I am a male, age 22. I have had KP since some time in high school and none of my immediate family members have it.

I don't care about curing it as much as a more serious problem I have. I feel that this might affect men more than women purely for vanity reasons.
I am addicted to popping my KP. When I use the word 'addicted,' I really mean it. The longest I lasted without abusing the KP on my arms was four months. I believe it originally started just by the thought of 'cleansing' my arms. Being a typical guy, I didn't turn to lotions or anything, I just felt that if I purged it from my skin than it would be gone. This turned into a habit, where I am now at the point where if I see a slight rise on my skin produced by the keratin underlying it, than I must force it out. Of course this leaves my arms pockmarked with red blemishes, or worse, bloody holes.
I feel that women in general would probably not abuse their skin like this (unless they enjoyed the pain). I am just wondering if anyone else has this problem, and what they have tried to stop it.

Although you were looking for 'male advice,' I noticed the thread was titled abusing/popping KP and knew I'd relate...
Im a 22 year old female who first got KP in highschool as well. I have serious addiction too... Im constantly feeling the back of my arms for even the slightest bump so that I can 'get it out.' And no, I do not do it for the pain enjoyment!
I haven't figured out WHY I have this addiction, which is probably part of the problem. Sometimes I feel that I do it because of the 'vanity issue' you mentioned that women have... I think to myself, 'I dont want anyone to see that I have bumps on the back of my arms so I need to get them out.' Obviously it makes it worse, but until I see the red, swollen resulting bump, I always keep that little bit of hope that maybe it will 'pop' and be gone! Haha.. after all these years you'd think I'd learn that it makes it WORSE!
So you're not alone, and as far as advice goes... the longest I went without touching my arms was last month (well maybe 2-3 weeks). This website actually motivated me to stop! I tried wearing long sleeve shirts whenever I was not busy (anytime I was at home). Then in times where I would have to touch my arms, like washing in the shower, I'd use a pumice stone/ anything but my hands to avoid feeling it! Anytime I'd feel myself start to look at my arm or bring my hand up to touch it I'd have to run and find something to do... keep your hands BUSY!
The BIGGEST thing is to not touch or look at it, so then you dont have the urge to pop them. Once you see/feel a bump, I feel pretty much hopeless in fighting the urge.
This week I'm awaiting my midterm scores so I think the stress made me turn to picking again... I really regret it, because my arms were looking great and I was confident wearing a tank top last week! Hopefully I will take my own advice and start over again....
Hope this helped or at least made you feel not alone! sorry so long!

Uhh, sounds like human nature to me....it is like when you get a rash and they tell you not to scratch it......yet it is so itchy -.-(sounds like some sort of chinese torture lol) anyway usually when any normal person gets a blemish such as a pimple or something the first thing that comes to their mind is pop it. I am sure it is just part of instinct because maybe before we had all this medicine and treatements and stuff poping abnormal things on human skin is probably the best way to clean/get rid of it. I mean that is just my immediate theory i am no doctor or anything. Just saying at some point in "human evolution" if you want to call it that it must have served some purpose? Anyone else have any views?

-Nick

I would accept it as human nature if it was more prevalent among people who have KP. I think it must be some part of my personality that makes this need. It's impossible to resist. I have had my share of poison ivy or athletes foot and this is different. As addictd&ashamd mentioned, it is whenever you so far look at it or feel it. It is very passive most of the time and I can go long periods of time without touching it as long as I don't think about it. It is not human nature because most of the people with KP don't go around with arms covered in small scars or scabs.

By the way, addictd&ashamd , thank you for your post. It was very reassuring to hear someone else with the same problem and I have to agree with almost everything you described. I am sorry before for my narrow mindedness concerning 'vanity.'

I do find it odd that in times of stress (I am going through midterms as well right now) that the urge to pop it becomes more prominent. I have wasted literally hours at my desk when I could be doing work finding the right light in which to see bumps in my arms so as to attack them.

I can't accept that this isn't beatable. I feel that even if I cure my KP, I will probably try to pop something that isn't there. So I must find a way to ignore the desire completely.

Im 22 now and i have a history of doing the same thing but i dont do it incessantly. I just chose not to do it anymore b/c its not helping but making it way worse

I agree that its not human nature.. maybe the initial thought to pop the thing, but the obsession with it goes beyond normal. This is more like self-destruction, which I dont think is human nature.
I feel like I need hypnosis or something to alter my brain NOT to be addicted.
The worst part of all is that no matter how long you go without touching it, if you eventually give in just once, you're back on destruction lane
Anyone wanna bet on it or something? I think competition is the only way I can motivate myself!! Haha

Yeah, but lets assume that everyone had some sort of blemish on their arms. Considering that not all that many people do, or don't have it as bad as some others that they do not feel the urge as often which can eventually lead to obsession. The obsession part is human nature(most addictions are depending on whether you have an addictive nature or not). It is like how some people can do drugs and not get addicted while others can't. My guess is some people are just more prone to forming habits. Either way work on a way to stop xD, or you will end up like one of those dogs with the big coller on it to stop it from biting itself lol, except on your hands o.o.

First post here,guys. I seem to have the same issue. Mostly I tend to pick at the ones on my outer thigh as that spot tends to get irritated brushing against my pants all day. I consciously try to keep from picking or scratching but sometimes it's just automatic. I've dealt with it all my life, still looking for a cure.

I have a popping problem too. I tend to pop the ones that are white or really protruding, and then they turn into something that looks akin to a mosquito bite for a week or two.

Oddly enough (before I say this, I DO NOT RECOMMEND POPPING), SOME of the ones that I have popped disappeared after the mosquito bite healed, while others turn into a faint scar.

KP bumps should not be popable, are u sure u have KP and not pustules ?

Keratosis Pilaris. DermNet NZ

uh, yea you can pop them if you try hard enough :P, but usually only a little keratin and blood come out.

My KP on my body are flat, and almost skin colored, not popable, but I never worry about KP, all I do is wash my body with irish spring soap. KPRF is what I focus on correcting. why would u want to pop them ? there are so many, its not like they are grouped in 2 or 3, its more like 20-30 in areas like upper back of arms and shoulders, or thighs etc..

stop worrying about KP on the body, there isnt much that can be done for it, except wash, and moisturize, and tan with sunscreen. if all u have is body KP, and not KPRF then consider urself blessed.

well, this is a forum for KP in general. And KPRF is rare, while KP in general happens to be all over the place. The thread is aimed at people popping them/Further irritating their existent KP. When you pop them they scar and look pretty bad. Also popping KP can also apply to KP on the face. And to answer the question as to why you would want to pop them, is because on most people they are bumpy. Like on my upper arm if you rubbed your hand over it, would feel rough and bumpy compared to smooth. Also to answer why you would want to pop them is my theories above :P. Yeah i realize they probably have no idea that body KP does not come close to KPRF. Go read some of the teen section, some of them are having mental breakdowns because when a guy or girl touch them they feel rough, or they notice a little redness on their arm and think it is a rash. Not trying to say that their concerns are not genuine, just compared to us KPRF suffers it is laughable.

-Nick