Wow....

Lots of interesting things to consider here. Here is my situation, hopefully it helps

I also lived in Seattle, WA for 5 years and I noticed that my KP actually 'developed' when I was living there. Before that, I grew up in a tropical country - constant humidity and sun. I did once develop an unfortunate 'scarring' when I visited a cold country on winter holiday but at the time I didn't realise that it was probably KP flaring up. I just thought it was because I hadn't allowed my skin to 'breathe' because I was wearing tights under jeans. I am NOT good with the cold

Some other background: I am of East Indian heritage with medium-dark skin. My KP is mostly in the form of dark spots, on my thighs, buttocks and recently, since moving to Vancouver BC (colder weather??) it has spread to my calves and the sides of the knees, where I can clearly see the coiled ingrowns.
I also have some scarring from frustrated picking, plus from attempted uses of salicylic acid-based products (even Neutrogena!) which made the scarring so much worse - darker and more prominent

One thing I noticed is that when I go home for holidays, the KP seems to improve.

- I wonder, does anybody use a humidifier at home in the winter, and has that helped at all? I tried cranking up the heater, but after reading a few of these threads, I think the dry air (and drier skin!) actually aggravated things. I'm thinking of getting a humidifier and seeing what that does, although with summer around the corner my KP is slightly improving already.

- I have started taking Vitamin E tablets and am also going to start drinking carrot juice, which I read about in another thread. That should take care of the Vitamin A beta-carotene which has been recommended here.

- My derm in Seattle prescribed Carmol 40 for me. It stinks, it's expensive, and it leaves white marks on my clothes, all of which I HATE. But it's really the only thing that has worked - before that I was prescribed AmLactin, and that was a disaster - it made my scarring so much more prominent. The Carmol does nothing much for the darkness, but my skin is definitely smoother.

- I would love others to comment on what they experience when they shave their legs. I use Aveeno shave gel for sensitive skin and a Gillette Venus razor. I exfoliate first with a Buf Puf (part of my daily regimen, actually) and shave only once or twice a week. I'm lucky cos my hair is really fine. I've noticed that shaving seems to make the problem worse for me.... does anyone else have similar issues?

- Finally, I stopped using a particular brand of fabric sheets because I noticed my legs 'itch' more when I wear clothes dried using these. Any thoughts/comments?

Sorry to ramble, but I'm pretty new to the site and this is what I have to share

I am a 35 year old caucasian female. Unlike most of the people who suffer from this condition, I have only recently developed it. I have severe areas on the backs of my upper arms, which have only appeared in the last two to three months. (Just in time for summer) I have only very small areas on my inner thighs, and I believe it is spreading to my back. (Yuck)

Family History? Well, my mother has had it since I was little, and my younger sister (27) developed it after having her first child. My mother has a history of obesity and high blood pressure, as well as hypothyroid condition.
My sister is overweight but not obese, and does not have any allergies or other health problems that I am aware of.

I, on the other hand, am 5'3" and 130 lbs, and have struggled with allergies, Exczema and Asthma since the age of six. The year I turned thirty, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (An autoimmune hypothyroid condition). Because of the thyroid condition, I gain weight easier, but I try to eat right and I run several times a week. I also get sick with colds and flu easily, and still struggle with Asthma as an adult (I take medication every day for it). In February of this year I had the Flu for a week, and three weeks later was sick again with a 104 degree fever for three days. Doctor did blood work and other tests, and still doesn't know what caused this fever. I mention this only because my KP seemed to intensify during this time, and has only gotten worse. Wondering if there is some immune system connection?

All of the posts I have read refer to childhood KP; I never had this until now and I too wonder if there is some underlying catalyst causing this condition that I can address or am I just stuck with finding the treatment that works for me. I have been using dead sea salt/mineral scrubs and then Vaseline Intensive Care Alpha-Hydroxy Lotion; it's not working.

Thanks for this site - I never knew this many people had this condition.

Hey, whywhywhy! I can only speculate, but I would imagine that your KP is the result of a vitmamin D deficiency. People in Northern climates (I live in MN, so I know!) have a higher rate of vitamin D deficiency (which has been linked to skin disorders like KP, as well as a number of internal conditions) because they are further away from the equator. So you could try sun bathing (just a bit to get that body producing the vitamin D), and/or supplementing with vitamin D3 (which, sometimes taken along with calcium and magnesium, has helped some people on this forum with their KP). My mom, a fellow KP-sufferer, says that the BEST thing for her KP has always been a sun burn... Just my two cents!

Peace!

Namaste,
Green Bean

I've noticed that KP seems to look different on diffrent people. Mine is really pimply looking, and red/purple spoty looking. I've seen others whose KP looks like red freckles (not really bumpy at all) or like tiny little pin sized bumps (but not as raised and doesn't look like pimples and/or flesh colored). My KP is on my upper arms & all over my thighs with a little around the knee and calve area.
My skin also looks better first thing in the a.m. Here's an article that describes what happens during sleep - including hormonal changes and cellur activity that might explain why skin looks better after sleeping: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/liv...n_page_id=1799
I first developed KP around puberty. It has not gotton better with age - seems to have gotton worse actually. It's interesting that KP gets worse after pregnancy - seems like it could be linked to hormonal changes and changes in calcium and vitamin & minerals in the body? Seems like there could be a link with hormones since it seems to come on after puberty and pregnancy? Not sure, I'm no docotor - just a thought.
When I go on vacation it always gets better...not sure if it's just from the sun exposure or a combination of saun, salt water & humidity!
Family History:
Mom: No KP
Dad: Has KP
All Siblings: Have KP

I've noticed that KP seems to look different on diffrent people. Mine is really pimply looking, and red/purple spoty looking. I've seen others whose KP looks like red freckles (not really bumpy at all) or like tiny little pin sized bumps (but not as raised and doesn't look like pimples and/or flesh colored). My KP is on my upper arms & all over my thighs with a little around the knee and calve area.



--That's exactly what mine looks like--only it's spread to my lower arms as well. It's very frustrating!

hello everyone!! this is a great thread!!
i'm 37 years old, 5' 2", 140 lbs, part hopi, part cherokee but fair skinned.
no family history of kp.
have kp really bad on upper arms, some on back of legs.
had perfectly smooth skin until the birth of my son almost 4 years ago. one derm said i'd had it all my life but didn't notice it. bull****. hello?? not notice these huge mounds on my arms until 4 years ago?? bite me doc.
my kp appeared instantly with the birth of my son. period. and has not relented since. in fact, it's worsened.
still haven't found anything that even lessens it.
i'll see if i can post a pic of myself before so ya'll can see.

hope this works. if so, this is a pretty good shot of my arm BEFORE the birth of my son and subsequent kp.

yay!! it worked!! i think you can see well enough from the pic i had perfect skin. now, as another member posted, my arms look as if i rolled in a bed of ****ed off fire ants.

Hi Green Bean

Thanks for the suggestion, it definitely makes sense! I'm not exactly jonesing for a sunburn, so I'm probably going to look into getting a D3 supplement. Right now, I'm trying out a new scrub that has Eucalyptus essential oils in it, I will keep people posted on how that works out. It stinks, though! I feel like a walking medicine cabinet.