Nothing makes a tanning bed worth it, coming from someone who misses them dearly. Whatever they may help will come at the expense of a myriad of other issues.

Thanks for a discussion about this!

I tanned a lot during college, really too, too much in my experience, going about four times a week for 20 minutes each time.

Then I migrated towards the various spray tans.

Now though, I'm in my late 30s, and haven't been to a tanning bed in well over a decade. I don't really get out in the sun at all anymore either.

In the last year or so, I've developed KP REALLY badly on the tops of my thighs, upper arms and forearms. Since I'm so pale now, it's very noticeable and I sort of wear long sleeves rolled up to about my wrists and never, ever shorts. Of course, that probably compounds the issue of not getting enough sun exposure!

The last year has been a revolving experiment with various exfoliants, scrubs, moisturizers, creams, etc. Nothing has worked at all.

I've tried the Cerave for bumpy skin but really all that does is makes the skin smooth.

I assumed perhaps it was clogged follicles, so I tried Nair on one of my thighs just to see if it would work. Nothing changed.

I've tried various tea tree oil mixtures, glycolic wipes (the strongest I could find on Amazon) and even went through a course of doxycycline (for an unrelated rash on my hand) but that didn't lessen the appearance of the KP at ALL.

I tried a home seaweed bath (yeah, that was fun), various vinegar bath mixtures, a bleach bath, those trends exfoliating gloves.

NOTHING.

So now that it's summer where I am, my last resort is to go back to the tanning bed after a decade! I've been trying to hold out and not go, but I never had any form of KP-like bumps while I was going previously. In fact, I always received compliments about the evenness of my skin tone!

Derms prescribe phototherapy a lot now, so we'll see how it works. I'm going to start with lliterally like maybe a minute or two in the lowest bed, but don't plan on exceeding 5 minutes or so.

Would that be sufficient? Any ideas? I don't want to get up to 20 minutes four times a week again. That seems a little excessive.

I'll definitely be wearing heavy sunblock on my face and neck area this go around but really am optimistic that it will help some with the KP.

OP here. For the last six weeks I’ve made a purpose to lay out for 10-20 minutes on each side depending on the UV index. This is the first time in my life I’ve ever done this. I’ve gotten a shade or two darker (and a lot more freckled 🙁) but my KP is so much better, and not just masked from the tan. It’s improved but still there on my arms and all but disappeared on most of my legs, thighs, and butt. Not only that, but ingrown hairs on my legs are much better. I always have unsightly bumps from ingrown hairs after shaving or waxing but it’s been much less of an issue this summer. I’m happy but at the same time kind of bummed that the best treatment is damaging and not sustainable for me long term. It was a fun experiment and I’m enjoying being tanned for right now but it’s not worth the long term UV damage and cancer risk to continue.

What I don’t understand is whether it’s simply finally getting enough vitamin D or some other aspect of the UV exposure. If it’s the former, surely there is a way to achieve it via supplements, right?

I have a tanning membership specifically to treat my KP. You can use an entry level bed. You will see Immediate results after the first use and they will continue to improve and eventually go away the longer you tan (for me it was within the first 2 weeks going 2xs a week). For that reason I recommend a membership (again, the most inexpensive membership should suffice)... the main thing is the UV ray exposure which eliminates the KP immediately. This is the same reason KP improves when you get a sunburn at the beach. NEVER stay in the bed long enough to get a burn EVER. The moment it feels hot, hop out. The idea is to stay in long enough to get a glow and over time you will build up a tolerance (aka a tan) and be able to stay in longer. Before you use the bed, cover your body head to toe with CreaVe cream/lotion. This protects the skin barrier and it contains hyaluronic acid and ceramides that are absorbed while you tan and rehydrate your skin. After you tan, wipe off any sweat with a towel and take a shower or bath and wash your body (I use a bar of soap and a lufa/washcloth) and face (I use St. Ives Apricot scrub) as soon as you can same-day. Apply Jojoba Oil for skin (Very inexpensive from target or Walmart), or your preferred lotion (I use CeraVe or Yube) all over your whole body after you get out and while your body is still slightly damp after drying off. You can also use any lotion with Salicylic Acid (Neutrogena has an entire product line with this including a make-up line you can buy at target or Walmart). This routine has changed my life.

Another option is to use a corticosteroid prescribes by a doctor. I recommend Triamcinolone Acetonide Ointment USP 0.1%. This should work fairly quickly and you will see improvement overnight. This does not solve the problem as quickly as a tanning bed will, but it is a viable alternative.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004IS1GGC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

absolute MAGIC. my KP went away with this.

I only experienced mild KP, but coconut oil helped clear it up. It contains some kind of acid. I think I rubbed it on after my shower.

I use Retin-A and my KP has completely cleared it up. My DD (age 14) just started after trying the Cerve SA creme w/o results.

https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/By_the_way_doctor_What_is_keratosis_pilaris

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It never helped mine. What lotions are you using?

Right now I’m using a combo of Amlactin, stridex salicylic acid pads, and a lotion with urea and lactic acid. Plus Cerave for general moisturizing. Thinking about trying prescription retin-A but seems like it could be costly for pretty large areas.

I get my Rx Retin-A micro from Friendship Pharmacy and it’s reAlly reasonable — ask if the manufacturer is offering any coupons. Free home delivery too.

Maybe also a strong AHA/BHA combo like Drunk Elephant Framboos? Also pricey but might do the trick, esp
If you combined both.

Funny that this popped up! This is OP and I never did go tanning. I’ve been trying to get more sun exposure on my arms and legs this summer though.

Cerave Salicylic Acid cream has helped a lot with the bumpiness but I don’t think anything topical is ever going to clear up the red dots completely and I’m trying to work on self-acceptance. It’s recently appeared on my neck though which I hate the most.

Yardley English Lavender bar soap completely eliminates mine. I used to have bad keratosis pilaris and used multiple treatments prescribed by my derm since I was a teen. Then I started using this soap one summer while staying with my grandma, and...the bumps completely disappeared. I've been using it ever since.

Anonymous wrote:Stridex pads. Then find one of those LED light beds - like a tanning bed, but beneficial.

NP. Why are these still so hard to find? They make you glow like you’ve had sun, but with anti-aging properties.

OP - DONT DO IT. Also you’re freaking your skin out with that many fairly harsh chemicals.

I have it, too. Glycolic scid has always worked far better for me than lactic acid. I use a 12% shower gel with exfoliating gloves. Plus an AHA lotion when it’s bad. That does the trick.

I’m so glad to read a post about this! I have had KP on my arms for as long as I can remember and now my
daughter has it too. She’s so young and I feel sad thinking she will have to battle it for years and years. Not sure what we should try, maybe the Amlactin. My dermatologist didn’t seem very concerned about it or very helpful in coming up with a solution.

I used tanning beds when I was young for about a year and a half. My KP cleared completely. I am in my mid-50's and still nothing. I have teenagers who all 3 suffer from it, but are too young for the beds. I agree with the one who said if you are being rude about someone looking/needing a resolve then you have never suffered with it.