Hello! I joined this forum so that I could share my recent success story. I am 26 years old, and have had KP since my teen years. Over the years my KP has lessoned a bit, but more recently I have noticed a very significant near disappearance of my KP. Below is my regimen:

Problem Areas: Back of arms, inner thighs

Effective Product: L'Occitane Verbena Body Salt Scrub (have been using almost daily since June '09, started seeing significant results in July/Aug.)

Regimen: Prior to showering, I gently rub a half scoop (products includes a "scooper") of the scrub on my problem zones. Please note that I am rubbing the scrub on dry skin. Then I wait about thirty seconds to a minute and turn on the shower to rinse the scrub off.

Other Proucts Used: Gold Bond Aloe lotion (used daily). Jergens Natural Glow for medium skin tones (used a few times a week).

Additional Note: I shave my thighs in the opposite direction (shaving down). I do not pick at my KP.

Results: A more confident me! My KP is nearly gone on my arms. They have never felt this smooth before. As for my thighs, the redness of my KP is nearly gone, and the bumps are very slight. Again, very smooth!

OK - I have FINALLY found a product that works for me!! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!

KP Duty from DERMAdoctors

You can buy it from DERMAdoctor.com or I usualy just get it through Ulta stores.
They have a body scrub that I use 2-3 times a week, you rub it on dry skin - it feels GREAT - then shower it off, and follow up with the moisturizer - And you use the moisturizer on a daily basis....
I have VERY sensitive skin and neither one has caused any problems for me - just cleared up my KP!!!!!!!!!!!!
My poor little son has this on his legs and arms as well - and I have just started using this for him as well and am already seeing things clearing up!

KP all my life. All over except chest and face. Never wore sleeveless. Never let people touch me. Discovered Smooth Away pads !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had instant results ! And I'm not red or breaking out or walking around waiting for anything to dry !!!! I use it and walk out the door ! Never had smooth skin in my life - now its like I never had KP. I'd say it removed 98% of my KP. The KP comes back in a day or two because of hairgrowth but I just spend another 5 minutes sloughing with the pads and I'm back to smooth again. It is a godsend and I've stocked up on the pads for a year !!!!!!!!!!! I'll never use anything else.

I am a newly registered user but I've been using this website for couple of months now on getting infos on how to minimize my KP. I saw my arms getting bumpier and having these small dots right after my 1st son was born. It became visible when I have my 2nd son 4 years ago. I just started treating them and taking note of the changes 6 days ago. My treatment was a combination of all the treatments done by users form this website. This is what works for me I hope it helps someone. I will post pictures as soon as I figure out how to do it.

1) I ordered Sulfur soap from sal3.com. I use this soap with light exfoliation in the morning and nightime. After showering, I rub Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar with a cotton ball on my upper arms and let it dry. Then I use Virgin Coconut Oil all over my body for moisture.

I started this "treatment" on Sept. 15, 2009. After a couple of days, I noticed my arms getting smoother. I was ecstatic and skeptical at the same time. I just kept on doing it. I used to take 1 tbsp. of coconut oil in the morning months ago but it's just too hard! I gag! I've done a lot of reading regarding VCO and I know the benefits firsthand. But all I can do now is rub it all over my body.

2) On Saturday, Sept. 19, I read about Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) and its benefits. This is like the cure-all based on my readings. Since it can also cure insomnia which I have, I decided to take it. 2 tbsp. ACV to 8 oz. water + 1 tbsp. honey. I've been taking 1 in the morning as soon as I get up. I am a big breakfast person. As in full meal breakfast but after taking AVC tonic, I feel full already. I take it again before going to bed.

3) I started taking Glutathione pills 500mg + Vit.C&E everyday. I only take Vit. C&E before but my sister, mom and some friends swears by glutathione. It is an antioxidant that helps protect cells from free radicals and peroxides. Read about it!

So far, so good. My energy is up. I only feel sluggish around 10am because that's when I feel hungry. And I can see my right arm getting clearer. My next step is to clear the brown spots/ marks. I'll give it a few more days since I've been doing this regimen for only 7 days now. I'll post pictures today, promise!

HI EVERYONE!!

Ok so i had read the post on the Oil pulling and tried it worked some but it came back and it wasn't too much of a difference. I had given up and decided that nothing would work for me so i should just keep exfoliating and tanning and try to just live with never wearing sleeve less shirts. this was decided last year. I began starting really bad bloating and contipation and pain in my stomach (yes i know totally diff topic but pls hear me out) I went to my Gastroenterologist since nothing seemed to work my reg doc was giving me anti acid pills and fibers and nothing would work. I asked my Gastro to pelase check for any types of worms, bacteria or anything in that area, he agreed and the next day called to tell me i was positive for H.pylori, which is a horrible baceria that lots of people get and don't know about till they have ulcers ect. Well he prescibed a 14 day treatment of 3 diff types of antibiotics it's called prevpac and guys... OMG ! on the 3rd day of the pills i was drying myself after shower and i looked in the mirror, omg the bumps are almost gone the best part is the feeling it feels soooo smooth i haven't felt that in so long, well i dont' even member when i ever felt that, anyways it keeps getting better, my stomach problems are also gone and i love to touch my arms. I really wish i had before and after photos but i didn't know this would help my arms to achive but if u want i can take pics now u can see very little but i'm SOOOOO excited i had to come and tell you about it. i knwo that not everyone has the same problems but this is def somethign worth checking into. Vanessa

Mix of oils for Kp I have severe kp all over my body, after two months ive seen improvement with this treatment based on exfoliation and mix of oils.

1. Description of my kp

a) Distribution: Everywhere except feet, stomach and hands

b) Severity: From kp alba (KA) to scars (S), frequent small red bumps (FS around 20 per cm2 that makes all the area red), not so frequent big bumps (FB around 5 per cm2).

Face: KPRF
Neck: KA
Chest: FB
Back: KA-FB
Arms: FS
Butt: KA-FB
Hips: KA
Thighs: FB, KA
Calves: FB, S

c) Other problems: Foliculitis and insect bite red scars, darker areas and general dryness.

2. Methodology of treatment
Everyday:
a) Internal
·2 liters of water (was not accomplishing that until now)
·Two tablespoons of fish oil (10 ml)
·Two portions of fruits

b) External
· Scrubbing: aprox half of a cup
70% sugar
15% moisturizing cream
15% olive oil
Use 3 times a week in the shower

· Mix of oils: 40% mineral oil
30% liquid vaseline (petroleum jelly)
10% olive oil
10% almond oil
10% glycerin
Apply just after the shower (I do it at nights) when the skin is still wet, don’t rinse or pass with towel.

·Moisturization: The next day I put all over my body Jergens Smoothing Lotion.

Time of treatment: 2 months

Evaluation Is based on roughness, number of bumps related with redness and skin tone in scars.

3. Results

a) Internal treatment
Water consumption seems to help with face moisture and general state of skin.
Fish oil didn’t seem to have a big impact on my kp, I tried it before without the external treatment, however it has been only two months combining both.

b) External treatment
-First day: My skin was more moisturized than usual from the first use of the oils.
-One week: my arms started to turn itchy.
-Two weeks: hair in my arms started “growing” or being released. Bumps in the butt and thighs started diminishing.
-One month: Kp alba reduced all over the body about 60%, arm bumps reduced by 50%, thighs 30%.
Others: Foliculitis and insect bite scars are not red anymore, turned darker and started getting lighter.
-Two months: Kp alba reduced about 90%
Small bumps (arms) 90%
Big bumps: 60%
Kp scars: 70%
Others: Overall my skin looks lighter and moisturized, foliculitis and insect bites scars are 50% lighter and 30% smaller.

4. Conclusions

• After two months of treatment the media improvement of redness, roughness, number of bumps and scarring all over the body is 70%.

• The external treatment has the most significant effect over the small and frequent bumps and kp alba with 90% of improvement.

• With this treatment redness diminishes proportionally to number of bumps.

• Its effect depends on the kind of kp and location.

• Except for water consumption internal treatment seems to not have effect after two months but more time is needed to see results.

• Improvement is not expected in more than 10% for all the kp in general, from now on could be a maintenance treatment.

PLEASE READ HOW I DID IT, EXTREMELY BAD KP.

Currently I am 34, when I was 17 I got the message from the dermatologist that my condition was kp and would never go away. I did not want to believe it would never go away. I persisted to go to other dermatolgists until one would extend a prescription. Found one, and it began to go away with meds.
My KP was so bad and was until 2 weeks ago and will get into as I tell my story.
I had the KP rubra as they call it. It was a red rash all over my body. Legs, arms, neck, chest, back, backside, anywhere you could think of, I had it. I would cry all the time at how bad it was and that it was the end of the world (of coarse, I was a teenager) I wanted to show off as I was always in good shape. So the meds helped. Life went back to normal and stopped appearing in certain spots, and I think that it happenned not from the meds but proper washing techniques. Well now 34, it really began to get worse on my chest and back and neck. Oh oh, the meds were no longer working. My body had become so used to them that it started getting immuned to the medication, cortison, lamisil mixture....
A month ago as the meds were not making it better I went to the dermatogist again. He said it would not be ethical for him and he would not prescribe me anything. I walked out and began to cry thinking there is no hope and no cure. I thank GOD for that one appointment. That appointment drove me to come to this forum and I want to share my story as I took advice from another lady on here that shared the similar condition.

It was so bad, that I cannot explain how bad it was. Imagine the colour of a almost ripe tomatoe. That was the colour of my skin with all red bumps all over my upper body. I used to look in the mirror and could not believe my eyes. It was that bad. I would not even dare dream of taking my shirt off, infront of anyone, ever. I would feel bad for hurting their eyes.

My trial and error began a little over a month ago.,.......and today I would never of thought that I ever had a problem....the KISS (keep it stupid simple)method has worked for me within a month.

I exfoliate in the shower with a spongy briscle exfoliater to the area in question while using Dove sensitive skin soap on the sponge. I do this very thoroughly, and then rinse. Then I use Nutrogena Deep Cream Cleanser over top of the exfoliated area and leave it there for about 45 seconds. It feels so clean and tingly when i start rinsing it off.
Go out of the shower, use Lachydrin 12% (recommended by my dermatologist) also tried other claim to fame lotions in different areas (cream a - shoulders, cream b- middle back, cream c- front etc.
The Lachydrin worked the best. At first it actually burned but I kept fighting through it. Could be from exfoliating really hard, but any little pain was better then what I had.
I sometimes also felt itchy and have found that keeping the skin moisturized with Aveeno was the best. I guess the sacylic acid in the deep cream cleanser helps the kerotin release in the pores.

That was my simple method of 17 years of meds and not taking my shirt off. UNBELIEVABLE at how simply it was.

Today, I sit here typing hoping I can help one person out, that may be down and depressed thinking there is no cure. May not be a cure but if it helped me, I know you can be helped. Please, please understand how bad my condition was.

If you ever think your condition is that bad, I am willing to help you out by letting myself go again, to show you how bad my condition was, knowing it will get better in a month. Please please understand though, as I have struggled with this for 17 years, I would really rather not, because I am normal again (FINALLY), with very little little little kp left. Show me pictures and I will most likely be able to tell you I was worse, am that confident of how truly bad my skin was. I am so proud, but I promise, if you think you had it bad......there is always someone who has it worse. It WILL get better for you my friend, please know that. Of every picture I have seen on the interent of a person with KP, NOT 1 picture was nearly as severe as I had it. It was that bad.

Please never give up hope, it is never as bad as it seems. It will get better.

I am not a doctor, and cannot explain how or why it cleared up with this, but wanted to let you know that this worked for me. Be patient, put away the tears, smile and know your condition will get better in a very short peroid of time. PLEASE have trust and faith. It will work out for you, God Bless and best of luck!

Hi, here's what's working for severe KP in my 14 yo son w/ lifelong KP. Amazing results--smooth skin now but peppered a few weeks ago.
Not sure how consistent he is, but here's the regimen:

warm not hot baths, sometimes in epsom salts
And the following topicals, 2x per day:
AmLactin XL Moisturizing Lotion Ultraplex triple alpha-hydroxy lotion
Paula's Choice 2% beta hydroxy acid liquid
Paula's Choice blemish fighting solution

swimming 3x per week in a sunny indoor pool

sunscreen Banana Boat baby 50 spf

This regimen has been amazing. From peppered to smooth!

(Also, a few months ago, had some improvement using Heel Balm (very greasy). It helped somewhat.)

Good luck! and be patient and consistent.

VIRGIN COCONUT OIL - found in markets in the cooking section, not skincare section. Rub it on every night and you will see a difference in 2 weeks so don't give up! I've tried so many commercial products and scrubs. The type of KP I have tend to be small bumps slightly red with occasional whiteheads on the back of the arms and thigh area. Every skin is different but it worked one so I wanted to share! The coconut oil actually worked better than any commercial product (I wrote about KP Duty before but the oil works better) and it's about $10 a jar that will last you for a year!

My SUCCESS STORY!

I am 38 years old and have had this condition for as long as I can remember. I found 3 products that worked great and I’m now 98% Keratosis Pilaris FREE!!!

I had read that apple cider vinegar works so I tried it. I used the raw, unfiltered organic kind (found in the organic section at the grocery store). I took a cotton pad and applied it on my clean skin at night before going to bed. Within 2 days my skin had a HUGE improvement!(ACV works nicely on facial blemishes also). However, yes, there is an ordor so I went in search of something else natural.
I found two soaps that worked very well for me.
Zum soap (I used the peppermint lavendar) had a wonderful effect on my skin all over, especially my arms. It’s a little expensive so I decided to try Dr Bronner liquid soap (peppermint) and it works great also! I wash with a loofa also as it helps exfoliate.
I’ve been using Dr Bronners (along with ACV a few times a week) for a month now and the Keratosis Pilaris is just about gone. FInally!

I hope this simple and inexpensive rememdy helps someone else out there. Good luck!

I've tried many commercial AHA lotions, scrubs, retin-a, home remedies, and various home chemical peels, and none ever improved either the look or texture of my kp significantly. A while ago I bought bulk microdermabrasion crystals on Ebay and recently started using them for my kp. I mix about half a teaspoon with a tablespoon of cheap hair conditioner (V05). It forms a creamy paste that I massage onto my kp with a wet washcloth for a minute or so before showering. I use this to exfoliate about twice a week and follow it with a generic body lotion or coconut oil. It's only been a few weeks since I started this routine and I'm seeing a slight improvement in appearance and a big improvement in how my skin feels. I hope with continued regular use I'll see dramatic improvement.

I would say I have mild KP. I’ve always had “gross” arms. The back of them has KP manifesting as a smooth rash of purple or red dots/patches. (I wouldn’t call them ‘bumps’.) During the summer, when I tan, the rash disappears and a more pleasing “freckle” look appeared.

I tried a lot of suggestions, but here is what I have found that works:

Prescription MOMETASONE FUROATE CREAM USP, 0.1%. I was prescribed this ointment for another rash. (Ugh! I have every skin ailment you can imagine, it seems.) Trained through years of hopeful trying, I also applied it liberally once a day to my KP just to see. And, it worked! The rash visibly lightened, to the point that, if you’re not looking, you may not know it’s there! Thank goodness! I’d say I STARTED to results in a week (7 days, no-fail applying.)

I recently ran out of the ointment, and the KP has come back in full force.

Don’t get all hopeful and think the ointment is miraculous – the KP is still definitely there, but it has lightened so much that I would gladly wear a tank top or sleeveless dress/top without being self conscious.

Thanks for this site!

Coconut oil is amazing! I have been using it as a lotion right when I get out of the shower and within just one week my kp is 80% gone! It is only about 12 dollars at whole foods and worth every cent.

Hi All,

This is my first post on here so apologies if you've heard it all before!
I have suffered from (self-diagnosed) KP for around ten years but it has only been the last 2 years that i realised what it was. Since then i have tried everything i can think of (outside of seeking proper medical advice) to get rid of the bumpy red skin on my upper arms - mostly scrubbing them to death and applying rich moisturisers, AHAs and oils. Nothing worked at all until recently I noticed a marked improvement in my skin. The problem is that i don't know what it is exactly that has done me good!

Possible causes:

I gave up eating chocolate at New Year and drastically reduced my intake of sweets/biscuits/cakes etc.

I also gave up eating cheese at New Year but I'm still eating butter, yoghurt and milk.

I also stopped eating pasta, potato, rice and bread in evening meals but continued to eat them at breakfast/lunch. Overall i have probably halved my intake of them.

I started using a coconut/shea butter based scrub and shower creme and changed my body moisturiser from Palmer's Cocoa Butter to Palmer's Shea Butter.

I initially thought that it was the Shea Butter that was helping clear up my KP but i am curious if it could be the cheese/chocolate too. I am supposed to start eating them both again at Easter but i don't want to if it's going to bring the KP back!

KP has made my life a misery for as long as i can remember - i can never wear short sleeves and spend all summer sweating in long sleeves and cardigans to cover up. My KP is still there but i can see it improving every day. I'd say it's 80% better than it was at its worst.

If anyone's got any advice i'd love to hear it but for now i'm going to continue my 'routine' and hope i can get rid of KP for good!

xx

OK...new member as of today and have been doing a lot of research on KP cause up till i had my daughter in 07 ive never had the problem except i remember having bumps on my arms that kinda felt like dirt and my grandfather said i was made with extra sand so i didnt think anything else of it. well when i had my daughter the second she poped out they poped up on my arms. The doctor told me it was hormones and would eventually clear up. Well, almost 3 years later its still here and i havent wore a tank top since she was born.
The research i came across had something to do with actual chicken!! It said to stop eatting it cause they grind up chicken feathers (thats pure keratin!) and feed it to the chickens as a source of cheap chicken feed! Isn't that crazy? It says that on its own is a lot of keratin and I guess for people with KP it makes our skin go haywire! I just bought papya enzymes and coconut oil plus a mulivitamin (that i should have been taking in the first place) to see if this helps. I was reading some of the forums before going to GNC and Papya Enzymes is suppose to get rid of extra keratin? I dunno but im gonna try it. But i will tell anyone this....Flax seed oil makes you poot! hahaha