro get it? Would love to know since it's clearly working for you, based on the home testing you did. Thanks much for any info - Betsela

It was made by Equinox, a now defunct company. They were multi-level marketing of sorts and I think went under several yrs. ago. You can still buy effective filters made by other companies. I think any two-stage filter ought to be approximately as effective. Search for shower filter on the web or even on eBay and you'll come up with enough info to make a decision which might best suit you. The one I have is very large and heavy, whereas the newer ones are smaller in size and some even fit into their own proprietary shower wand type, making them very streamline.

Good luck and please let everyone know how it works for you!

Maybe it is not (only) the chlorine but also the minerals (calcium and magnesium carbonates that make the water "hard")?
I have noticed before that my sking gets so much better with the water from some other cities, and I always thought it was because the water was softer...
Whatever it is, it's great news anyway!

Thought it could be hard water along w/high chlorine, but performed the water testing and it wasn't hard unfiltered/filtered. It was in the "ideal" range, going toward soft after installing the filter. Might actually be a problem for some people w/KP - and the actual culprit if they don't have high chlorine.

So perhaps I should have stated in my initial post to test your water FIRST before buying a $50 filter....for me, I knew the chlorine was high because I could smell it when the faucet or shower was on. And I didn't have lime scales or things that indicate hard water.

Buy a test kit for $10 at a home store and determine what the issue could be for your own situation if you suspect it's the culprit. I think it's funny I've lived here 5 yrs. and suffered w/out it occurring to me that it's the WATER! I should know better - probably would have suggested that if it were happening to someone else and I knew you could smell chlorine in the water. My "adult-onset acne" is better also, incendentally. Just got that right after moving here, too. Interesting...

does chlorine aggravate it? i just noticed this morning that after swimming lessons my son's thighs are worse, redder, more broken out. should i not take him swimming anymore? poor little guy.

my son is two. i have been using eucerin. is that a good idea? i'm new to this.