Re:Shaving/Redness/Rosacea/& Not Worrying About Finding Dates

[Archive]

Originally posted by Bloo

I just found this site last night & it has been so helpful and informative! I've only been diagnosed with KP two weeks ago but I've been suffering since age 10 on my arms & thighs. At some point in my early teens I was diagnosed with folliculitis, given some lotion with urea, and sent on my way. It never worked & I gave up. Later on I unsuccessfully explored my own "cures" but I did not realize my problem was dryness, not oilyness.

I've tried waxing/ epilating. When the hair grew back I got very painful ingrown hairs, inflamation, and no change in the bumps on my arms or legs.

When I met my husband (a medical resident) he suggested scrubbing with a loofah. I did this with the Neutrogena Clear Body wash in the shower & followed with Bacitracin ointment (since we were still under the belief it was folliculitis, a condition caused by bacteria). This actually helped alleviate my redness.

As for shaving my legs, I have found that shaving helps sometimes, but other times it gets very irritated. Thus, I shave in the direction of the hair growth & I change my razor blades after 1-3 uses. This has reduced my redness & irritation.

Thanks to new medical insurance I recently did see a dermatologist who gave me Tazorac and my KP diagnosis. I've read the previous posts about irritation so I'll be on the look out for that.
I also have been diagnosed with rosacea. I use Metrocream daily and it helps. What also helps me greatly is knowing what triggers my rosacea. For example, if I'm upset, stressed, or eat eggplant I will turn bright red.

Lastly, I'd just like to say to the teens who have expressed some frustration (about not finding significant others) that I'm 27 & I've suffered a long time with KP covering my arms & legs just like the others who have posted. I've been accustomed to people pointing to my arms & asking if I was cold since I had goosebumps. I'm also used to wearing shorts & sitting a certain way to cover the red spots on my legs. The fact is, most of the time people couldn't see my KP (especially on the arms) unless they came close & really stared. In fact, it wasn't until I did that to people (easy to do in the summer on the NYC subway) that I realized not only was I not alone, but that cases of KP varied in intensity. My KP was never a factor in finding/keeping a boyfriend, or in getting married, so I hope no one will think they will be alone because of this. Some of my girl friends have KP & they all have boyfriends & husbands and there was never an issue over KP.

I hope this has been useful! Keep up your routines!
Bloo