I was interested to read that several of you have also had flare- ups with KP during and after pregnancy. I, too, am a KP sufferer but had not any "problems" with this condition for many years. That is, until I was in my 7 month of pregnancy with my first child. It has been 8 months now and I can't seem to get rid of this unsightly condition. I went to see a dermatologist in May and he informed me that KP tends to get worse with pregnancy. I am not sure if it is because of all the hormone flucuations or what, but I am anxious to get rid of it! Tanning isn't a real solution for me since I am prone to getting melanoma (found a few suspicious moles at my dermatologists office) and have tried numerous products to at least minimize it but nothing is working. It is very bad on the back of my arms (elbow to shoulder) and has seem to spread onto my thighs and upper part of my legs. Does it ever go away or does it just spread? I want to get it under control before my whole body is exposed.

My son, who is now 6 months old, is showing signs of having KP. I noticed it last week on his cheeks. I never thought that he was going to get it. My mother has it but it has never been red/inflamed and is only on a small portion of her arms. You can only tell she has it if you rub her arms. Mine, however, is red/inflamed and everywhere!
As for my son, I am using Eucerin lotion on his cheeks since he is just a baby and cannot take the harsh lotions/creams that adults use.

Kp has its ups and downs. Mine was also bad after pregnancy, most likely due to the hormone ups and downs. I won't say that kp ever really goes away, but hopefully there will come a point where you can get it more under control. Really watch what you are putting on your skin. Kp is a dry skin condition, and in my family anyway, we do better using moisturizers and oils such as sweet almond, jojoba, apricot kernel...... compared to things that would help dry the skin out instead of moisturize it. This is also something that you can put on your infant sons face. A little goes a long way and its natural.
Anyway, best of luck. These oils have helped my kp and my daughters. I also make soap (cold process) and I think that helps a lot also. Alot of store soaps can be drying, although many here have done well with sulfur soap, which is something for you to consider also. All of us have different skin
Molsmom

I've had keratosis pilaris for 15 years and when I got pregnant my KP got worse. My daughter is now seven months and doesn't show any signs but I didn't show signs of KP until I was around 7-10 years old . I know tanning does help alot because before I was pregnant I tanned to hide my KP but now I've started using creams that aren't helping. My KP is all over my thighs and spreading to my legs and is on my arms. Can you suggest any creams that have worked for you?

I, too, have noticed a miserable change in my KP since giving birth to my son a few months ago. The KP is all over my thighs (back and front) and on my upper hip areas. My arms and back aren't as bad. I had this same breakout with my last child. I am convinced that it must be a hormonal thing since it happened after my pregnancy when my body is trying to "sort out" all the hormones remaining. Just how to get rid of the ugly stuff, though? i bought some KP Duty and have been using it for a few days, It seems to be making the bumps more red and inflamed! Very frustrating. I am interested in the sulfur soap. Is it drying? What about vitamins? Any ideas?

Molsmom-
I read that you use sweet almond, jojoba, apricot kernel for your KP. My son is 11 months and has KP on his face, shoulders, and legs. I have been using Arbonne Baby Care which seems to have helped a bit on his face and shoulders, but not his legs. Could you tell me which products you use specifically and how and when you apply them? There are just so many products out there that it becomes very overwhelming and costly. Thanks

Hormone Imbalance Symptoms
Acceleration of aging process
Hypoglycemia (unstable blood sugar)
Acne or adult acne
Inability to focus or concentrate
Age spots (brown spots)
Inability to handle stress
Aggression/violence
Incontinence (loss of urine)
Allergies (asthma, hives, rashes)
Increased blood clotting
Anxiety
Infertility
Arthritis
Insomnia
Backache
Irregular or heavy menstrual periods
Bladder Infections
Irritability or mood swings
Blurred vision
Joint and muscle pain
Bone Mineral Loss
Joint swelling, stiffness
Breast enlargement (men & women)
Lack of appetite
Breast tenderness (cysts, lumps)
Leg & Muscle pain
Brown spots on face (melasma)
Lethargy (always tired)
Bruise easily
Lupus
Candida Albican (yeast throughout body)
Menopause
Cervical Dysplasis (abnormal pap smear)
Menstrual cramping
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Mid-cycle pain
Cold Extremities
Miscarriages
Constipation, gas
Night Sweats
Crying, weepy
Osteoporosis
Dark Circles under the eyes
Ovarian cysts
Decreased libido (sex drive)
Painful Intercourse
Depression
PMS
Dry or fallling hair
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Elevated PSA count (prostate - men)
Premenstrual Bone Loss
Endometreosis
Prostate Enlargement (men)
Exhaustion, fatigue
Psoriasis, Eczema, Seborrhea
Eye irritation or Dry Eye Syndrome
Puffiness of body or face
Facial hair (women)
Reduced stamina
Fat gain around tummy/hips/thighs
Rosacea
Feeling of panic
Sjorgen's Disease
Fibrocystic breasts
Sleep disturbances
Fibroid tumors (uterine fibroids)
Sluggish metabolism
Flushed look on face
Softer erections (men)
Fibromyalgia
Spontaneous abortions
Gall bladder disease
Sugar cravings
Grave's disease
Thyroid dysfunction mimicking
Hypothyroidism
Ulcers
Hasimoto's Thyroiditis
Uterine Cancer
Headaches (migraines)
Vaginal dryness
Hot flashes
Water retention
Hair loss or thinning (men & women)

I'm sorry the list is so long, but I wanted to list them all and I couldn't get them doubled up on the same line without them running together.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, Prolief is a plant-based progesterone cream that is available without a prescription (I asked my OB/GYN to be sure and she said, "Well it couldn't hurt!!" I can't wait to report back to her in November!! ) on www.arbonne.com See my other thread "clearing up with Arbonne" for details in ordering or email me!

PS I've been using the NutriMinC RE9 Body wash, serum, and lotion, and my KP is almost entirely gone. It comes back when I stop using it, but at least it heals it when I use it regularly!

This all sounds so familiar!!! I never even knew I had a problem w/kp until I got pregnant with my first son in 2004. I had really bad flare-ups on the backs of my arms. I just thought it was body acne and chalked it up to hormones. I just had my second son on 8/8/2007 and low and behold my arms flared up again. I saw a picture of kp on a website about body acne and realized that's what I had. I never had any kind of flare-up before I got pregnant!!!! Now there are small bumps (skin colored) on the back of my 3 yr. old's arms!! I saw some people use glycolic stuff. What about a glycolic peel? Would that help or worsen it?

HI< THis is my first time writing but I've been reading threads for a while. I thought I'd give you a bit of my history. I started getting kp when I was a teenager and had it on my upper arms and back of my calfs. I had my first child at 33 and within a couple weeks I saw I was getting kp on my forearms and front of my thighs. That never went away and then I had my second child 3 years later and it has only gotten worse. Now I'm 53 and it's still there, now worse on my thighs and forearms than the upper arms and calfs. My daughter is 16 and has it on her upper arms and I can see it slightly on her legs, which means in the future it will probably get worse. She also has it on her face along the jawline. She didn't develop kp until she started puberty, around 12 years old or so. My son, who is 19, has it on the back of his upper arms. My mom and Aunt (her sister) also had kp most of their lives, but it finally went away in their 50's, I think after menopause. All that said I think it is something hormonal that triggers it. I keep hoping that mine will go away soon, but nothing yet. I am in the midst of menopause, so maybe when I'm done with that it will disappear. One can only hope. I have tried many of the remedies on this website, right now I'm washing with the Seabuckthorn soap and then putting the 2% SA on and then the AHA 20 lotion. At night I put on the Carmol 20. Seems to be helping a little bit, a lot of the bumps are gone on top, but how do you get rid of the red dots that seem to be under the skin? Years ago I went to the derm and he said use the Neostrata 15 for 2 weeks and the kp will go away. Needless to say I was very excited, but soon very disappointed as it didn't help at all. I went to the derm last year and he just stared at my kp, like he didn't know what to say about it cause it was so bad. So thanks for all the information on this site, it's great and I hope one day that something will work. It's also comforting to know that I'm not alone in this battle! Good luck to all!

Does tanning really work? I'm 30 years old and don't want to age my skin (especially on my face)!! But I'll take on a few more wrinkles to get rid of these horrid bumps!! I wonder if using a very strong SPF on my face would let me be able to tan.When the bumps turn white does that mean that they are about to dry up? I AM SO CONFUSED!!!!