Monday, April 16, 2012

My chicken bump secret

I have this wonderful conditon on my arms called Keratosis pilaris and AKA chicken bumps.  I started getting these in my late teens.  After my first son it got worse and spread to my stomach, upper back, and upper thighs.  It also turned a much redder shade.  The only thing that really made a differnce was sunshine.  When speaking with my dermatologist about this he stated that about 40% of adults get this and it is mainly in women.  He also said from his experience it's tied in with hormones and since I had a child my hormones were out of wack.  I had kind of given up and just thought I was not ment to wear shorts or sleeveless.  After having my second child it got worse again.
I chose not to go back on birthcontrol after this one and have noticed a dramatic change in the last year.  I have also changed what products I am using.  I think the change in my hormones and the products have been what has done the trick.  I no longer have them on my thighs or stomach.  It is very faint on my upper arms and almost gone from my back.  The discoloration has also improved greatly so the ones I do have don't stand out so much.  I am going to share what I use below for skincare.  Hope this works for you if you try it.  I have been a long time sufferer of this and know the feeling of disapointment when something doesn't work.  I always think to myself we can put someone on the moon but can't come up with a treatment for this LOL.

In the Shower:
I use a loofah or one of those gloves.  The important step here is to scrub but not to roughly to irritate the skin.  It's a very fine line to figure out.  I cannot use all the fancy smelling body washes either.  These dry out my skin too much.  I have had great success with Dove Cream Oil Ultra Rich Velvet Body Wash, Rosewood and Cocoa Butter, 24 oz (5.00).

Dove Cream Oil Ultra Rich Velvet Body Wash, Rosewood and Cocoa Butter, 24 oz

After the shower:
Again I have to stay clear of those fancy smelling lotions.  I do use them on my chest and lower arms, but not on my areas that are affected.  I also make sure I get my lotion on within 3-5 minutes of getting out of the shower.  I love Aveeno Creamy Moisturizing Oil Pump Body Moisture, 12 oz (7.00).  This lotion has made huge difference in my skin texture and the discoloration.  I really think the trick to working with KP is finding out how much moisture your skin needs.  I think the oil in both of these products gives my skin the needed moisture.  I also have to make sure that I exfoliate my body to keep that thicker skin from blocking my pores. 

Aveeno Creamy Moisturizing Oil Pump Body Moisture, 12 oz

I hope these tips can help and if you use something that works please comment so I can share that as well.

3 comments:

  1. I have KP too, on the backs of my arms and on my legs as well. The one thing I've found that helps for me is sunlight. If I get tan, which is rarely because I am obsessed with keeping from getting burnt, it helps. I've heard of different things like using acne meds (even rx ones), but you basically have to keep using them or it'll come right back.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My daughter has KP.. we have had the best luck with Paula's Choice products.
    Here is a link..

    http://www.paulaschoice.com/category/keratosis-pilaris/

    ReplyDelete
  3. My daughter has KP.. we have had the best luck with Paula's Choice products.
    Here is a link..

    http://www.paulaschoice.com/category/keratosis-pilaris/

    ReplyDelete