How do you cope with more skin showing in your wardrobe during the warmer months? I love sleeveless tops, but I have felt too self conscious to wear them! The tanning bed has almost completely gotten rid of the kp on my legs, but I have not gotten the same results on the back of my arms. Any suggestions?

I don't, or I try to put makeup over it, although I hate the look of that too. I'm sure I'm using the wrong color, but since my whole arm is red and blotchy I don't know what WOULD look natural! I've made myself suffer and wear long sleeves in the warm weather, especially if I've picked at it, other times I've stayed in rather than enjoying time out. I don't recommend that to anyone. I'm getting better about it, as I tell myself that if anyone looks at my arms or is grossed out enough to make me feel uncomfortable (by staring, or remarks, etc) then that person is sadly lacking in tact and/or brains, and then I'M the fortunate one.

I'm tempted to try Dermablend. Normally if I have to wear something sleeveless, I cover my upper arms w/ foundation, which sometimes looks okay, depending on the severity of the KP.

I've never tried tanning - that might be a good idea, though I'm terrified of skin cancer.

you might try going out in the sun with a good sunscreen, or even a tanning bed, just be careful on how long you stay there. sun seems to help my daughters skin quite a bit. when we were taking her to a derma he told us that even though dermatologists don't normally recommend sun/tanning beds, with kp, its the opposite, it usually helps. unfortunately we have had more rain here in IL this summer, it doesn't even feel like summer. i haven't taken mol to a tanning bed yet, but i may, its something we may consider anyway.

I had ordered some, but ended up with the wrong color so I'm waiting for the color I exchanged it for. If there's a dept. store near you that sells Dermablend, try out the color there first so you don't end up with the wrong one! The colors on the Dermablend site aren't quite accurate, at least in my experience. I'll let you know how well it works or doesn't work for me.

I'm interested in seeing how the dermablend works as well.

I went to Hawaii, got a tan from just playing tourist outside. the combo of humidy and sun (I wore spf 50) gave me a tan and lessened the bumps amazingly. Before I left on my trip, I did an exfoliation and a hydraquench wrap at the spa since airplane flights are very drying to the skin. I did this so my tan would start on a clean slate. This was 3 weeks ago. I am still able to wear shortsleeve tops and shorts. I have been using an Origins body scrub (Paradise found) once or twice a week, Biore facial wipes on my arms once a week, KP Duty in the morning after a shower and Vaseline total moisture and KP duty at night. I figure if I can keep a tan (I am olive skinned) by being outside at the beach or pool maybe once a month (with sunscreen of course), then those 3 -4 this summer will be well worth the freedom of wearing whatever I want. From my perspective I can see a few little skin raises but from my husbands point of view, my arms and legs are 'healed' and he cannot stop touching them (in an affectionate way). Also, I have been drinking a lot of water, taking yoga, pilates and ballet (stress reducers), reading a lot, getting a good night's sleep (as much as I can with a 4 year old), taking Cod Liver Oil, multivitamin and apple cider vinegar pills and cut my coffe intake to one cup a day.

This is the first time I've heard about apple cider vinegar pills. What are the health benefits of taking them? Are they good for KP?

I have heard of people using apple cider vinegar on diets, and once ran across a book about the benefits of taking it daily. I'd be interested to hear about this also. I've never heard it in a pill form.

It also aids in digestion and assists the immune system ward off infections (I also have eczema). I am trying to avoid any steroid use for the eczema.

I just started the MD skincare daily body peel. I have only been using this for 2 days (the effects of the last trip to Hawaii is finally wearing thin...fortunately we are going again on Wednesday :0) but it has helped the redness (bumps, not scarring) tremendously. And my non-KP skin is really soft. Still have not noticed a significant effect on the bumps (which exploded in FULL force- I don't know if it stress related or my skin got mad at me for being clear for a month)but I will give it the full 30 days+ (I won't use it the rest of the weekend b/c I have an body exfoliation and seaweed wrap on Monday and I won't use it in Hawaii). Will definitely let you all know if it is worth the $78.00.

Also, I was wondering if any of you ladies have used the bare escentuals mineral makeup foundation. They say it supposedly covers up roseacea so I thought it should do the trick for our redness as well. Any thoughts? I have been using MAC (the full coverage one) and in the summer it feels like pancake batter.

Ugh, up at 330am...I knew I should not have had that frapaccino!!

I actually use the bare escentuals on my face. I really don't like the feel of makeup or look of a made up/put on face (who does?!) and this just gives you a nice clean polished looked. I tried using it on my arms and I've got darks scarring so it actually looks rather odd. I'd probably have to use many shades darker to get the right color, and I don't want my arms and face contrasting that much! Not too fond of makeup on my arms.

Bare minerals is good at providing a sheer finish, luckily my face is clear so it works well. When I get an occassional monthly breakout (ugh!) it covers the rednesss well. As corny as it may sound -the swirl, tap, and buff does work. Plus, it's natural! I don't wear it everyday but when I do my skin looks almost airbrushed. I got the sheercover a month or so ago just to see which I'd prefer, and I'm sticking the bare minerals. If it doesn't end up working for your arms, atleast you'll have a great foundation :-)

Boosmom - are you still using using the MD peel? How is it working for you?

Nala- thanks for the info. I am going to try the liquid minerals form of Bare Escentuals foundation.

The MD peel- works pretty well. My arms were defying th Biore wipes (you know how KP treatments work well and then the law of diminishing returns rears its ugly head) so I went to something stronger (and waaay more expensive).You see the results the next day. It is a little drying but the bumps areminimal and I only used 4 of the 30 so far. I have been doing 2 days of the MD and then a day off and then 1 day of the Origins Paradise found body scrub,I literally see the top of the bumps coming off...that si why I use the body scrub. I am going to replace that scrub with a sea salt based one when it runs out.
Would I recommend the MD body peel? I think so, but it is costly ($78 for 30 treatments) but muuuch cheaper than having it done at the spa ($110.00 per treatment with a higher glycolic version fo the same thing). I am in a tank top today :0)

I'm new here too. My question is for those who have PK on their legs. What do you do to hide them while wearing short dresses, short or skirt especially in hot days? I wear pants everyday for work oe when i got out, but some days i wish i can put on a short and not worry about other people staring at my legs

Hi boosmom:

What a hydraquench wrap. Where do I go to get full body exfoliations and and the wrap. What's been working for you best. Any one particular thing or a combination.
Also I wrote a bit about the hyperpigmentation on my back that I think I read is a form of keratosis pilaris and is related to exema. Do you have blothy brown spots at the base of the hair follicles that look like hyperpigmentation (and look like a whole lot of blackheads but are not.) If this might be related to exema, what do you take for yours?

Daisy

daisy-
i go to a day spa. to get more info on day spa procedures, you can check out their site at www.spagregories.com. check with girlfriends and see where they have gone for spa treatments. it is also good for you psychologically to have someone touch you if you flinch or your stress goes up when someone touches your kp.

as for the eczema, have a COMPETENT derm check it out. they may prescribe a corticostreroid (or you can try one on your own with less potency...aveeno has one or you can buy cortaid). they are supposedly not for long term use. You can check out www.eczemavoice.com and there are a number of message boards specific to types/location of eczema on the body.

hope that helps!

interesting fact- i just got over a HORRIBLE flu. My eczema is stress and allergy onset. The itching subsided when I went to the ER for fluids because of the flu. They hyperhydrated me from the inside out. My KP is almost nil and my eczema is healing fast

Another happy note- we are off to the Big Island of Hawaii again and staying at the same place where my KP COMPLETELY disappeared last summer. 2 weeks to go!!!

Kim