Let Me Tell You About My Skin

Let Me Tell You About My Skin

April 27th, 2010 @ 2:53 pm by Mrs. Octopus
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Mr. O and I have been making wedding planning magic left and right these days, but before I get to that, I realized that I have yet another weird body-related issue to overshare with you all. (Oh, I already told you about my nail-biting and my bouts of fainting, but yes, there’s MORE!)

Bridesmaid Erica’s wedding is coming up very, very shortly, and in thinking about the dresses she chose for us to wear…

Beautiful, huh? It’s made by Laundry by Shelli Segal. (Source)

… I also started thinking about my arms, and the fact that they are going to be bare, and also photographed, all day long.

I tend to get little red dots on my upper arms. My old pal Dr. Google tells me the official term for this is “keratosis pilaris,” and that is both very common (true—I notice on other people, particularly my ivory-skinned compadres, pretty often) and hereditary (also true—thanks Dad!). It’s not incredibly unsightly to behold or anything, and in fact, mine is mild enough that I rarely ever think about it or notice it on myself, and I usually don’t feel self-conscious about it.

But then again, I don’t usually walk up an aisle while being watched by over a hundred people and get my picture taken all day either, and I’m doing that twice in the next six months. It’s never occurred to me to try to treat it before, so I have no idea if I could actually reduce the little red dots if I wanted to.

Given how common it is, I have to think that other people out there must also have the ol’ keratosis pilaris as well. So, I have to ask: can you reduce it, or make it go away? Does anyone have any remedies for getting rid of the little red dots?

Tags: beauty, pittsburgh |

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60 Responses to “Let Me Tell You About My Skin”

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Bee

Mrs. Frozen Yogurt (message) 2,685 posts, Sugar bee

I have this!! I use my clarisonic! It’s like a miracle worker.

4/27/10 @ 2:56 pm (reply)

Member

babyboo (message) 2,051 posts, Buzzing bee

I have it, but it is a super mild case and on most days I don’t notice it (unless I’m cold because then my skin changes color and the red bumps are more noticeable).

My cousin had a much worse case and I’m pretty sure her dermatologist gave her some kind of cream to rub on every night to help reduce the redness. Couldn’t hurt to ask your Dr.!

4/27/10 @ 2:57 pm (reply)

Member

Sports Bee84 (message) 26 posts, Newbee

I have the same problem. Mine gets a little worse at times, and my doctor said the only way to make it go away is with some kind of acid that essentially scrubs it off. It will come back and isn’t “curable” but it might be worth it if you want it to go away for a bit.

4/27/10 @ 2:57 pm (reply)

Member

MissChirpie (message) 730 posts, Busy bee

My best guess would be to drink tons of water, exfoliate, and moisturize.

4/27/10 @ 2:58 pm (reply)

Member

ashleynnoah (message) 6 posts, Newbee

I, too, have this. It is annoying, but like you, mine isn’t very noticable. I have tried the prescription lotion and KP Duty lotion. The prescription lotion is sticky and has a medicated smell. The KP Duty is very thick and creamy, a little sticky, but not much smell to it. Both worked well, but the instant you stop using it, they come right back. SO, I would say get the KP Duty lotion (you can buy it at Sephora) and use it the two weeks before the wedding and then save it again for before your own wedding because it is pretty pricy. Hope that helps a little!

4/27/10 @ 2:58 pm (reply)

Guest

Jen

I’ve had this for many years, and the best remedy is to exfoliate and moisturize daily! It really makes a difference~~

4/27/10 @ 3:01 pm (reply)

Guest

brit

I have those as well and just started the lotion Amlactin - not sure if it works yet though..

4/27/10 @ 3:02 pm (reply)

Bee

Miss Sloth (message) 3,184 posts, Sugar bee

I have this too - on my arms AND thighs. My dermatologist recommends exfoliation and Eucerin Plus, but I haven’t seen much success. And I’ve been doing it for years.

@froyo - Good call on the Clarisonic. I hadn’t thought of that.

4/27/10 @ 3:03 pm (reply)

Member

culby cheese (message) 193 posts, Blushing bee

I got an airbrush tan for my friend’s wedding, and it made them much less noticeable!

4/27/10 @ 3:03 pm (reply)

10.

Hostess

Jessie516 (message) 5,480 posts, Bee Keeper

I have this, too! The only things that have worked well for me have been Eucerin Plus AND sun exposure. I find that it goes almost completely away in the summer, even after just a couple of hours of sun (with sunscreen, of course).

4/27/10 @ 3:05 pm (reply)

11.

Guest

Mia

My sister has it, but I don’t know what she does about it, if anything.

4/27/10 @ 3:08 pm (reply)

12.

Member

gill84 (message) 725 posts, Busy bee

Thank you for posting about this! I have recently realized I have the same worries for my wedding photos - and I want to see everyone’s advice.

I’ve also been told by a Dr. that the best way to deal is to exfoliate and moisturize (since I believe it’s caused by ingrown hairs? I could be wrong). I’ve also noticed that tanning in the summer helps.

Good luck!

4/27/10 @ 3:09 pm (reply)

13.

Member

jspeby (message) 308 posts, Helper bee

I remember my sister having it when we were younger. She used cetaphil lotion every day on it.

4/27/10 @ 3:11 pm (reply)

14.

Guest

tjma07

Amlactin (at CVS) - or ask your doctor for a prescription of LacHydrin (amlactin is the over the counter generic. should work just as well). It is prescription strength lotion for dry skin - but it works like a charm on those little red bumps.

4/27/10 @ 3:12 pm (reply)

15.

Member

greenleafmountain (message) 1,437 posts, Bumble bee

I don’t have this, but I do have a lot of red spots on my face, and I use green smashbox foundation primer. If it’s still bothering you on the wedding day, and need a quick fix you could put some of this on. It disappears as you rub it in, but it still reduces the red spots a lot. It doesn’t even feel like makeup, more like lotion…

4/27/10 @ 3:12 pm (reply)

16.

Member

AmberWaves (message) 326 posts, Helper bee

I too have this issue and mine is pretty severe. I use the KP Duty lotion from Dermadoctor found at Sephora. Doesn’t get rid of mine but does reduce the redness. Exfoliating helps a ton. Make sure you do it on a regular basis and get a good lotion to use after the fact. I have been spray tanning in preparation for my wedding and it helps cover it up big time!

4/27/10 @ 3:13 pm (reply)

17.

Guest

Josalyn

I have it on my thighs. There is no cure for it, but some people swear by different things to may it appear a little better.

When I moved from Kansas to Florida it really cleared up- i think it was the humidity. Some people tan and it makes it less noticeable. But what works for some doesn’t work for all.

there are keratois pilaris forums and online support groups out there so you can look to those to see what people tried too

4/27/10 @ 3:15 pm (reply)

18.

Member

rachel_leigh (message) 1,106 posts, Bumble bee

Ugh! I hate those bumps! I only get them on my upper arms, but I get it much worse on my left arm than my right so when I show my arms it is very noticeable.

I did some research a few months ago and was sad to find out that it was uncurable, but glad that it ws treatable. Although since then I have tried both the KP Duty and Amlaction lotions and have yet to have very good results with either! It is very frustrating.

4/27/10 @ 3:18 pm (reply)

19.

Guest

Mary

I have this really badly on my arms and legs (it doesn’t help that my skin tone is naturally red too…). I found this article on WebMD that offers some solutions. I haven’t tried any yet, but I am going to soon.

Article: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/features/why-the-skin-on-your-arms-is-bumpy-and-what-to-do-about-it?src=RSS_PUBLIC

4/27/10 @ 3:22 pm (reply)

20.

Member

catybarb (message) 50 posts, Worker bee

I’ve used KP Duty as well. It works, but (and maybe it’s just me) it tends to make my skin feel a little sensitive. I agree, also, with @ashleynnoah - it is very greasy. In fact, my guy hates it.
What also works is a retinoid-type cream.
If you do go with the KP Duty, be sure you’re all in. It’s not cheap - something like $35 for a tube…

4/27/10 @ 3:29 pm (reply)

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