I'm 16 and i'm a male and i just recently found out i have KP and i have a couple questions:

1) how do you get it?
2) is there treatment avaliable for it?
3) i heard KP is usually found in women..is it rare for men?
4) my mom has it, i have it, but why doesn't my brother?

If someone could please help me with these. I feel kinda stupid for asking these questions because i feel that they are SO obvious..but again..Please help me.

1) It's genetic.
2) There's no set treatment for the conditions. Most doctors are oblivious to there being any and will not recommend anything to help. If you look in the main forum on the subject there are suggestions which have worked for a good number of people. I've just started on 'oil pulling' and changing my diet to avoid wheat and most importantly dairy, but only yesterday so I can't recommend anything yet.
3) I don't know..
4) Genes are different between siblings. It's pretty much the luck of the draw which ones you inherit.

I hope other members have more information, as I'm not very well versed. Good luck with finding treatment

yeah, i'm a girl, but i hope yall don't mind! I'm 15, and I got kp on my arms, but I don't think it's that bad, but still, i'm just kinda confused about my brother not haveing it but I do!!! It sucks! I hate wearing short sleeves! About that thing about women having it more, its true! I read on the internet that women do have it more often than men. Because sometimes people who do have kp don't even notice it until they're a teenager. The site says that sometimes it just fades out when you're about 30, but most of the time women who are pregnant or have given child birth it comes up unexpectantly after these things occur. So you, zbennett09, how bad do you have kp? I have also just recently found out I have kp! I went to a dematologist and he told me thats what I had, so I joined this website!

and by the way, don't feel stupid about asking those questions, cuz I was wonder'n the same thing when I found out I had KP!!!!

i don't have it so much on my arms as i do on my thighs. it's not like TERRIBLY bad, but i still feel uncomfortable taking off my pants and wearing short sleeve shirts. i can live with it. lol. not bad..hbu?

I just got it on my arms, but it's not bad on my arms!!! Its just like this redness- splotchy sunburn look'n stuff! But I'm taking a medicine that helps it! But it's gett'n better now! I found out that taking cold, or just medium warm showers helps also!!! Tell me if it works for ya!!! But don't feel bad about your kp! I used to, but now i'm just like, I don't give a s#*t!!! lol!!! yeah and plus yours isn't that bad! you got it on an area that people don't see much! And why would you take your pants off when people are around? Oh, are you talk'n about in a locker room or someth'n??? Sorry, thats a really personal question!! lol You don't have to answer that!!! Type me back!! Hey I got an email if you want to email me!! I also got IM!!!

well just in general taking my pants off.
but i don't really give a sh!t about it myself
i just get self aware when someone points it out.

and i have AIM to
zak uh ree

yeah i fell the same way too! I wear long sleeves all of the time so that no one will notice and point and ask!!! It gets really REALLY annoying after like the first ask!!!! I like how you spelled your name at the end!!! lol yeah my email is hottiechickashlee@hotmail.com and i have msn messenger which is well just go to the members list and find my name and click on the instant messaging thing and send me a message!!! you can email me if you just want to talk!!!! ;0

you better email me!!!! just kidd'n!!!! lol

Luck of the draw I guess. It's more common in women, and I have it and my sister doesn't! How unlucky is that!

1) KP is a genetic skin disorder. It is not a disease.
2) There are lots of treatments being discussed on these forums. You just need to find the one that works better for your skin type.
3) Women are known to report more the disorder. I think because society have a tendency to think that men skin should be rough and damaged. Now men are trying to take care of their skin, and that's great!
4) Gene Expression is the answer. Gene expression is one of the most complicated things in science. We are only beginning to understand how they (genes) work and express thanks to the Human Genome Project ended in 2003. So, there's a lot to expect in future years. There's hope.
Now, your brother may not express the disorder physically (phenotipically), but that doesn't mean that he didn't inherit the disorder. Another possibility is that the gene hasn't been activated yet (that's why every person get the symptoms at different stages in life).
Note: My husband's sister "doesn't" have KP, but her daughter inherited KP (her father doesn't have KP either). see?

with some of you saying: "Luck of the draw".

Please don't feel stupid for asking these things!
This forum is for all our members to ask and get help. We really want to help you, we are a COMMUNITY!

If someone else wants to add anything else, please feel free to do so.

Aww, you're so nice.

i have it........................and my brother does not
my mom does not
my father never had it
my grandparents never had it
and i dont think my great grand parents had.....its probably in my family tree somewere tho ....i gues i just lucked out and won the genetic lottery..........
.......................awesome!!!!!!

I'm male and have it.
My dad doesn't have it, neither does my sister.
My mom has it though, so I probably inheirited the bad genes from her. :P

Isn't there some way of altering the genes to make them "normal" (attacking the problem at its roots)? I'm pretty sure there is! That should stop KP once and for all. But there's probably some risk/consequences of doing so involved, and it's most likely not as easy as I make it sound... heh.

Edit: Upon doing further research, I stumbled upon Gene therapy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sounds promising!

In about 20 years, maybe.