Bumpy Arms

[SMPH]

When I was pregnant with my first child 3 years ago I got small bumps on the backs of my upper arms and they're still around. Sometimes there's redness too. What's a little weird is that my son (first child) also has bumps on his upper arms but you can really only feel them. Isn't that weird? That I got them when pregnant with him and he has them too?

Anyway, I've tried some acne wash and nothing happened. I've tried breastmilk and that seemed to make it red.

I know it takes forever to get into a dermatologist around here so in the meantime has anyone dealt with something similiar before or have any ideas on how to get rid of this *rash*?

Thanks!

[apmama2myboo]

i forgot what it is called....

but our pedi/family doc said they are harmless and should go away by the time the child is an adolescent. I got them around the age of 12, you can't really see them, but a few on my upper arms and on my face. they don't itch or turn red though. My dd was born with them, and strangely enough, whatever is in Avon's Skin So Soft lotion, takes them off of her thighs and arms and removes some of them from her face as well as my own. I just ordered more online, because after trying about 10 different kinds of lotions and oils, I've given up as it's the only thing that works for either of us. I would try different things, as we just stumbled upon the SSS success after I got some for an X-mas present!

good luck
jen
caitlyn 2/9/04

[SMPH]

Thanks for the input. I'm more concerned with my bumps than I am with his...his you can't really see but you can see mine and they seem to be moving up my shoulders these days

[Spastica]

Your child's is a form of milia, which does go away in children. Yours - it can be dermatitis or something else. A few things that help get rid of them is:

- Using unscented unperfumed household products, soaps, lotions, etc. Dove Sensitive is good.
- Get rid of fabric softener, that's a huge one

I had those as a kid and I recently had those as an adult. I went to the dermatologist and got a cream, which helped, but I didn't want to keep buying it, so I've found that baking soda cleared up my red bumps entirely!

You can use it in the shower and let a soppy wet paste sit on your arms. Any yeast-based irritation will be killed. Then, you can take some more baking soda and exfoliate the bumps on the daily basis. I didn't get any irritation from this, I just have regular smooth skin, no itchy bumps.

If that doesn't help, sometimes people with gluten-intolerance or diabetes have rashes like that. Avoiding starchy foods, sugars, and yeasty things like a lot of bread and pasta may help. You may want to be tested for gluten intolerance if your rash doesn't go away and you have to constantly run to potty after eating most meals. There are special tests (not terrible though) for celiac disease/gluten intolerance, and the problem does not show up in normal blood tests like you would for diabetes.

[SMPH]

- Using unscented unperfumed household products, soaps, lotions, etc. Dove Sensitive is good.
- Get rid of fabric softener, that's a huge one

I rarely use lotions and don't even use soap very often when I shower. I use BS a lot (I didn't use shampoo for 6 months and only wash about 2 times a week now) but I've never tried making a regular paste and letting it sit. I'm about to take a shower so I'll give it a go.

Do gluten-intolerances just *pop* up in older people?

[Spastica]

Sometimes it pops up when something like infection, fevers, or other body-traumatic experiences occur. Pregnancy can be one. Some people don't show symptoms much and just get gassy after they eat. Others have to run to the bathroom and think they're lactose intolerant. It's a weird health problem and people are always misdiagnosed for something else if they go to the doctor for it at all.

My boyfriend is now 32 and didn't know he had celiac disease. He grew up eating beans and rice and didn't have a problem until his late 20's. He can't eat wheat or rye products now since he found out. I ran into an article on WholeFoods.com about Gluten Free diets and I suggested he get tested and it turns out his whole family has it, but they don't have it as badly as he does. The rest of his family doesn't really know much about it or care to take a hold of the problem. But my boyfriend has had more health issues, so he's trying to be gluten-free for the most part.

[PikkuMyy]

I get mine with allergy season, as does one of my 7yo students.

[Spastica]

Yeah, it totally depends on what it is. It could be a simple dermatitis, keratosis pilaris, ingrown hair build up, or something more serious, like a side effect of PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), diabetes, or celiac disease.

If it's one of the more common ones I mentioned, scrubbing with baking soda helps a lot or using alpha-hydroxy products. Scrubbing with baking soda and leaving on apple cider vinegar would do the trick too. I've had enough success with the baking soda only. I scrub my arms everyday since I scrub my armpits with baking soda anyway (I prep my pits for the day and use ACV and essential oils instead of deodorant!).

My arms are very smooth, it's unreal. Just about everybody has some bumpy stuff on their upper arms (it's usually just dead skin cells that accumulate and from constant rubbing of a t-shirt). Cocoa butter helps too.

[**guest**]

My doc told me that it's clogged pores. I've had it for as long as I can remember. It's so unsightly.

I'll try the baking soda but I will NOT use Avon products. I was an Avon rep and tried all sorts of stuff and had some sort of reaction to every single one of them. (lotions).

Peace,
Liz

[Spastica]

Lizc,

Yeah, sometimes it is just clogged pores. As for the baking soda, you can do a few things:

- Make a paste with water and a tablespoon or so of baking soda (eyeball it) and scrub your arms. Moisturize with lotion, cocoa butter, or olive oil.

- Combine the olive oil and baking soda and save a step.


The basic thing is you have to scrub with the baking soda and then moisturizing your arms with something everyday at least for a few weeks to notice any difference. After the problem clears up, you can do the baking soda scrub intermittently to prevent more flaky, itchy bumps.

For some alpha hydroxy action to speed up the clearing up process, use apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.

[mavery]

Keratosis pilaris is super common, and can be inherited (at least the tendency to get it) - since your ds has it too, that sounds like a plausible cause. Anyway, if that's what it is then vitamin A supplementation apparently can help a lot. This has been discussed on the vax forum before, I think. I'll see if I can find the thread...

[Spastica]

Applying vitamin A is the same thing as Retin-A (alpha hydroxy). Internally, I'm not sure what it can do - I know it helps with acne, but taking too much vitamin A can be harmful. It's a fat soluble vitamin, not water soluble one.

[mavery]

I can only find a couple of mentions of kp on the vax forum, and nothing particularly enlightening. But I am certain I have heard that taking vitamin A internally, e.g. in the form of cod liver oil (which is v. low toxicity, much lower than synthetic vit.a) is very helpful. Though since I haven't tried it, I can't be certain of that.....