I've got legs like a chicken crossed with a crocodile. Help me.

[WetDog]

That's it really.

I have chicken skin (keratosis pilaris)

Nothing, other than a holiday in 40 degree+ heat, makes it go away.

The skin on my lower legs is also very dry at the moment. It's all cracked, like a crocodile's. My skinny jeans are all dandruffy when I take them off, they are so dry.

I was really depressed today rubbing in moisturiser when I found the skin on my lower legs now also feels quite thick and horrible :( I can't possibly wear a dress this summer with them like this.

Has anybody actually found anything that really, actually, truly helps with KP? I think I need a miracle.

I've Googled things for years and nothing seems to work :(

What have you tried so far? I've found regularly taking quite hot baths and spending some time exfoliating my legs with a body brush has helped. Sometimes I even use a pumice on my legs after soaking them (very gentle light movements). It's best to do it in the evening and then moisturise with flexitol or the Boots own brand version so it can sink in overnight.

Hi Hrrrm.

Tried all sorts. I've had it since I was a child - everything from body scrubs and scrubbing gloves, brushes etc and I could open a shop with the moisturisers I've got :(

I have been looking for the Boots own brand of flexitol but can't find it, what's it called please?

It's one m.boots.com/mt/www.boots.com/en/Boots-Pharmaceuticals-Cracked-Heel-Balm-125ml_1154702

They often have special offers on. The intense foot softener is also good.

Oops, link fail

m.boots.com/mt/www.boots.com/en/Boots-Pharmaceuticals-Cracked-Heel-Balm-125ml_1154702

Have you seen any improvement using it?

Have you tried Amlactin? It's a pretty powerful AHA, makes your skin tingle in a good way.

www.amazon.co.uk/AmLactin-12%25-Moisturizing-Lotion-400/dp/B0002KI3XO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370258906&sr=8-1&keywords=amlactin

Sweet almond oil, Assuming you have not tried it is excellent for skin issues

Obviously make sure you can use it safely etc ie not allegric to it etc.

Its cheep and easily avaliable

Good luck, I have severe eczema and its so hard to find products that help, I take suppliments for mine which really have helped. But sweet almond oil has been god send.

I found the heel balm really works if you apply it every 3 days or so.

Weirdly soap and glory shower gel (the clean on me one) works on my arms. It does say it has mandarin peel in and body lotion so maybe it's a gentle fruit acid type peel
I would try that with a loofah type thing and then use a really good cream, maybe alternate between the flexitol stuff and something like Shea butter to really moisturise

I, too, have awful skin on my legs, but have found the product that works really well for me is Garnier body lotion, the one that claims that you can go without for 7 days if you use it regularly. I was really surprised by how good it makes my skin feel. Exfoliation is also a must, but I find that if I use body scrubs they make me feel itchy, as though I had ants all over me. A soak in the bath, followed by a gentle pumice works much better.

I was advised that full on exfoliating can do more harm than good with k.p.
I have heard that creams with urea in can help. I've not go round to getting any yet though so can't verify

I have KP on my arms and a bit on my legs, and I've been very happy with Avene Akerat S. If I use the cream every day, the spots go away completely.

I don't have KP, but get manky crocodile skin on my legs. Flexitol is amazing at sorting it out, and I wish I'd started using it years ago

I'm currently on a mission to tackle my KP using Flexitol before bed, pure coconut oil or aqueous cream after my shower and exfoliating every day. I've been doing this for a few days now and can see improvement. I've ordered a Dermaflannel too, as they are reputedly good for KP.

I use the Soap and Glory Scrub your nose in it facial scrub on my spotty arms and it really helps - I think it has fruits acids too.

Thanks everyone. I'm going to be buying shares in Flexitol by the sounds of it! It's blooming expensive stuff to be using on your whole body, but hopefully it'll be worth it.

I'll also be trying the Soap and Glory shower gel and scrubs, thank you.

RiffyWammal - one thing I'll say about aqueous cream is to be very careful. It contains SLS and can actually make skin significantly thinner and irritated.

I won't use it on my skin, I don't find it moisturising at all. It's not recommended for eczema or dry skin conditions. You can read more about why http://www.eczema.org/aqeous here (sorry to bang on but I thought it was worth saying) :)

WetDog I'm pretty sure I saw a flexitol style urea foot cream in my local 99p stores last week. Haven't compared ingredients or anything but worth checking out.

Aah WetDog that's interesting thanks, I've been buying it for about 5 years now after my doctor told me to use it for my KP - he didn't know what he was on about and it didn't get rid of it, but it's so cheap and easily absorbed that I can use it very liberally and it does seem to moisturise my skin. I find a lot of creams sting and it doesn't ,but I don't want thin skin and it's never got rid of my KP so I think I'll lay it off a while and just use the coconut oil (which I really like) in its place.

I've got through most of a tube of Flexitol in under a week, so I'll have to find a cheaper alternative. The Boots heel balm doesn't seem much cheaper, but it couldn't smell any worse than the Flexitol. It's evocative of hospitals and the cheap soap my nan used to have in her bathroom - really seductive for putting on before getting into bed!

Do look into it RiffyWammal - sorry the link didn't work.

I bought some for a friend who had bad eczema as someone recommended it to her and it made her legs worse. I can understand why now, it contains SLS and should only really be used as a soap and then washed off. I certainly don't think it would help KP.

Ivana - thanks for heads up on 99p shop, will have a look. I have got some heel balm from Poundland but it's not like Flexitol, it's not vaseline-y at all.

I did get some Flexitol cuticle cream (which is great on my nails and I quite like the smell!) and Flexitol herbal oil from Poundland last week. Tried the oil on one leg to see if it made any difference, it seemed to a little so will persevere with that as well.

Also got a little scrubby sponge thing for the shower, will go carefully with that though :)

Thanks for starting this thread, because I have always had bumpy red skin on my calves and front of thighs and didn't realise it had an actual name and there might be something I could do about it!

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B005FC1N2C

This is the stuff they're selling at my local 99p Store :)

Will have a look out for it, think they sell it in Poundland, thanks.

Right. I've scrubbed, shaved and applied Flexitol and then some Lubriderm which both contain urea.

I find putting on moisturiser a pain in the bum (which is probably why my skin is so bad) but I'm going to do it twice a day for a week and see what happens.

Flexitol has brought out a leg and foot moisturiser, called Hydrate, I think. I have it. It is 10% urea, and it is brilliant for kp. I use it on my arms too. I would unreservedly recommend. I bought ti about two weeks ago when it was on offer in superdrug.

Sounds really good HappyAsIAm, can't find it though :(

If anyone finds it please say