i believe that it is partly genetic only because parents can pass on their severe dry skin to their children in some cases, in other cases it can be the first in a family all depends on the situation, how old they were when they got it, any cases of any skin problems on either side of the family, if it be KP or anything

I think its kind of silly to say that just because we get kp in certain parts of our body that that means its not hereditary.

I mean, baldness is hereditary, but a doesnt mean that people are bald all over their bodies...

I think we should all start panicking a little bit less. KP is an embarrassing and annoying condition, but we're not exactly suffering are we? Lets just try and find something that alleviates it without getting obsessive.

Well...I'm suffering!!!!

And you 're right: I can't RULE OUT kp for not being genetic. You're right about that.

HOWEVER, what I was actually meaning to emphasize on my first post, was that we SHOULDN'T FACE IT AS IF IT WERE HEREDITARY. Just like obesity, as some people posted IS indeed genetic (not that black and white, but you you know what I mean), it doesn't mean YOU ARE GOING TO BE OBESE. So, if your father had psychological issues, it ALSO does not mean you'll have it. You can prevent it, you can treat it, etc.

What I'm trying to discuss here is that why can't we just think of KP as a SKIN CONDITION?

I have T-Zone skin (dry on my cheeks and oily on my forehead, nose and chin) on my face and if I don't take care of it, if I skip A DAY without putting medication to keep the oil away, keep it fresh and clean, put that zit gel and all, I WILL HAVE ACNE/ZITS. Because it's the SKIN CONDITION of my face.

So, just as I have a acne PRONE skin on my face, I could easely say ( that's what I dream about being able to say ) that I have Kp PRONE skin on the parts I have it. But it does NOT mean I CAN'T be KP-FREE. You see my point there?

When I do my face skin regimen right I spend months without having one single zit.

I think that was a better way to express what I was intended to point out.



XOXO,
TheShotOne

Keratosis Pilaris, like almost any condition, is partially based upon genetics. The propensity to have KP is built into people's genotypes. Whether or not an individual actually physically expresses the disorder (phenotype) is depenedent upon numerous factors, as evidenced by people's testimonies on this forum. Diet, nutrient deficiencies, sunlight exposure, age, and so many other factors will decide whether or not a person with genetic susceptibility to KP actually expresses the condition. I'm not a scientist, but this just seems obvious to me by now based on everything I have read on these forums. If you want proof that KP is linked to our genes, this study lends some convincing evidence.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract

I read somewhere (not sure where, but I bet you could google it) that KP is linked to a genetic mutation on the 18th chromosome.

Lets not all argue. Does it really matter whos right or wrong? What matters is getting something that works. Now, on the theory of mosterizing; I've put lotion on so many times a day it isn't even funny. And with all that lotioning up I've had no difference. Now, thanks to AllisonSullivan, I never thought of mineral oil free products before. So hopefully my Arbonne will arrive today and I can get started! It makes total sense that it wouldn't abosorb into the skin if it has oils in it that prevent this. So mabye the RIGHT kind of moisturizing will do the trick.

Keep us posted Angelica! I don't know if I've said this before, but, "Take Pictures!!!"

The point of having everyone fill out a questionnaire, to create a database of KP profiles, and I'm talking where they try to quantify their KP symptoms rather than rate is mild, medium, severe (because opinions are going to vary), would be to see if there ARE any trends.

Perhaps there is no common thread but what if each person with KP could be categorized and, based on whatever history/profile fit them best then different treatments may be more or less successful.

I'm not saying it would work--I don't even know if I'm explaining it clearly--I'm just saying that this is a good approach that would begin to compile everyone's KP and their background and attempt to categorize and get a better handle on whether or not there are any distinctions.

Angelica--definitely take before/after pix.

Allison--thanks for hanging in and helping to make this a great forum despite the accusations that you're just an "Arbonne-pusher". I don't think you'd contribute as much if that was your ultimate goal.

It probably would be very helpful to have a compiled database of everyones KP but how would you go about starting? Unless you can come up with some kind of form on a thread and get as many people as you can to respond on here or by sending it to an email address.

A form would require some collaboration because I don't know HTML but I can build an Excel spreadsheet that would contain all the questions and guidance for each question to help the user give the most objective answer possible.

It would be helpful to have people from the forum suggest questions that would be on the form but they would probably range from personal history, best treatment tried so far, severity of KP etc.

The next step (I think) would be for someone to create some sort of database or website so that as the form is filled out the answers go into the database in the proper tables. I have no idea how to do that or what kind of work it would entail, not to mention privacy issues.

Last, and I could probably do or assist with this part as I worked in a research lab and did data analysis for several years, would be to run stats on the data and see if any trends do appear.

Thanks, closetextrovert! You're right, I wouldn't be all over this board if I didn't care...

Incidentally, is it possible that there are 2 different types of KP? (I mean on the body, not body and face, red and white, etc...) What I mean is:
1) Lots of people think they contracted KP
2) Lots think it's genetic
3) Lots have KP like in my pics
4) Lots think I'm crazy and don't have KP

Maybe the categories would correlate if we asked,"Does your KP look like mine? Do you think yours is genetic?"

Maybe one type is contractable like a parasite or fungus or something, while another type is a genetic condition. After all, with doctors being so clueless, would it surprise you to see them lump us all together into one big category?

Two "yes" answers or two "no" answers might tell us a lot. Maybe I'll try to start a poll or thread or something.

Just a quick thought... i haven't read through all the posts on this thread yet, but i did want to add that i do think it's very possible that KP is genetic... someone made a point about being fat may/maynot be inherited... Well it has been thought that obesity can run in family genes as well. But a better point may be that it is possible to have inherited dry skin and kp, but that past generations did not "show" signs of kp because of their diets. Think about it... we eat fast food more and don't quite exercise as well as our hard working elders once did. So toxins stay in our body longer than in past generations and that can be what aggrivates our kp and makes it show in dry skin pronged people... just a thought.

I'm with Allison, here. I think that KP can genetic OR can develop in an individual with no family history of KP. I think the ROOT CAUSE IT THE SAME, though (which I believe is a problem with nutrient absorbtion or utilage - namely vitamins A,C, and E, and calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and other nutrients associated with calcium absorbtion). Here are a few possible reasons why I think KP developes in a person (or what leads to the aformentioned nutrient imbalance) (oh, and by the way, I have posted this numerous times in different parts of this forum, so if it seems redundant, that's why - it IS redundant, perhaps annoyingly so... I just don't want to re-type it all):

1. Gaps in a poor diet. If you're not eating the right foods, your body isn't receiving the correct nutrients. Evidence: Some posters on here have mentioned that they have seen an improvement in their KP by improving their diet (more fruits and veggies, less bad fats, and all that). Also, some have mentioned that supplements, especially fish or flaxseed oil, and a balanced calcium/vitmain D supplement has helped.

2. Lack of sunlight. Sunlight produces a certain kind of vitamin D, which helps utilize calcium in the body. Evidence: A few people on this forum have posted how, after moving to a more Northern climate, their KP worsened - or simply started. The opposite is true for another poster who moved to New Zealand and began to receive a lot of sun.

3. Imbalance of hormones. From what I have read and doctors have told me, hormones help to regulate various processes in your body, as well as utilize some vitamins and minerals. Evidence: There have been a number of testemonies given on this forum hailing the clearing effects of a progesterone cream, or ingested bio-identical progesterone. In addition, many people see KP clear up as they become an adult, after leaving the hormonal period that is adolescenance. Finally, an even greater of amount of women on here have explained how severe their KP became upon becoming pregnant and beginning to lactate (when there is a greater need, and often a greater deficiency, or calcium, etc.) - both conditions controlled by an extreme amount of hormones.

4. Damage of the gut due to certain food allergies or intolerances. The villi of the small intestines are in charge of bringing in nutrients from your food to the cells in your body. If the villi are damaged (often the result of an intolerance to certain foods - most notably gluten for Celiac Disease sufferers, wheat, or dairy) the body does not get the nutrients it needs. Vitamins D and the minerals calcium and megnesium are, in what I have read, often the first listed among those nutrients unable to be brought into the body by the villi. Evidence: There are many people on this forum who have reported allergies. Damage to the villi by food intolerances can lead to allergies, just as they are sometimes caused by an allergic reaction. Dietary changes (often the cutting back or exclusion of dairy and/or bread products) have been reported to have good results. I have also read that those suffering from Celiac Disease who began the gluten-free diet saw a change in their KP (if they had it) in 3 months time (as the villi heals).

5. Candida overgrowth and/or parasites in the gut/body - This can, from what I understand, lead to a "leaky gut" and poor digestive system that does not make good use of nutrients and free-radical damage to cells. Allergies and mucus production are associated with this condition. Evidence: A cleansing program has helped some people on this forum who believed they had/have parasites and/or candida.


Some of these reasons could occur in conjunction with a genetic predisposition, or may be present beacuse of gentics (i.e. hormonal imbalance, allergies, or a predispotion to any of the above).

Anyway, that's what I think!

Peace!

Namaste,
GreenBean