How do you get rid of red bumps on upper arms?, sleeveless shirt/dress season Options

[Anne]

I have always had this problem but it is either getting worse or I'm just more self concious now
the backs of my upper arms are covered in red bumps/dots. They look like whiteheads or clogged pores. I try to exfoliate in the shower and use moisturizer but it doesn't seem to help too much.
I am the matron of honor in my sisters wedding in June and I'll be wearing a spaghetti strap dress. . . . does anyone know how I can get rid of the bumps or at least minimize the appearance? Are there special creams out there??

[Mrs. Lumpy]

Sounds like Keratosis Pilaris...
Try KP duty... its an over the counter lotion that you can get at sephora... I've read good things about it!
Here is a link to read a abit about the product...
KP Duty

Hope this helps a little!
And Good Luck!!

[nursecindy]

I get those too. Exfoliate and use a good lotion with an AHA in it. Try Amlactin.

[Enyo]

I get those, too. So far, the best results that I've had have come from using St. Ives Apricot scrub, and moisturizing with Nivea body lotion.

[SandyJ8138]

I've had KP on my upper arms for years and I've tried both Amlactin and KP Duty from Derma Doctor and I prefer the KP Duty. You may need to use it twice a day to get good results. I also recently heard that you can try washing the affected area with T-Sal shampoo once a week. This tip was on a recent Missus Smarty Pants newsletter. I haven't tried it yet so I don't know if it works, but I figured it's worth a shot if it will give me smoother arms!

[Carolina Kipnis]

I used to have those in my teens, and stopped having them when I started scrubbing daily with a loofah or scrubby gloves.

[efcsmom]

I ended up taking DD-10 to see a dermitoligist (sp?). She was given a cream (cortizone sp? I think). It cleared everything up quickly. The spots reappear every 4-6 months, but far fewer and they clear up more quickly.

[JustMeLea]

So that's what those are!!! Wow thank you this really helped me.

Have you ever heard of dry skin brushing? I just thought they were clogged pores and dry skin brushing really works to improve it. You brush right before your shower and then exfoliate with a scrub. Then rub really good with the towel when you dry off and then moisturize.

Google "dry skin brushing" I still haven't bought a real skin brush but I find that a dry buff puff (you know what those are?) really roughs up the bumps when they are dry and helps the process of purging the skin.

Good Luck!! Thanks for the info everyone.

[PeaceHaven]

This was the tip from MissusSmartyPants' newsletter to which SandyJ8138 referred:


"Dear MSP,

I, too, have Keratosis Pilaris (red bumps on the backs of my arms), and someone made a great suggestion to me and it WORKS! I use the T/Sal shampoo as a body wash (the
shampoo with salicylic acid). I find that once/week is enough for me.

I apply it using those scrubby exfoliating gloves you can get, and
the two really synergize. My skin has never been smoother! The bonus
is that T/sal is now available as a generic (I got my "Wal/Sal" at
walgreens)!

Your SYSter in New Orleans"


I don't have the red bumps but thought I might help by supplying the quote! Best wishes.

[Nazz]

I use a facial peel creme and it's a sure thing in dealing with it.

Exfoliating daily till gone will work then 2-3 times a week to maintain is ideal. It's a common problem in women - as a beauty consultant I come across at least 30% of women admitting to it, so I suspect it's even higher than that!

In order of success I have found facial peel creme the fastest, followed by body micro-dermabrasion, followed by exfoliation - HTHs!

[OutNumbered]

I have this too. On my arms and upper thighs.

I like the dry brushing idea. I think I'll try to add it to my routine!

[MissBrittanyM]

My mom had this on her arms for years, too. She used all sorts of OTC creams and scrubs, and several prescriptions from her Derm before she was prescribed Accutane, the acne pill. Even though it wasn't pure acne on her arms, this is the only thing that cleared it up. She has minimal scarring since it went untreated for about 5 years, and Accutane is dangerous (can cause major depression and birth defects). If nothing else helps, this may be something you want to ask your Doc about.

[OutNumbered]

I did the dry brushing last night before my shower. I don't know if it helped (too soon to tell) but it sure felt wonderful!

[Anne]

Got my KP Duty in the mail yesterday - it feels really really nice. I've been exfoliating in the shower with the gloves every morning and then using the kp duty in morning and before bed. I'll keep you posted on how the bumps look. Thanks for all your responses!!

[YvieInCA]

I've had this problem, pretty much since I was born. My father had it really bad, apparently it can be genetic. Mine are really bad, my arms are pretty much completely red with them. I've tried practically everything I can think of, talked to doctors and what not, and I'm still stuck with them. It seems the more I try to do to them the more they get worse. So I've just learned to live with it, I still exfoliate and all but I've basically given up.

[SashaBengal]

I've got the same issue as well. May very well be genetic as my mother has the same condition. I've tried the lotions suggested by my doctor when he diagnosed it. It dried out my upper arms so badly, they were painfully itchy. I find that in the summer a little sun exposure does wonders. I think that a slight tan on the arms helps minimize their appearance. So I'd suggest a little self tanner, or if your into the baking thing a few trips the the salon for a tan booth.

[Deeinin]

I too did Acutane from my dermotologist for 6 months, haven't had to deal with anymore bumps on my arms or face! It is a acne medication with some strict guidelines!!!! Which consiste of pregnancy test every month 2 forms of BC must be used while on medication! If one were to get pregnant while on this medication, it can cause serious birth defects in a child, therefore one has to be very very careful not to get pregnant on this medication!!!!!!!

[Altered Angel]

I had this when I was younger and after trying everything a specialist told me I was lacking vitamin B6 I took a course of that and it was gone!

Now years later I have tattoos instead, unfortunately I don't think there's a cure for that LOL

[favepairobluejea...]

I've had this problem, pretty much since I was born. My father had it really bad, apparently it can be genetic. Mine are really bad, my arms are pretty much completely red with them. I've tried practically everything I can think of, talked to doctors and what not, and I'm still stuck with them. It seems the more I try to do to them the more they get worse. So I've just learned to live with it, I still exfoliate and all but I've basically given up.

I read once that yes, this is genetic ( my whole family gets it mildly on arms, thighs and cheeks) and that it can be exacerbated by weather. The catch is, its different for everybody. My son and I get it pretty bad when we are in humid climates. ( We both had it bad during muggy midwest summers) Now we have moved to a very arid climate and its all but cleared up. The article said that for other people, excessively dry weather seemed to make it worse. Not that you should pick up and move over it, but maybe that will give you a little peace of mind that short of changing your local weather patterns, its not within your control and you can just accept it?

[YvieInCA]

I read once that yes, this is genetic ( my whole family gets it mildly on arms, thighs and cheeks) and that it can be exacerbated by weather. The catch is, its different for everybody. My son and I get it pretty bad when we are in humid climates. ( We both had it bad during muggy midwest summers) Now we have moved to a very arid climate and its all but cleared up. The article said that for other people, excessively dry weather seemed to make it worse. Not that you should pick up and move over it, but maybe that will give you a little peace of mind that short of changing your local weather patterns, its not within your control and you can just accept it?

LOL, indeed, it does help to know that 1.) I'm not the only one out there with all this junk on my arms, and 2.) it really isn't much under my control.

Thanks for the note on that, never really thought about the weather being part of it.