Fed up with keratosis pilaris

[fruitandvegoverload]

I'm so fed up. I've battled kp on my arms and legs all my life, I've tried bloody everything. I've tried all the usual creams, I've tried chemical exfoliation with urea, I've tried proper bar soap instead of shower gel, I've tried physical exfoliation with scrubs and mitts, I've tried not exfoliating and just moisturising, I've tried sun exposure, I've tried gluten and dairy free and I eat a healthy unprocessed diet. I've spent a fortune trying new wonder products that seem to work at first but never do completely.

I hate the way my skin looks and feels. Today I've exfoliated with Q&A aha scrub, rubbed with a scratchy mitt and shower gel and moisturised with Garnier Body Food (the most effective cream I've tried is CeraVe smoothing but it's too expensive for a less than perfect result). My skin feels relatively smooth now but as you can see it's so red and spotty. I know I've aggravated it by scrubbing but if I don't it feels so rough. 

I just want someone to tell me what to do to get rid of it but I know nobody can. I've read umpteen threads on Reddit and here and everyone has different suggestions that worked for them which then don't work for me and cost me yet more money. I suppose I just want to have a moan and see if anyone can identify. I'm feeling quite depressed about it especially as the weather's getting nice and I hate getting my limbs out.

Mine disappeared when pregnant (!!) - maybe a drastic solution. It returned years later when I began taking collagen supplements. So I think it must be linked to protein intake and how your body is using it. You could cut down protein in your diet, or do something like weight lifting to try and utilise the protein in your diet so it stops producing random keratin lumps.

I used to have that on my legs when young, but it went away by itself around the time I hit puberty. Could it be a hormonal thing?

Thanks, but at 53 the ship has sailed on me getting pregnant again unfortunately! 😂 Come to think of it I don't recall the kp improving when I was pregnant, although it did start to worsen when I was mid thirties and had finished having babies, so it could be linked to hormones in my case.

Have you tried this?

https://www.lookfantastic.com/p/first-aid-beauty-smooth-skin-duo/13845402/?affil=thggpsad-bundle&switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&affil=thggpsad&kwds=&thg_ppc_campaign=20678575109&adtype=pla&product_id=13845402&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20672512275&gbraid=0AAAAAD-fXipuSrrFzRf-M1rtIH7t5u7Sb&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_dbABhC5ARIsAAh2Z-T4Jftur_3XCAV6dNoIVEuK_W-VZR0pHld_oMa16nPmvhqb46GD2dwaAiM9EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

If I exfoliated and then put on a cream mine would be very unnoticeable for a couple of days. Mine isn’t that bad with bar soap and e45 lotion and I am not that bothered by it. I am wondering if you should just use fake tan to lessen the appearance and learn to live with it and use the cerave for times you want it to be less noticeable like just in the summer months when you wear less clothing.

Specifically created for KP. It exfoliates and moisturises. Use it daily or twice daily and otherwise leave your skin alone. It won’t change overnight but it will improve over a few weeks.

I have heard red light therapy can help Keratosis Pilaris, might be worth looking into

I saw a dermatologist talking about using glycolic acid to clear it up and how its much better than all the fancy creams and exfoliantants. Haven't tried it yet but I'd mentally banked the info to give it a go soon. Maybe look that up and consider trying?

Ameliorate is truly amazing. Start with lotion linked above. Don’t bother with the scrub or thicker cream. Twice a day for a few weeks then once a day for a few more weeks. I now use it every 4/5 days and my skin is KP free.

OP have you tried taking vitamin a

apparently it’s linked

I have this too and I don't really take much notice of it on my legs and arms. The thing that bothers me the most is the 'chicken skin' on my neck and eyelids :( no idea how to get rid of it. I don't remember having it when I was younger, very bizarre.

I stopped exfoliating with scrubs and mitts etc and actually stopped buying all the various products I was using and then simply went to using the ordinary Glycolic acid toner, I just put some in the palm of my hand and rub it in the backs of my arms, they have literally been the best they have ever been. I think the manual exfoliation makes it worse now I’ve stopped doing it. I don’t even moisturise them and honestly I’m thrilled! Occasionally wash them in boots own skin clear foaming face wash with salicylic acid (it’s about £3.50) but that’s mainly because I squirt too much out for my face and use it up on my arms. Good luck, I know how upsetting and frustrating it is!

I’ve always had this - I’ve found this stick so helpful for it

https://www.lookfantastic.com/p/the-inkey-list-glycolic-acid-exfoliating-body-stick-45g/15209894/?affil=thggpsad&switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&affil=thggpsad&kwds=&thg_ppc_campaign=21513093807&adtype=pla&product_id=15209894&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21523302397&gbraid=0AAAAAD-fXir6bu19l42awGvxxeHnsufUw&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_dbABhC5ARIsAAh2Z-RKBMmZWW-quMaPx7PztX3XNgPgW4V8c9y0eqlhztqWVg0oacdu4AsaApJeEALw_wcB

I've tried that Ameliorate, two tubs, didn't do much for me. I've tried BHA and AHA creams, and urea.

@IcyAzureMoose I'm interested. What percentage glycolic do you use? I have tried Nip & Fab glycolic pads without much result but maybe the concentration or method wasn't enough. I feel that I need to stop the physical exfoliation as it's just aggravating it so something like this is what I want to try.

@BrentfordForever I haven't tried vitamin A no, but I'm very interested. I'm going to get some high dose tablets.

Thank you all for your comments though, I really appreciate you taking the time to reply.

Do you ever wear tinted body lotion or fake tan? It really lessens the look of mine. Do you shave your legs? Waxing might be better

I shave my legs very rarely, the hairs don't grow much after many years of waxing! I've used fake tan before but it didn't disguise the red spots much if at all. I tend to cover up with clothing instead but every year when it starts getting warm I try to find something to treat the kp in the hope that there might be a new miracle product (there never is).

In the photo on the right it looks more like sun damage.

What does the dermatologist say?

Using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid on the backs of my arms a couple of times a week and not using scrubs in the shower has really reduced mine.

I can't afford to see a dermatologist. It's definitely keratosis pilaris. I may have sun damage too but it's the roughness and red dots that I am bothered about.

DD saw a dermatologist recently with after effects of foliculitis but we also discussed her having KP on her arms. She was recommended CeraVe SA, and I noted that Boots do their own brand, much cheaper. Was it the SA you tried?

I saw AmLactin recommended in the Times for kp recently, available through Amazon.

You need a cream with a high percentage of urea in it.

Agree with upping your vit A. Use topical retinoids.

just googled this info @fruitandvegoverload, not personal experience.

Oil on my legs followed by a heavy cream (eg foot/hand cream) keeps it somewhat under control for me. It's almost gone on my arms, compared to my younger days. I didn't find AHAs to be very useful or any lotions made specifically for KP.

I also just don't worry very much about it. At my age, a bit younger than OP, I'm not walking around in mini skirts with no tights anyway.

I haven't tried it myself, but I've heard of people getting good results with laser hair removal.