kp treatments for a 12 year old

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Originally posted by natalie

My daughter has KP for several year but she is now 12 and has become terribly upset and embarrassed at the redness and bumpyness on her arms. She was given Aquadrate which had no effect at all. We now have an appointment in February with a dermatologist. Can anyone suggest what she could use meanwhile to get rid of the redness on her arms/legs and the bumpyness? We live in London. She is very very depressed about it and I dont know what to start using. Can anyone help?

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Originally posted by a few ideas

Natalie, as I expect you've realised from reading the site, there is no quick fix for KP. There are things you can do to improve it - a few tips include gentle exfoliation (possibly with one of those nylon gloves) using Dove Nutrium followed by a strong moisturizer, with lactic acid or glycolic acid. The exfoliation is to soften the bumps and the moisturizer should be used twice a day as KP is often linked to a dry skin condition. Some people use almond oil as a moisturizer, perhaps just in the evening as it is very greasy. You could also try an oil in water emollient cream that you can get OTC in Boots, or E45 or Keropil (don't know if you can buy the latter in the UK, though) which contains ammonium lactate. These might help but won't get rid of the redness. Kim on this site found that a product called Oxy faded her red dots to look like pale freckles but again, I don't know if you can buy Oxy in the UK.
You sound like a very nice, caring mum - please try and reassure your daughter that she's beautiful and gorgeous, even if it means telling her every day several times a day for years to come. Teenagers are ferocious about physical appearances and having KP can reduce self-esteem to less than nothing, very very quickly.

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Originally posted by Natalie

Thank you for the tips, I will try the nylon gloves and Dove Nutrium. I have ordered Elicina which might help. We do get Oxy her in the UK so I may try that. It is heartbreaking to see her so upset about it especially when there is no "cure". I am so grateful to this site, I hope she will read it and see that she is not alone. She says she wants skin like mine and not her "horrible" skin. Its very sad to hear her and even more so because it appears there is no cure. I am considering microbrasion and phototherapy when she is older which may help. Thanks for responding.

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Originally posted by Christine

Hi Natalie, I can sympathize with you. my 8 year old has Kp on his cheeks.. My derm prescribed Erythryomycin 2% gel. This is an acne med, which as you can tell contains an antibiotic, but it's a very low dose.. My son's KP has cleared up about 70 percent.. It seems many people want to take a natural or holistic approach to this condition.. My opinion is these creams and lotions just aren't strong enough to cut it.. Mention the gel to your derm when you go in Feb. and I wish you and your daughter good luck- Christine