Anyone else here suffer from Keratosis pilaris? (see picture)

Apparently up to 50% of the population suffers from it, more commonly women. I really hate it and I never wear short sleeves because of having it. Anyone know the best thing to relieve symptoms?

Reply 1

yoohoo

yeh i have that, i used a harsh scrubbing flannel thing (forget what its called) that seemed to work ok as it get the trapped hair follicles out.

Reply 2

sol89

10

It doesn't look bad at all, if I saw someone with that I would just think it was eczema or something so relax and wear a t-shirt, don't worry! :smile:

The sun would probably do it a world of good actually!

Reply 3

unfinished sympathy

15

Anonymous

Apparently up to 50% of the population suffers from it, more commonly women. I really hate it and I never wear short sleeves because of having it. Anyone know the best thing to relieve symptoms?

i used to get that, when i was younger, but i just scrubbed it everyday with an exfoliator and it went. I dont think mine was as bad as your though, cause i always had a tan so they werent as noticeable, maybe you should try that as well

Reply 4

ashy

17

yeah I have something like that, though I find that whenever I go on holiday somewhere sunny it completely goes away. It's obviously a results of the naff British weather :p:

Reply 5

Anonymous #1

OP

Oh btw, that's not my arm in the picture.

Reply 6

unfinished sympathy

15

Anonymous

Oh btw, that's not my arm in the picture.

does it matter? anyway just scrub it daily either with a loofer- i think thats how its spelt, or with exfoliator-molton brown do a good one :smile:

Reply 7

Talya

16

Apparently it's not directly 'curable' but exfoliating can help. TBH I don't think it looks bad though :smile:

Reply 8

lasttoiletroll

yeh i have it, i would'nt say i suffer from it though! it's a hereditary thing so blame the 'rents. the sun improves it for me but we don't get enough sun here for it to take effect. i exfoliate them sometimes, it'd probably improve with regular exfoliation and some decent moisturiser, but won't completely go away.

Reply 9

chel

i have it and don't know of any 'cure' as such. i scrub with a loofer thing and exfoliate but it doesn't really work. the only time it ever gets better for me is when i have a tan. however this obviously has it's own health implications

Reply 10

Anonymous #2

I have it worse than in this picture, I have special cream from the doctor but it doesnt work! My flatmate makes fun of me all the time, he reckons i have a contagious disease and says no lad ill ever look twice at me because of it. It itches like hell too, and is worse in winter, but never goes away. Keepinmg arms covered in winter is supposed to help?

Reply 11

UngrownUnknown

Yeah I'm 17 and I have that. It's on top of my upper arms but not underneath. My dads skin is the same so I've never thought anything was wrong. Doesn't hurt at all, I wouldn't consider it to be a condition, more of a characteristic of my skin (I didn't realise it had a name until now!). Apparantly my sister used to have it but she grew out of it. So scrubbing can make it a bit better.
can I be bothered? That is the question.
I wouldn't lose sleep over it OP, whoever you are! xj

Reply 12

unfinished sympathy

15

Anonymous

I have it worse than in this picture, I have special cream from the doctor but it doesnt work! My flatmate makes fun of me all the time, he reckons i have a contagious disease and says no lad ill ever look twice at me because of it. It itches like hell too, and is worse in winter, but never goes away. Keepinmg arms covered in winter is supposed to help?

what a bastard! OMG thats so not a nice thing to say!

Reply 13

UngrownUnknown

This thred has got me interested now! Just did some research:

What is keratosis pilaris?

Keratosis pilaris is a very common and completely harmless skin condition. In the population as a whole, keratosis pilaris may affect as many as one person in three. Its name gives some idea of what it is. ‘Keratosis’ means that there is too much keratin – which makes up the tough horny outer layer of the skin: ‘pilaris’ comes from the Latin for hair (pilus). In keratosis pilaris, many small (1 to 2 mm. across) horny plugs can be seen blocking the hair follicles on the upper and outer parts of the arms and thighs.

What causes keratosis pilaris?

Keratosis pilaris is an inherited skin condition, running strongly in many families, sometimes with a generally dry skin (ichthyosis). The way it is inherited varies from family to family, but often fits into an ‘autosomal dominant’ pattern – which means that there will be a 1 in 2 chance that each child of an affected parent will inherit the condition. Keratosis pilaris appears when extra keratin accumulates in the hair follicles. This is usually in childhood, and most obvious during adolescence, often it clears in adulthood. It tends to be better in the summer than in the winter. Keratosis pilaris is harmless, and is not infectious.

How can keratosis pilaris be treated?

No treatment clears keratosis pilaris satisfactorily, and ordinary emollients (moisturisers) are of limited benefit. Creams containing salicylic acid, lactic acid and/or urea are sometimes felt to be more effective. Several simple types can be bought or obtained on prescription, and there is no advantage to be gained from using expensive cosmetic or vitamin creams. In many cases it may be best to wait for the problem to improve on its own.

What can I do?

General measures to reduce skin dryness may help:

* Use mild soaps.
* Apply moisturisers frequently.
* Have tepid showers rather than hot baths.
* The use of an abrasive pad may sometimes be of help.

That's from the dudes at the British association of Dermatologists, I'm sure they're pretty sound and wont mind me posting that. Hope this helps

Reply 14

Psyk

16

Looks like I have it too. Never thought anything of it, I just figured it was normal.

Reply 15

Sunofnight

3

Isn't that exema (sp) ? Im sure its the same thing, anyway how can 50% of the population have it Ive only seen a few people with it, most of us haven't even heard of it before lol

Reply 16

lasttoiletroll

i've seen quite a lot of people with it, don't think any of my friends do though. my boyfriend and brother do. mine doesn't/hasn't ever itched though like anon#2.

Reply 17

Shockley

15

yes, I have keratosis pilaris and it's heritary in my family. I have it on my face and the backs of my arms, but it doesn't really bother me. I usually find scrubbing the area with tea tree exfoliator and a loofah really helps :smile:

Reply 18

Talya

16

Sunofnight

Isn't that exema (sp) ? Im sure its the same thing, anyway how can 50% of the population have it Ive only seen a few people with it, most of us haven't even heard of it before lol

It is not eczema.

Reply 19

Sarah:-)

7

If upto 50% of the population have it then at least 50% of the population will understand you having it and probably won't care...........really who cares? I didn't even know it had a name, i have it, its never going to stop me wearing sleeveless tops, some people worry about the way they look too much - stop stressing!

Anyone else here suffer from Keratosis pilaris? (see picture)

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