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.

Yes, I think there's a link, but aren't we all quite unlikely to be deficient in vitamin A? I'd think it's to do with how it's used by the body rather than needing more of it.

I only noticed mine had gone because you said this! Not looking forward to getting it and acne back. I wonder if it's partially linked to religiously taking the high strength multi vitamins?

I have it too. Ive never got rid of it completely, so ive just had to accept it somewhat. Its actually pretty common.

Things that help
Drinking more water. 2-3 litres a day
Cutting out/down on gluten/wheat.

Showering daily , exfoliating and using moisturising cream to wash with.

You can get cheap creams with urea in savers. Primark do an anti bump cream now too with urea which is good.
Shaving

If you can get it smoothed down, then fake tan disguises it too

Yes I've used the CeraVe SA and it's the best moisturiser I've tried so far, but it's expensive and doesn't get rid of the kp completely. If it did I'd happily pay. I feel like I need something else as well.

I've tried 40% urea cream, very moisturising but again not a complete success.

I'm tempted to try AmLactin, although apparently it stinks, and again it's something pretty expensive that may not work. I've tried so many products and have become cynical about another £25 wonder cream.

Watching as DD has this

Be very very careful with oral Vit A as it can be toxic if you take too much.

Dermatologist recommended Ameliorate or Cerave SA Smoothing cream, we tried the Cerave and it helped somewhat if used every day, but DD finds it very sticky and sweaty. We have swapped to Eucerin 10% urea cream which is just as effective as the SA.

Might try the inkey Glycolic stick and see if that helps, it would be less messy too!

Flexitol Heel balm cream works due to the urea in it

I have it too.

It disappeared on the backs of my arms with exercise and losing weight - I can only think the blood flow improved?

But legs - yeah, annoying.
Agree with Glycolic toner, regular moisturiser and a tan. Also recommend trying not to give a shit what anyone else thinks, but that's hard.

However, I am currently experimenting with microneedling - if it starts paying off I will have one much improved leg for the summer 😂 as I'm only doing one for comparison!

Have you tried body brushing? I'm sure I read somewhere that's meant to help.

I've tried Flexitol and body brushing.

@NewBinBag I'm interested to hear how the microneedling goes! I've lost weight over a couple of years but I could certainly stand to exercise more.

Oh OP, I feel your pain. I'm so frustrated by my legs especially, the wee red dots. Taking note of the suggestions on here, but I've tried quite a few things too. I remember body brushing 😅 And feeling so damn crushed when it didn't work

Have you tried changing your diet? I changed my diet about 10yrs ago and mine went, along with gut issues. I eat quite low sugar and gluten, but not none, I read somewhere it can affect skin issues.

I eat gluten free, dairy very rarely, unprocessed home cooked food 99% of the time. I drink water and herbal tea but will try drinking even more water.

It's an incredibly frustrating condition. I find myself enviously admiring other people's smooth arms on tv and real life.

I'm starting Ameliorate tonight, going to do it twice daily for a month and see if it makes and difference to my chicken skin neck. I already don't like the smell of it 😩 also feels a bit tingly 🧐

I’ve managed to really reduce mine (no roughness at all but still some redness) by exfoliating with Korean cloths in the shower and then using a hyaluronic acid before moisturising. I need to moisturise every day but it is much better and pretty much gone on my thighs.

@Fancyateapottea which cloths do you use please? I've tried Korean towels, a mitt from Ameliorate and a Turkish hammam glove, all with little result.

I used to have KP on my arms and don't now. I started taking a skin, hair nails supplement and was on an low carb diet. Don't know if the latter was connected.

I was actually about to post something similar tonight! Mine is similar to yours OP and like you I’ve tried so many things and none of them delivers results! Wish there was a proper cure!

@fruitandvegoverload Just any from Amazon. I do long sweeps with it and can see the skin coming off when I do. Hope you manage to get yours under control but if you don’t still wear whatever makes you feel comfortable in the heat, it is just bumpy skin at the end of the day 😊

This got rid of it on the back of my arms, half price currently so worth a go.
https://www.superdrug.com/skin/body-care/body-lotions/dove-pro-age-body-lotion-nourishing-body-care-400ml/p/773555?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADp4mz-l8V_LUMX5ziQjvTkcFyspU&gclid=Cj0KCQjwoNzABhDbARIsALfY8VNDycWW6kva_up0DeanmT30qo66rlnnEaXjWkzfQbVsyfn1ajP4JTMaAsW7EALw_wcB

I use the ordinary glycolic acid, think it’s 7% I just put directly into the palm of my hand and rub it in and leave it! (I know it’s supposed to be a toner) but it’s work brilliantly, also do the same on my heals and they are baby soft too!

@fruitandvegoverload how frustrating! I sympathise, I had it for years religiously dry brushed, exfoliated and moisturised and hardly wore short sleeves. Mine went as a side effect of diet, but it sounds as if you eat well and very similarly to me. I hope you find the answer.

Gallons of e45 bath oil cured mine.

Another vote for the inkey list glycolic acid stick, also helps with preventing post leg shaving bumps and ingrown hairs. Sorted out the dry cracked skin on my heels too. Dd has kp on her arms and the Cerave SA smoothing cream helps a lot. Topical retinoids are meant
to be great but either expensive or stronger stuff is prescription only. Dr Dray has some helpful videos about kp on YouTube btw

I've ordered some glycolic acid toner, CeraVe SA and some soap and fragrance free E45 body wash to use instead of scented shower gel. I will stop scrubbing and manually exfoliating.

Thanks for all your help and sympathy!

Watching with interest! Mine clears in the sun / on the beach