for those of you with high blood pressure and/or a fast heart rate, i urge you now that lowering both will infact improve your skin colour and texture. i have recently learnt that beta blockers are used to control the heart rate, the heart rate can be increased through exercise, anxiety or stress...although exercise increases the heart rate short term, it in fact lowers it long term. what i recommend is a total lifestyle change or lifestyle management.

I have low blood pressure and still have horrible KPRF. I exersize (both aerobic and anerobic) almost every day. I play competitive soccer, and it would be nearly impossible for me to be any healthier. I don't know what to do...

Same - I have really low blood pressure 90/50 and have a healthy lifestyle. This has not made the redness of my skin any better - however I am sure it helps me in other ways.

I also have chronically low BP (genetic, both mom and dad low, too), as well as regularly exercise.

Not to get too O/T (off topic), but what about sedentary jobs out there - anyone else think there's a link? I work in A/C all day, and no window to fresh air. I really think this has tons to do with having KP (long periods of being sedentary, job or otherwise), and circulation (or lack of) does play a part in KP flairups, but could just be me (?).

hmm i have low blood pressure also but then my face still has alot of bumps & it is ALWAYS red! :[

well i am now doubting whether i have Keratosis Pilaris Rubra Faciei (KPRF), because i have high blood pressure and a fast heart rate (emotions can effect both, as well as exercise). my cheeks are red because of surfaced blood, i have no pimples or anything on my face...just redness along with smooth skin.

Krissy - have you got KP on the tops of your arms????

Khrissy im sorry but your random ideas are getting somewhat bothersome. Kp has no correlation with high blood pressure or body weight for that matter. I dont mean to be rude but you need to make more educated and thought-out statements.

this illness is different in every individual, so you can't tell me that KPRF isn't linked with body weight, hypertension, anxiety, stress, depression and heart rate...becaused you'll be amazed at how much of skin conditions are worsened by psychological problems. i'm only trying to work out the link between everyone on here, we obviously have the same problems if we all have this skin condition. i know what worsens my case of KP and KPRF. Come back and disagree with my theory when your a qualified dermatologist.

If you have KFRF(well at least for me) cheeks are permanently red. Stress may only increase redness for a while. Oh well, they arent permanently red. I usually wake up with nicely toned face skin, but after few minutes they "pump up"

my face is great in the morning and at night, this is because body temperature and heart rate are relaxed, heart rate is about half as it is during midday, this is what i have learnt about my skin in general, mine is more of a psychological case though.

I don't know khrissy. I've just kindof realised that Kp DOES in fact cover my entire body...I assumed my face was free of it, but I now see that KPRF inflicts me also, albeit slightly. I have mostly smooth skin on my face, but I do get a bit of redness now and then. When I excercise inparticularly (it can be bright), and I guess sometimes when I don't..but just looks I'm blushing I suppose, not as bright. Not so that I have ever used any medication, or anything for my face. I now realise I am lucky, always just thought it was..i dunno, a slightly red face syndrome.

The reason I'm sure I have KPRF is because of the eyebrow thing. I get no redness there, but I remember in my teenage years thinking my eyebrows were taking time to grow in that outer third. I put those silly lines in my eyebrows with an electric razor when about 11/12 and always blamed that on thier failure to grow in. They eventually did come in thick enough that I'm content... but yesterday when I read this forum, I realise I do have KPRF. My skin must be able to handle it, or it isn't severe enough to really break through, i don't know. Again I'm lucky I don't get the redness as much as some seem to. How are your eyebrows?

I think, yes it does affect people differently based on diet, weight, climate you live in, things you do to agitate/heal it...but I think we all have the same basic thing going on (someone called it a disease...?). Anyway, I don't think that this disease is psychological and maybe taking stuff like beta blockers etc could just mess everything up..in your head. Trust me, judging by what i've read..most have been there. I used to think it was me making it happen. The only person in my family with KP is my sister...and it affects here upper arms..that's it. I've never seen anybody else with it like I have. The last thing you need to start worrying about is whether you are causing it or making it worse. I've been through many periods of stress..moving away from home, all sorts of exams, presentations, jobs...my KP doesn't really get affected. I've also had enough chillout time to realise that it isn't going to get better by not thinking about it or whatever.