Ever since I was growing up through grade school friends would ask me on occassion why my arms would be so red or bumpy etc. Without an explination I really would just tell them, "I don't know". Not until I was about 17/18 when my dad was diagnosed with skin cancer did we find the name of a dermatologist that was close by.

So I figured I would give it a shot and asked my dad if he could schedule me an appointment as well. (At this point I just assumed it was a never ending cycle of pimples and I was screwed, no matter what I tried, or however many times I washed my arms in the shower). So yeah whatever, went to the doc. He had told me I had K..... P...... (he said it so fast and it was too long for me to catch) my basic reaction, oh there's actually a name for this? It's not just called acne or pimples? Ha gee thats comforting..

So he tried some ointment that I threw out after a while cause it was just becoming a waste of money. Tried his mimyx cream that didn't help at all. Yadda yadda yadda, told me to go out in the sun more, I suppose it helps some, but not noticable.

So my "success" stories or how I "treat" KP.

I've noticed that after swimming for long periods of time (1-2 hours, not like 10 minutes) outdoors in the sunlight, drying off and then just going about my business. My skin seemed to tighten up, clear up and feel smooth. I loved it! But without an explination and easy access to an outdoor pool.. I was SOL.

So as of right now I've finally found my temporary "cure" so to speak. My buddy had some "OXY Daily Cleansing Pads" (found at your local pharmacy/drug store/supermarket (Over the counter)) which are 2% Salicylic acid (acne medication) that reduces my redness almost instantly after it dries. It feels smooth to the touch and my skin feels rather dry, than that rough bumpy oilly feel. My only concerns are, am I making it worse?

I haven't seen the dermatologist for a while because I knew there wasn't much more he could possibly do. But I haven't contacted him about using this. Again the only active ingredient is Salicylic acid 2%. I'm thinking that if it is working this well, that I could step up to a more aggressive treatment that is OTC, gradually increasing dosage and/or usage and finally treating it to the best of my capabilities.

Anywho thanks for listening me ramble on about this. I got bored just now and decided to do some reading about this condition that has plagued my forearms, back of my arms (bicep/tricep area) and my calves(which are actually relatively dry (which is complete opposite of my arms)) for the past 11 years or so without explination.

Look forward to any comments/suggestions,
Nick
(for the record, Age: 19, Skin Color: Caucasian, Gender: Male)

p.s. stupid me, i just about searched and read some stuff on the forum here but decided not to search salicylic acid for some reason.. Well I answered my own question about whether it's good or bad. Now the question is, 2% is the max for OTC? I read 6% is prescription only?

Hi there!

I'd recommend checking out this thread: My search is over!

I'm exactly in the same boat as you man; I'm 20, caucasian, male, and have had KP on my arms as long as I can remember. It was always just "me", and I thought it had something to do with age or acne and it would go away. I could envy people who could show off their nice arms, and hope my skin would look like that some day. Well, I'm 20 now and the rest of my skin is great, but no change in the KP! I tried those pads along with many other things, thinking I could treat my KP like any old acne, but to no effect. The only thing I've used that has showed any improvement is the AHA lotion. My KP feels and looks much, much better now! I'm certainly not going to stop the treatment now, I can only see it improving more. There's no reason not to try Turquoise's method and see if it works for you. Hopefully it will!