Hey im leanne,


I have KP mostly on my legs and thighs .. i hate it when my boyfriend touches my legs.. because their so rough they feel like tiny goospbumps...

Please help me .. ive tried nearly every product on the market today.. what is the best exfoliator, moisturizer for my skin? That will help it out..

Jergens Skin Smoothing moisturizer is the best and cheapest, It works because it has Salicylic Acid (a.k.a. beta hydroxy acid). This breaks down the protein and removes dead skin cells. It's sold in every drugstore, walmart, target, or kmart so it's not hard to find and it's so cheap that it won't break the bank. The only bad part is they put it in a pump so it's hard to take on trips and they changed the sent. I think it smells funny but the smell goes away when it dries.

I put it on after i shower from my shoulders to my toes. If I apply it religiously it keeps all my skin really smooth. The hardest part is taking the time to do it. If you stop it'll come back, sometimes i'll get lazy and stop for a month and it takes about 5 days to get rid of the bumps again.

I also shower with Phisoderm Body Wash, it has Salicylic Adic too. The more acid you have to break down the dead skin and protein the better results you'll see. Soaking in the hot tub helps to soften skin to better remove it and makes you sweat to clean out your pores. Excersizing helps with that too, when i started to play sports in high school my KP cleared up but when I stopped running it came back in force.

If you have it on your face buy a separate moisturizer than what you use on your body. I just switched my facial moisturizer to one with salicylic acid. Neutrogena makes one with salicylic acid and a suncreen (Visibly Even) but it's pricey, they also make one with just the acid (Oil Free Anti Acne) that's cheaper. I haven't used them long enough to say how well they work. I tried alpha hydroxy cream but it made my face feel leathery.

Some people claim that taking vitamin E helps but since vitamin E is fat soluable it can build up to toxic levels in your liver and cause serious damage. I stongly advise you not to take vitamins unless instructed by a doctor.

I hope this helps because i know what it feels like to not want to be touched. Mine goes away with persistance, just make it habit to put lotion on that's the most important part. Let me know how it works!

Hi leane,I know how you feel.My advice is to try with aha lotions,it's the only thing that helped me with my kp.Here are my pictures:

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Hi Leanne - I agree with Aynas. Read through Keratosis Pilaris - Home Menu
before you start anything. Turquois (as she is known around here) gives a lot of sensible info. I have very sensitive skin but after taking EFAs for a while I could then start doing a scrub which I had never tolerated before. She has microdermabrasion crystals she recommends but I don't remember what oil she takes, I just use sugar as a scrub. BUT I paid more attention to how I was doing dermabrasion than I ever had before in my life because of much of what she said. It has helped me a lot. I don't use much AHA as they can be very irritating to my skin but I don't think that invalidates reading thru the above site - just a difference in what my skin can take maybe. I can use mild glycolic on my face and a little salicylic on my arms and legs. I would say I have had an 85% improvement overall. I am hoping for 99% by next summer. I have to take it a little slowly. I would also recommend paying attention to dietary recommendations - getting enough vitamin A, E and calcium are some big ones for people around here. (you can "Search" for any of them on these forums with the button above.) don't overdo any of them though. good luck - bd

The Difference Between Alpha and Beta Hydroxy Acids
The main difference between alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acid is their lipid (oil) solubility. Alpha hydroxy acids are water soluble only, while beta hydroxy acid is lipid (oil) soluble. This means that beta hydroxy acid is able to penetrate into the pore which contains sebum and exfoliate the dead skin cells that are built up inside the pore. Because of this difference in properties, beta hydroxy acid is better used on oily skin with blackheads and whiteheads. Alpha hydroxy acids are better used on thickened, sun-damaged skin where breakouts are not a problem. While both AHAs and BHAs act as exfoliants, it has been claimed that BHAs are effective in reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and improving overall skin texture, without the occasional irritation associated with the use of AHAs.

Cautions
-Beta hydroxy acid can increase sun sensitivity by 50%Products containing salicylic acid should either contain a sunscreen or you should use other sun protection.

-Pregnant women are advised not to use products containing salicylic acid due to the danger of Reye's syndrome.

-Avoid using BHA-containing products on infants and children.


-Some people are hypersensitive to salicylic acid and related compounds.

-Salicylic acid has an ototoxic effect, and can induce transient hearing loss in zinc-deficient individuals.

References
About.com
US Food and Drug AdministrationReference.com