My son has had KP since a toddler. Every year since, it has gotten worse, he's now 11. Last winter was so bad I was in a panic. Being a boy he's not always cooperative in trying to treat it. An interesting thing happened this past summer. He joined camp for the first time and had swimming every day, 5 days a week. By the end of the summer his KP was 85 to 90% gone. I couldn't believe it. Was it the chlorine?
Anyone have any ideas on this.
Patty

My daughter has had KP all her life and it always gets better with lots of swimming. I kind of thought maybe she was out growing the condition, but since we stopped swimming it has come back-and it's bad-she has it all over her face! I wonder if the chlorine helps break down the kerotin on the skin? The whole chlorine things goes against the idea of keeping the skin really moisturized. It is a very frustrating condition.

I know what you mean about keeping the skin moisturized. I was worried about the chemicals being too harsh meanwhile his skin hasn never been this clear. But as you said its coming back now that summer is over. It makes me wish I lived in a warm climate instead of in NY. I dread the winter because my heart breaks for my son. I just read a post in General Discussion and the woman said the same thing happened to her after swimming so she tryed to reproduce the effect. She adds Kosher salt and Bleach to 4 inches of bath water about every 10 days. She says her skin is clear. Hmmmmm. Makes me wonder.

This is very interesting. I've always found that swimming makes my kp worse.

When we moved to where we live now, we all experienced an increase in the bumps, redness, and skin irritability overall because the water here is heavily chlorinated. The first shower I took here smelled like a swimming pool was being funneled into my bath.
Maybe it's because we are in it every day that it has an adverse effect for us. Hmmm... curious.

Swimming this summer really made my 5 yr old's KP come out worse. Makes mine worse too. Maybe it was the sunshine that helped? Or maybe the pools up north here are overly chemical. bd

I really wanted to test the bleach/salt water theory with my 11 year old. I wanted him to try his forearm. Even one arm for a little while in a basin. He wants no part of it. He says it doesn't bother him so leave it alone. I think it bothers me more than him, that is until someone notices it and says something to him. I'm wondering if its not the pool water but the heat and humidity that makes it better. Because why get better in the summer and worse in the winter? His was very, very bad last winter and really, really good last summer. We live in NY. Does anyone live in a climate that doesn't have extreme weather changes, and does your KP change throughout the year?

Yes, we live in California, but the KP always gets worse in the winter. I was told by a derm that sunshine helps KP, but I always cover my daughter with sunscreen, so I am not sure how the sun would help.

I have been treating my daughter's KP with a cream and it has been getting worse. Yesterday, we went swimming and it looks better than ever! Too bad she does not want to join a swim team! The quest for a cure continues!

My 11 yr old daughter has KP really bad on her back and arms. The KP on her back gets inflamed and looks like cystic acne.

During the summer it improved 100%. She swam and was in the sun a lot.

I think the combination of sun/chlorine really helped her.


Have your dermatologists ever recommended tanning booths. I asked the doctor "I know tanning is not good but is this something that might help my daughter when she gets older since they prescribe it for people with psoriasis?"

He said that they still prescribe tanning booths for people with psoriasis and that it might be something that would help me daughter when she gets older. Of course not daily though because too much sun exposer is not good.

My son has KP alba. When I read through the website I wonder if it is very different from KP rosa.