I am 31 and the past 3 years my KP has been getting worse. My upper arms and my upper legs are where I have problems with KP. I have actually seen some women lately with KP on their upper arms but it's just tiny red bumps and reddness. Nothing like the BIG bumps on my arms that have white heads on them (not like a pimple) They are everywhere on my upper arms (well not EVERYWHERE) and I can't seem to quit popping them. I'm embarrassed to say that I posted about a year and 1/2 ago and swore that I would not pick (pop) my KP bumps again. Well, that didn't last long. I don't know what my problem is. I will get bored and just look at my arms and it's so hard to resist when those bumps are everywhere to pop one. Then I just get into some kind of zone and start popping the big ones I see until it starts hurting or I stop myself. Gross huh? I haven't hardly worn sleeves above my elbows in years and it's HOT where I live and hard to find cute tops that aren't short short sleeved. I get so depressed about it - and I think sometimes that makes me pick more.

I have 2 questions for anybody who can relate. I would be so grateful for any feedback:

1) Does anyone have these larger KP bumps that have keratin plugs in them more so than the little red bumps that I've been seeing?

2) Does anyone have this problem with the picking / popping that I do or has anyone had that problem and finally STOPPED doing it for good? If so how?

I am just really frustrated and disgusted with myself and need to know that I'm not the only one that does these things or that has this type of KP. It would make me feel better - a little anyway.

Thanks for reading and in advance for replying!
Ashley

That so completely sounds like my skin! I have been feeling jealous of people I see who have KP and don't pick at it. It looks so much better than my skin currently. I seem to have the deep "plugs" too. I can stop picking for a while, but not for very long. It's very discouraging with summer and warm weather coming. Does anyone have any advice?

Hi- Mine has been worse as I am getting older (I have the plugs if I pick), well before the Hawaii trip. But as I am getting older, it is not getting any better. I noticed my husband's friend has it too, but he has just the red dots on his upper arms...lucky

Back in the day when I used to pick out of bordom (and then it gets worse as it becomes a subconscious habit) and I wanted to stop I would take that moment to moisturize. It is muuch harder to pick on slippery skin. So carry a mini tube of Vaseline Total Moisture and whenever the urge to pick comes up, slap some on and rub it in.


You have to consciously break the habit. Tell yourself you will treat yourself to a spa day or something like that if you go two weeks without picking.

Good luck!

(The other) Kim

ugh i get those too! (The pimple whitehead type bumps that stick out) I HATE THEM...i would be so much happier if i had just the KP and not those damn papules!how do i get rid of them without irritating my dry KP?

Your case is very similar to mine. I have KP everywhere. I am really very jealous of people having very nice silk like skin. I haven't seen anybody -other than my sister- having Kp like me in my life. Here, everybody wears sleeveless shirts except me with freedom. But they do not know how lucky they are.

Thanks everyone for replying. I feel a tiny bit better knowing I'm not the only one that has this kind of KP or that hasn't been able to stop picking at it YET. Wendy - I also can stop picking for a week - even 2 sometimes and I'll be so proud of myself but then I do it again for some reason. I look at peoples nice smooth skin all the time and get so jealous and I try to tell myself that KP isn't life threatening and it could be so much worse - but it doesn't seem to help. What I wouldn't do for smooth skin!

Kims idea is good. I have put lotion on after a shower and then went to pop a bump and couldn't because it was too slippery. I will definitely try this.

Ashley- better yet, cut your nails and apply lotion...you can't do it even if you tried! :0)
I just bought a natural brush and after reading up on dry brushing via the internet, I am going to give it a go. Anyone else trying this?

Kim

Hi Ashley,

I think putting on lotion and trimming your fingernails is a great idea. If that doesn't work for you in the long run, I would talk to your doctor (if you have a good relationship with him/her) about possible Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). I'm not a shrink or anything, but that was the first thing that popped into my mind as I read your post. If it is OCD, it can be treated.

While I don't have the white stuff on my bumps, I do have KP all over, and I never wear shorts, skirts, or tank tops/short-sleeved shirts, and I hate that!

Anyway, good luck on stopping the picking!

Hello, I sometimes get the white postules on some of the KP bumps. I think that the bumps that are swollen or more red and those that have the white liquid filled postules are another disease in addition to KP. I think the KP bumps with the small dry plugs are simply KP.

At one time my health insurance allowed me to see one of the top doctors in Washington DC. He was a general practioner (Internist) but, I think he was more thoughtful and helpful than any dermitologist I've been to. Thank you Dr. Theodore Li! He is the first that proposed I had Folliculitis in addition to KP.

Folliculitis is simply a small infection with inflamation around a hair follical. He gave me a liquid antibiotic to spread on the area twice daily - I think it was Erythromycin. It comes in a bottle with cloth over the opening to help with spreading a uniform layer of liquid on the skin. Unfortunately this didn't help much.

Here is a link for Folliculitis that includes pictures: http://www.emedicine.com/derm/topic159.htm

A year later, I developed sinus disease and started taking lots of antibiotics. I don't recommend this as I later had all kinds of problems from taking too many antibiotics. But, just one or two courses of antibiotics in pill form, cleared up my skin more than ever. The KP didn't go away, but the large swelled bumps did go away.

The liquid application of Erythromycin can be used daily for long periods. So try this first. Taking pill antibiotics regularly should not be considered. However if someone has a special occasion comming up (like a wedding or Hawaii vacation) then you may want to consider pill antibiotics a few weeks prior.

Hope this is helpful. jeff

Hey Ashly,
I'm a 14 year old girl and i also have that problem. My uncle and my mom have told me that if u have a bad habit (like popping ur Kp) it always takes 3 moths to get rid of ur habit. I know that it is a long time to wait but it does help a lot. What u should do is like wat the other peoples said, u should cut ur nails and always put lotion on ur arms or wearever u have ur Kp. When u do thoughs things, then it is imposible to pop. then u wait for 3 months and wala, u dont have to worry about popping ur Kp any more. Now about getting thoughs little critters away. i Have read about people doing layser and it works. i dont really know because i have not tryed it yet. but u can yether try that or some other thing. i'm going to go reserch some solutions 4 Kp. when i do i will get back to u. good luck.
Cool_girl.

(P.s. tell me how the three months goes and tell me if that worked 4 u)

Almost forgot check my posts too and tell me some of ur advice

This sounds much like my situation. I too, seem to develop larger whitehead type bumps tat make picking very tough to resist. The lotion application idea is helpful one and seems to be tru. Trimming nails is a good idea and even artificial nails seem to make it more difficult.

I see that this site has made some cahmges and so I'm not sure where to post this, but I have just started using KP Duty from dermdoctor.com and am seeing some improvement. I will keep updating.

does anyone else find that the large plugs are pleasurable to pop or is it just me. I feel lilke a sick dirty girl but I really like to pop them and I cant stop.

No, you're not alone. I have the same thing, with bumps that when squeezed give out either gooey yellow-white emissions like typical acne or hardened lumps of white tissue. I also pick my bumps and find it hard to stop.

This is really weird because when I posted this topic about popping my bumps - I was 31. Well I just turned 34! And also just started visiting this sight again due to having issues with my KP again. Not that it ever went away, but it began to get a little better and I wasn't as focused on it. I think the fact that I had a boyfriend (helped keep my hands busy) and was tanning (summertime) helped. Also, I was a bit happier and less stressed. I just didn't pick and pop the bumps I did have and my arms looked better. Not perfect. Now I've dumped the boyfriend and have been pretty stressed. So my old habit returns. And I came back to this website. Beleive me - if I had found a cure for my KP I would have not just gone away - I would have shared my success! ANYWAY - I can't beleive that after all this time I come back and my post is at the top and it's the reason I came back. Must be a sign.

To OCDpicker - I must be a sick dirty girl too - because yea, those plugs are fun as *%#$ to pop out. Well fun might not be the right word. I wish that I had a whole arm of kp bumps to pick - and it was on someone elses body. There is some strange pleasure I get out of it. Mostly I do it when I'm very stressed or tired. It's like I zone out - it's relaxing in a horrible way (cos' afterward I'm like what the hell have I done to myself?!!)