Keratosis Pilaris - Page 2

[isaoma]

Dd (2.5) has kp on her checks mostly and sometimes on her thighs. I thought it was eczema, but her allergist said it was kp. She said kp is a mild form of eczema - but I'm not sure how they are related. Dd's checks just looked dry and a little red. I guess the giveaway was that they didn't itch.

Dd's kp is definately related to food intolerances. She has been off of dairy for 10 days now and it has all but disappeared.

I just wanted to note that before we went off of dairy, dd's kp really responded to borage oil (topically). Borage oil is high in GLA (omega 6), I've read abstracts of studies that suggested the individual's with eczema problems tend to be low in GLA. I've been making mayonnaise with sunflower oil to boost omega 3's around here - I know that most American's tend to consume way more omega 3's than 6's, but weren't one of those families.


...never mind the GLA suggestion, I jsut googled in and the lasted studies show uneven results....

[lil_miss_understood]

I'm wondering if it's not a phase I detox and bile thing. Could it be that there's an underproduction of bile inhibiting absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E & K) and EFA's?

[Theloose]

Vitamin D lowers PTH. Low PTH = higher calcium. Higher calcium = more prone to keratosis pilaris. (lithium also affects PTH)

Vitamin A inhibits vitamin D's action on PTH.
Low vitamin A turns mucous cells in the skin to keratin cells.

Keratin is made (in part) by cysteine. Cysteine is also used to make glutathione. Raising PTH will help raise glutathione. So low PTH = low glutathione = excess cysteine and high calcium?

EFAs help raise glutathione. EFAs help with KP.

Vitamin C helps glutathione levels. Low vitamin C can give you 'corkscrew hairs' which are reported to be inside the KP plugs.

So vitamin A, vitamin C, plus figure out how to get your body to produce more glutathione/use more cysteine?

[mtn.mama]

Interesting. Our vitamin A has to have increased since we started green juicing at the beginning of January. I did start NAC about two weeks ago... I suppose it could have pushed us over the top? Its so awesome to feel her smooth skin again!

[marlne]

I saw this thread when looking for for info on certain allergies.

I'm a highly allergic person (with asthma) and have KP. I don't have it nearly as bad as I did when I was a kid. It seemed to have shown up closer to puberty and got better the older I got. I did spend tons of time tanning as I got older.

Well, it turns out my kids have it too. My son seems to have it beginning just a little bit, it's not all that noticeable yet. My older girl has it on her arms and some on her legs and then there is my middle daughter.. She's got it really bad. She feels like sand paper and it gets really red. It doesn't help that her skin is intensely dry and red as well.
I try to get her to keep care of the dryness but with her being 12, it doesn't always happen.
We've used many different doctor prescribed lotions over the years and of course used a lot of aquaphor. NOthing applied to her skin ever helped. The aquaphor really turned her off of applying things too, she didn't like feeling sticky.

I will say though, we did see a little bit of improvement when we lived in Hawaii for a few years. We were out in the sun often, so her skin wasn't so red but she still felt like sand paper. It's so bad that when she was in gymnastics, I had to print out a paper explaining what she had because it worried the coaches when they touched her.

If anyone can help regarding Vit A and such. I'd love some help. I wouldn't know where to start with it. I wouldn't even know how much to give her either.
I'm to the point where I can't just sit by anymore and hope she keeps her skin lotioned up daily. She may need an extra boost that vitamins could possibly provide. So I'm researching more now.

[kortner]

Awesome!

I am doing CLO, so should be good on A/D (I think?). C I mostly hope to get from foods (lemon in kefir, other fruit, sauerkraut). I dunno about caffeine or chocolate seeing as I haven't had any in way too long (like a month, so not THAT long) - when I did have them both I craved them and it did not affect my sleep whatsoever (lucky there - no insomnia here). Unsure on calcium, but have lots of cavities. Definitely mag. deficient. I've been doing espsom baths 2-3x/week but I probably should start supp'ing.

I do think I have problems with fat malabsorption, and started taking HCl. It may or may not be helping. I'm not sure.

The science journals and most of the detox cycles are over my head. I don't know if I am an under or over methylator or high or low histamine or what.

Oh, and I have terrible mood swings of irritability and depression. I notice a difference with the CLO, if I miss a few days I get really sad.

My KP is red, but my son's varies. It goes from pink to white depending on hydration, and coconut oil on his skin after baths seems to help mosturize.

I mentioned it to my homeopath and said I'd really love to see it go away, and he said he believe it would with time, but that skin is usually the last to clear.

mtn.mama - I'm so glad you've seen T's clear!

[momofmine]

Originally Posted by mtn.mama

Well, supplementing/increasing vitamin A and beta-carotene have done nothing to change it around here. But we're just entering a realm where we can begin boosting EFAs again, so I'm anxious to see if this helps.

Originally Posted by kortner

I do think I have problems with fat malabsorption,

I listened to this webinar the other night and the doctor was saying that sometimes people need carnitine to be able to absorb the CLO. SO, maybe you aren't absorbing the vit A from the CLO correctly? I don't know much about this yet, it just seem like it has come up a few times, so you may want to google carnitine and fats.

[momofmine]

I have had KP on the backs of my arms forever. It gets better with moisturizing, and growing up my mom always told me to use a loofah, but I don't think that ever helped. When I get enough EFAs, it gets better, but I am taking HVCLO right now, and it's not better. I now, for the past couple of years, also have it on my legs, to the point where I don't shave anymore at all.

I think it's because I need more EFAs than I am getting in the HVCLO.

[mama1803]

[QUOTE=isaoma;13317111] I know that most American's tend to consume way more omega 3's than 6's, but weren't one of those families.


QUOTE]

I thought it was the other way around--most people consumed much more 6's than 3's?

[Lissybug]

Lisa- Wahat is NAC? I'm sure it's in another thread, but you think it's helping with the KP on Taslyn? And do you get KP too?

The boys were getting KP in relation to dairy rxn. Now that the dairy is out it's going away again, though James has a few bumps still. would love to have clear arms and legs- I've had KP since I was a kid.

I think we certainly get enough Vit D just from beingin AZ and being outside a lot. SO from what I'm reading here would CLO increase both A and D? And one would actually want to just increase A? Or am I mixed up?

Vitamin C I can figure out.
But I'm lost on the other 'oines and 'enes.

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by Lissybug

Lisa- Wahat is NAC? I'm sure it's in another thread, but you think it's helping with the KP on Taslyn? And do you get KP too?

NAC- N-acetyl-cysteine. A form of cysteine (cystine it's called) that's shelf stable and not absorbed unless it's needed. It helps stop the prodction of ammonia (from transulferation?) to free up BH4, which is used to make a whole whack of different hormones (including dopamine and seratonin). BH4 is what is used in the body to get rid of ammonia and ammonia is made by the production of cysteine (among other things).

Originally Posted by kortner

I do think I have problems with fat malabsorption, and started taking HCl. It may or may not be helping. I'm not sure.

Bile, not HCl in this case. Bile is what is used to absorb/digest the nutrients from fats. To increase bile, you need to increase cholesterol. To increase cholesterol, you may need to increase your cysteine, as Shannon is doing.

[WuWei]

Originally Posted by whoMe

Bumping.

How can we relate this to the detox stuff? The nutrients I keep seeing are vit A, EFAs, vit C and vit D.

Vit A and D go together.
Vit C and EFAs both are linked to glutathione. Glutathione is also linked to phase 1 detox, and parathyroid. Parathyroid links in vitamin D and calcium.

How are we all doing on:
vit A?
vit D?
vit C?
caffeine tolerance (phase 1)?
calcium?
cavities/tartar?

and for fun, if you've been following the detox stuff:
chocolate cravings?
methylation?
depression/focus/thyroid?

I think it is interesting that Lissybug had her KP disappear while on vacation in the Caribbean. Where you'd expect more vit D (sunshine) and more vit C (fresh fruits), maybe less caffeine and calcium concurrently (???). Maybe more chocolate on vacation?

Pat

[WuWei]

Originally Posted by whoMe

Vitamin D lowers PTH. Low PTH = higher calcium. Higher calcium = more prone to keratosis pilaris. (lithium also affects PTH)

Vitamin A inhibits vitamin D's action on PTH.
Low vitamin A turns mucous cells in the skin to keratin cells.

Keratin is made (in part) by cysteine. Cysteine is also used to make glutathione. Raising PTH will help raise glutathione. So low PTH = low glutathione = excess cysteine and high calcium?

EFAs help raise glutathione. EFAs help with KP.

Vitamin C helps glutathione levels. Low vitamin C can give you 'corkscrew hairs' which are reported to be inside the KP plugs.

So vitamin A, vitamin C, plus figure out how to get your body to produce more glutathione/use more cysteine?

You LOVED geometry didn't you?


Pat

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by WuWei

You LOVED geometry didn't you?

Pat

You mean there are people who didn't/don't?

[Theloose]

Originally Posted by Lissybug

Lisa- Wahat is NAC? I'm sure it's in another thread, but you think it's helping with the KP on Taslyn? And do you get KP too?

The boys were getting KP in relation to dairy rxn. Now that the dairy is out it's going away again, though James has a few bumps still. would love to have clear arms and legs- I've had KP since I was a kid.

I think we certainly get enough Vit D just from beingin AZ and being outside a lot. SO from what I'm reading here would CLO increase both A and D? And one would actually want to just increase A? Or am I mixed up?

Vitamin C I can figure out.
But I'm lost on the other 'oines and 'enes.

What I'm guessing is that if your blood calcium and blood cysteine levels are high, then you get too much keratin - keratosis pilaris, among other things (like a fuzzy tongue). Vitamin D increases blood calcium, while vitamin A inhibits that.
lowering the cysteine is more complicated and I'm not clear on it yet... But by providing all the nutrients for all the *other* process that need it should get it out of circulation. For adrenal support and increasing cholesterol, that would be pantothenic acid (and magnesium). For glutathione, that would be... EFAs and vitamin C and glycine and...? This is where I need more research

Originally Posted by WuWei

You LOVED geometry didn't you?

I... um... yeah. I had a habit of correcting the teacher. On tests. And then I TA'd for him my senior year

[WuWei]

Originally Posted by whoMe

I... um... yeah. I had a habit of correcting the teacher. On tests. And then I TA'd for him my senior year

That is why I love you! :


Pat

[LBMarie9]

I'm coming in late in this thread--but it's so intersting- I have had this my whole life it seems (didn't know it had a name! I guess figures because everyone I know seems to have it on their arms for sure!) ---anyways--this went away (the bumps- not the underredness) when I went off dairy! weird though that maybe it's just it's cycle and has nothing to do with that. we are definately good with our EFA's and have coocnut oil to help with absoption of those fats--but I've always wondered about low vit A-we get plenty--but both my kids never get fevers and I heard that could mean low vit A somewhere?!! (I don't get fevers either) --anyways---sorry a little off topic--but I'm watching this thread and hoping to understand- (didn't do well in geometry)

[isaoma]

[QUOTE=mama1803;13320991]

Originally Posted by isaoma

I know that most American's tend to consume way more omega 3's than 6's, but weren't one of those families.


QUOTE]

I thought it was the other way around--most people consumed much more 6's than 3's?

Good grief, sorry, I flipped my omega #s. You're right, I meant to say most American consume too much omega 6 and not enough omega 3. You need to maintain a healthy ratio of: 2 to 1 (omega 6 to omega 3).

Sorry for the confusing post...

[neverdoingitagain]

Count me in as another " I saw this in new posts and have had it most of my life"
It got really bad while I was pregnant with my first child. In turn, both of my dd's have it to some extent.
Can I just list some symptoms and have you guys analyze them?

-In myself, I have always had a white coating on my tongue.
-dd1 has teeth problems. Her front tooth ended being removed due to an infection in the gum. Her enemal was very decayed. Has many cavities.
-All three of us have bumpy skin. I definately have KP on the back of my arms. DD1 had bumpy skin on her back, a skin rash on her cheeks( she used a soother) and the creases of her skin would seep due to friction.
-both girls have a weird crust behind their ears(I use moisturizer to get rid of it. Vaseline works wonders on it )
-cradle cap.
-black under-eyes.
-My nose is constantly stuffed, and I blink a lot due to watery eyes.

I believe its all allergy related. Will an allergy test be accurate enough to pinpoint what we are allergic to? Which is the most accurate? (I'm in Canada, btw)
If its not, what would be the first things to eliminate? Dairy? What can I use instead of dairy...or soy for that matter? (DH with hypothyroidism, so we stay away from it) I need something for a picky eater. DH and dd1 both love to drink milk. Is Rice milk compareable.
Wow, sorry, went way off-topic...

Ok, I found that sunlight and cod liver oil helped alot to reduce my KP. DD1 loves CLO pills : I give her two a day, should I raise her dose?


And what this about coffee? and chocolate?

[Theloose]

Originally Posted by neverdoingitagain

Can I just list some symptoms and have you guys analyze them?

Um... yeah... it sounds like you've got some health issues that could be healed. There are probably some foods that are making them worse, but they're also probably caused by nutrient imbalances. Everyone has a unique set of nutrient requirements, and there is little information out there on figuring out how much your own body needs. I've been learning about biochemistry and detox pathways recently (check out the detox and chat threads in the allergies forum).

The cradle cap and stuff behind the ears is probably a form of seborrheic dermatitis, and biotin will probably help a lot. Do you by any chance have adrenal issues (there's an adrenal fatigue thread in health and healing)? Low cholesterol? Low blood pressure? If so, pantothenic acid might help as well. Feel free to start your own thread if you want to be overwhelmed with more custom advice