Hi everyone, I am just wondering if anyone knows if KP is tied to genetics. My mom has KP on her arms and legs, and it just recently disapeared (at age 53). I also have it on my arms and legs, but just like her, not my back or stomach or anything. Anyone notice the same pattern?

I read that KP is genetic and I beleive it because my mother has KP.

My brother has KP, he's never been diagnosed though (neither have I). But when he was younger mum took him to the doctor coz he had bumps on his arms and the doctor said it was some skin inflammatory thing (this was years ago, he still gets it back and i'm sure it's KP!) and he got prescribed this anti inflamatory emoillient lotion Which I remember did work. I found it in the cupboard the other day, but the use by date on it was march 97' or something ridiculous lol! I'm sure it's hereditary

if you read the front page of KP forum you can see that it refers to KP as a genetic disorder.

My dad's family has it - although no one else I know of has KPRF, like I do. My brother also has KP.

Hello Friends,
KP sufferer from 5 yrs to 41 yrs; buttocks, legs, arms, shoulders, and back.
I have definately learned over the years KP is a "heriditary" condition. I have proof: My mother did suspect my grandfather had the condition, and it was passed onto me. I had a child at 19 and my daughter also developed KP quite young in the same zones I had as a child--no question in my mind it is heriditary. Bummer.

I still love myself though and my daughter has handled her attitude with the condition quite well. My daughter is more concerned about some fat on her arms than KP. Glad she isn't as self-conscious as I was growing up. But she also knows what the condition is and that she's not alone. I didn't have that background growing up--I felt like I was alone and a freak. Nice to know at 41--I have friends just like me! Blessings!

I totally agree; I've had it since I was a baby and a really bad case - all over and the red cheeks. My brother has it, my dad has it though not so bad and now my mother who is 52 and has had evniable, smooth beautiful skin all her life has just started to develop it on her arms! Who said it disappears with age!

Both my parents are celtic background which has to have some connection too. Both my grandfather's had red hair but I don't know if they had kp.

Hello, I'm new here. My father has KP and so do I. My father and I also have red cheeks and bumpy noses that I've always thought were Rosacae but just tonight learned that KP can cause red cheeks too. Anyway, my dermatologist told me it was absolutely heriditary.

I have had it since I was little, it got worse when I hit puberty. Same thing with my older brother (he's even worse than me), and my younger brother, 16, is starting to get it all over as well. Both of my parents today have clear skin, so hopefully ours goes away with age.

It's absolutely tied to genetics. Both my brothers and I have it. Two of my cousins have it (both from my mom's side of the family - mom's sister & mom's brother). There may be more out there in the family, but since they're scattered all across the world, I don't know some of them very well. Like Markis' parents, both of mine have really nice skin right now, and so do my grandparents from my mom's side. So I'm not sure who "started" this bad gene. =)

I have keratosis pilaris and my dad has it. it is definatly genetic. it really sux im only 14 and i break out really bad

Just a little point I've been meaning to make-- we seem to have ruled out the idea that it goes away with age-- but yet look at my parents and tracey's, as posted above, all now have clear skin. Dermatologists even tell us the condititon ususally fades in the mid to late 20s.
Did anyone ever think that the reason that no one here has posted about this happening is simply because they have no reason to be a part of this group? If you had KP 5 years ago but are now clear, would you work to put a name to this relatively unknown condition and then search the net all over for a hard-to-find support group forum for it? Probably not! Thats probably why we never hear of it going away with age here.
If we want to get really picky, perhaps members of this forum HAVE lost it with age, but accredit it to a product they just happened to be using at the time?
So yeah, maybe an unlucky few don't grow out of it. I'm not 20 yet, and there a lot of younger people here, so lets cross our fingers that it really will fade away for some of us! Just a thought!

My mother had KP but it cleared up around her mid 30's. Her skin is totally smooth now and has been for quite some time. However, mine has not cleared in the least.

I'm 38 and it seems as if mine is getting worse as I get older. But, in all honesty I haven't really tried all the things that I have learned in here,in fact, Eucerin lotion is the only thing my Doc ever recommended. It is really great to know that I am not alone with this condition. My daughter is 11 and she has started showing a lot of kp on her upper arms, the same way I did around that age.It's great having this support here!!!