anyone else with keratosis pilaris?

[Mothercooter]

For those who dont know what this is its excessive keratin build up in the hair follicles of the skin usually on the backs of the arms and your legs.

You can google it too.

I HATE it! My legs look like I always have goosebumps. The back of my arms so rough. They say its genetic. I think a lot of ppl have it and dont even know what it is.

So far no cure but supposed to be things you can do to help but none have helped me home remedy wise. With summer coming up I am dreading shorts season.

[Kansas Deb]

I had this really bad up until I was in my 40's. I didn't know what it was until I read your post and googled it. I started wearing jeans when very young because it covered my legs. Chicken skin was a very accurate description. It just went away about the time I started menopause.

[Mothercooter]

Wow, never thought id look forward to menopause, lol

[Success101]

I also have Keratosis Pilaris. I actually diagnosed myself because my doctor didn't even know what it was!! I had to educate him!! I did a report on it, in fact, to help educate a classroom full of Medical students. Crazy, I know.

Anyway, I've struggled with this all of my life and I know what your talking about. I don't wear sleeveless shirts or tank tops because of it looking so bad on the backs of my arms.

The only thing I have found to do, to help with the severity is to use a strong sponge, brush or loofah to scrub the areas well in the shower so as to unplug some of those hair follicles and they get less-red looking. It does make a difference because it keeps them from getting infected which could make them look more red and swell. When they swell individually, they almost look like zits. It's terrible. But keeping the area clean is a great help.

Perhaps one of these days someone will think to invent an emolient that will help us sufferers. In the meantime fight very hard to not let it get you down. Love yourself as you are. Think of it as a physical connection between you and your ancestors who gave it to you through heredity. You're special just as you are. I am too. Hugs!

[Mrs_S]

me too! i hate my upper arms..for several reasons..this being a huge one.

[Success101]

Now you know you're not the only one.

[Mothercooter]

Everyday for a week several yrs agoI took a super rough loofah and two other scrubbies (forgot which ones now) and scrubbed my legs and theighs super hard and by the end of the week (though it was painful) my legs started to look normal again. Of course as soon as I quit the torturous scrubbing ritual it came right back. Lately when I scrub my arms (I have it on my lower arms too) it just makes each bump more red and noticable so I cant win.

[abouttime]

I had it when i was younger, in my teens, it actually went away by the time i turned 18, who knows??

[theredhead]

My DH had it on his upper arms since I'd known him, but after losing 85 pounds on Atkins, it went away and hasn't come back. Don't know why.....???????

[Mothercooter]

I would say yay, something to look forward to but I have had it even at a size 2 so im just stuck. Oh well. I do have to say though it was much milder (or so it seemed) when I was thin but I think it just had more to do with the fact that at a size 2, I wore shorts and tanks more and so I was taking better care of my skin (shaving, exfoliating, etc.) so that would help.