http://www.dermabrasioncrystals.com or from Turquoise

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I've been using the lotion regularly for four months now, and it absolutely works. My arms haven't looked this good since I was a pre-adolescent. I definitely recommend using the 20% stuff (and, believe me, I have tried EVERYTHING over the years).

I am so glad. You are one of the lucky ones who has had great results with just AHA, even on a very advanced case. Usually, the long-standing ones like that need to be dislodged physically. If you still have some red dots (are you totally clear now, or?) and want to get rid of them, you could probably do so with dermabrasion. Any dots still present mean that you do have a hard (however thin) layer of keratin that is blocking some of the follicle openings and would have to be taken off physically.

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I'm sure the answer is contained in this thread and I just don't have time to review the whole thing: where can one purchase the crystals for dermabrasion

LOL... What do I have to do, to get people to actually go to my site?! Seriously, what?

There are instructions there about how to switch from AHA to dermabrasion, and then back again, if you want to go that route.
Thanks for stopping by. Good to hear from you again.

Can I ask you which AHA lotion you use? Neostrata or DLC? Which one do you recommend? Thanks and congratz on your triumph over kp!!

Haha, that's ok. Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner, but I don't visit the message boards that often.

1. No, I did not use any microdermabrasion before I started.
2. I didn't start off with the 20%. I used this lotion that a doctor perscribed for me that was like ammonium lactate or some **** that never worked. I also tried Eucerin, but that was just a mess and never worked either. I used those for a few months, stopped cause nothing was happening, then went back a few months later for about 2 months before I started the 20%.
3. I use exfoliating gloves really lightly on my arms when I'm in the shower, but I don't have any bumps anymore (except this stupid stuff on the front of my arms that doesn't really look like KP and won't go away with the lotion...) anyway.
4. I guess I wouldn't really call the redness redness. The lotion makes the skin on my upper arms kind of pale, so I guess it could just be the bumps standing out more, so yeah... maybe it is redness. I think it's the thing that bothers me most about my KP, and it doesn't really seem to be going away.
5. Yes, I was still using the lotion when I was tanning. I used it the same as I did when I wasn't tanning. I'm still using it too. I've never really stopped using the lotion, but I noticed that when I miss putting it on (and only do it like once a day), it does seem to stand out more than usual. My KP is worse when I'm cold too. Yeah, the AHA probably does make skin sensitive to tanning, but that wasn't gonna stop me. Haha.

Let me know if you have anymore questions! I hope that helped.

I know tanning isn't good for your skin when using something like the AHA, but prom was coming up and it couldn't be avoided. I only did it for about a month, so it's not a regular thing for me.

For a while I used this clean and clear stuff (I don't remember the name off the top of my head) to open up the folicles more before putting the lotion on, and it seemed to help my KP, but it made my arms a lot more blotchy, so I don't use it anymore. I'll try not exfoliating before I put the lotion on anymore and see if that helps. I don't really have any bumps at all anymore, so I don't really know why I do it.

I have developed these other bumps on the front of my arms though. They don't look the same as my other KP (which looks more like an inward dent rather than an outward bump). It could be new KP or something totally different. I'll try to get a picture up soon to see if you know what it is.

I usually put the lotion on 3 times a day, and for the past few days I went down to 2 times to see if it made a difference, and it did seem to get a bit worse, so now I'm back to 3.

Thanks so much for the responses about the dermabrasion issue. I'm going to try that next. I can't tell you all how pleased I am that Turquoise took the time to really look into using the AHA 20% lotion and has been kind enough to post her detailed analyses for us all to learn from. Thanks, Turquoise -- your hard work is truly appreciated.

Elona, I'm using the AHA lotion (available via www.greatskin.com). I haven't used the lotion for a couple of days since I got a wicked sunburn earlier this week, and it's incredible how quickly the KP comes back. I can't wait to get back to my regular routine tomorrow. This is literally the first summer of my life (that I can remember, anyway) that I'm not horribly self-conscious about wearing tank tops. I'm almost 47 years old and I've been dealing with this condition since I was about 14.

I'm sorry I still don't understand which brand of AHA lotion you use because there's two brands, Neostrata and DLC AHA which Turquoise explained on her site. I don't know which one to use... any advice would be greatly appreciated! I don't really know the difference between the two.... thanks

If you want to use the method endorsed on the site, there are pretty detailed step-by-steps on the home page. But which AHA potency you start with depends on how bad your KP is and what your skin is like. Glycolic 15% is the standard one that many people have stuck with (Both DCL and Neostrata make this potency. The DCL 15 is less expensive but does come in a smaller bottle), but some people prefer 10% (again, both brands make it) for the first month or so if they know they have sensitive skin. The 20% is very strong and not recommend as a starting potency. You can really set yourself back if you get irritation from it early on.
The different brand name does not seem to matter - they have the same potency and basic ingredients and work the same, from my experience.
If you are just starting out with treatment, dermabrasion is the best way to go. Some people like Jimm have had great experience and results just from this chemical exfoliation, but some people can use Glycolic for months and months and never break through that last layer of keratin that is blocking access to the follicle. That is really frustrating for them (and expensive), and in the end, they have to go off the AHA and use dermabrasion anyway to get the job done. It's good to just do it in the beginning and remove all that keratin so you will not end up "stuck" later.

hey turquoise, can u pls check ur email account? i sent a LONG email 2 u re: problems I'm experiencing w/my dermabrasion process. THX MUCH!

I've replied to a bunch of email over the past day or so. I don't know if yours was one of them, because I'm not sure of your address or first name! Nothing new has come in today yet.
Please check out the FAQ page:

http://www.*********.com/******************/KPFAQ.html

I added some dermabrasion questions at the bottom of the page, so maybe that will help until I can get/find/ID your email...

im wondering is the crystals before using the acid sold like in any pharmacys?? like kroger ect.

I don't believe so. They are a very specialty item and even near impossible to find on the web. There is still no source for people outside the US.

I would guess that cosmetic companies are reluctant to sell dry crystals, because they have the public thoroughly hoodwinked into paying $20 an ounce for it in suspension. You guys are in a very select crowd of those who are aware of how cheap this substance actually is, and that you can make your own mixture of it for less than a dollar per ounce.
If this information got out, they would lose millions on their stupid dermabrasion kits and their tiny little jars of it.

However, most people who use dermabrasion are healthy and just use it on their faces to treat normal signs of aging. There aren't *that* many people who need it in quantity to treat hyperkeratotic diseases over a wide area, so the market might be limited.

Hey turquoise, can u use any type of lotion during the dembrasion period? my skin gets very dry, i can deal with it but i was just wondering.

Also, a lot of people seem to start using the AHA Lotions rigth away without using the debrasion process for like a month. Am i missing something?

the dermabrasion crystals are recommended to be used with a non-irritative lotion. I also saw somewhere else amongst these posts that aloe vera gel is a good natural moisturizer/good for irritated skin.

What lotion is recommended and do you think I could use the dermabrasion crystals with the aloe vera, or should I use them with the lotion and then following the rinse, use aloe vera gel?

Thanks!!