Deep KP on forehead? (Tried to find answer in forum)

[lonestarlawyer]

Re: Flesh-colored bumps only on forehead...had one KP removed by Dermatologist last month. What else can I do?

Howdy folks,


I tried to read as many posts as I could about remedies, but if anyone reads this, can you tell me what is best to treat deep forehead KP. I run my finger across my forehead and it feels like Braille. However, the KPs aren't readily visible to others. Having such a "knotty" forehead drives me crazy and I have tried everything to extract them. Everything.

**I hate to start a topic that I'm sure has been READILY covered, but I really did make a valiant attempt at reading numerous posts before creating this one.

Thanks so much for your time.

Happy New Year!

[jimm]

Hi there -- Are you sure that what you have on your forehead is in fact KP? I've had KP forever on my upper arms, thighs, and butt, but last year I developed this weird facial rash that never went away; consisted of flesh-colored bumps (that would not disappear despite squeezing); and drove me INSANE. I finally went to the dermatologist and he immediately recognized it as rosacea. As a result, I now use a soap-free facial wash (Basis, made by Johnson & Johnson), and it's cleared up dramatically.

[lonestarlawyer]

I can't say that all the "gravel" on my forehead is KP, however, I just had a big KP removed from between my eyebrows a few weeks ago. (They took my third eye!!) Pathology confirmed a keratosis. My dermatologist didn't address the under-skin bumps very well during my appointment. Other people can't really see them...you'd have to run your fingers across my forehead to know they were there. (Any takers?) My derm. said just exfoliate and they should subside. Not true.
Thus, I have been reading up on my issue. It sounds 100 percent like KP; and I confirmed my suspicion after finding this message board. The bumps on my head are not at all similar to rosacea nor are they rash-like. There is no redness and virtually no tenderness. Just little embedded "grains" trapped under the skin. They will not come out despite my obsessive squeezing on them. (I know, I know). Note: this only started about 2 years ago. When I was 31. Before then, I had few skin problems.
Am I wrong in my self-diagnosis? If so, geewillikers....I'll be sorry I took up space on the KP board. However, from my Doogie Housering, it appears to be KP or next-of-kin.

Thanks!

[jimm]

Hi, lonestarlawyer --

You might want to consult another dermatologist just to be sure. My rosacea was not at all red or inflamed-looking; in fact, I thought it was a fungal infection of some sort for a while and actually applied Lotrimin to it (yes, I AM an idiot). It was small, non-productive (i.e. when you squeezed them nothing apart from perhaps clear liquid would come out), smooth, flesh-colored bumps that felt deeply embedded in the skin, and just never went away. They weren't at all rough or pointy-feeling, the way my KP bumps are. Exfoliating, if anything, exacerbated the problem. They drove me nuts.

If I had relied on my Googling skills alone, I would never, ever have suspected that I had rosacea. When I expressed surprise at his diagnosis (I thought rosacea was red, accompanied by broken blood vessels and pimply-looking things and a nose like W.C. Fields), my dermatologist explained that rosacea is still not particularly well understood, and that many dermatologists don't recognize it. All I know is, it went away IMMEDIATELY after I started doing what he told me to do. (If only my KP would respond the same way to recommended courses of treatment . . . )

In addition to telling me to use only the Basis wash on my face, he prescribed a lotion (Klaron sodium sulfacetamide 10% lotion).

Good luck.

[Turquoise]

Originally Posted by lonestarlawyer

There is no redness and virtually no tenderness. Just little embedded "grains" trapped under the skin.

If they really are KP bumps, they are just made of dry, dead skin that forms a hard bump over the follicle. They should respond to regular exfoliation, but you will have to find the right potency and stay with it for a least a couple months. Because they are not red, they are probably just surface clogging and so would be easier to treat.

Physical exfoliating with a scrub over the area for a few minutes once a day should smooth it out in a month or so. Chemical exfoliants like glycolic or salicylic acid would be easier if you can find a percentage that is fairly strong but doesn't irritate your skin. 10% would be a safe place to start. Try every other day or every third day and work up to once a day. If they are KP bumps, they will disappear in about two months of dedicated and correct usage.
If they aren't reduced by then, they may not be KP. For the least resistance, you could try St. Ives Apricot Medicated scrub. That is cheap and widely available and polishes the skin smooth over time as well as clearing out pores. You have to rub it in for at least a minute a day, though. Just going over the area briefly won't fix the problem.

I just had a big KP removed from between my eyebrows a few weeks ago

Can you explain this? How can you have KP 'removed' ? This is not typical of KP. What exactly was removed? And how?

[lonestarlawyer]

My derm removed a small bump-like growth from my forehead and called me later to tell me the pathology came back as keratosis. Not knowing much at the time, I didn't ask her what sort of keratosis. I am probably making an error in assuming that it was a KP, in that it was a bit different from the other "bumps" on my forehead. If memory serves me correctly, though, it did start out just like the other little bumps on my forehead, but over the years developed into a more permanent, mole-like flesh-colored bump. For years it seemed to be just a blockage, much like all the rest. I wish I had known more about this subject several weeks ago.

I really appreciate all the tips that I have gotten here. Thanks so much.