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Acne Mega Thread

Giog said:
I completely disagree with this. Food has an enormous impact on your endocrine/nervous/circulatory system. Acne or not, what you eat does affect your bodies physiology both short-term and long-term. I have had moderate acne since I was about 15. I can't SEE the affects that food has on my skin directly very often unless I eat extreme junk. Nevertheless, I know that by eating healthy I am facilitating the battle. This entire belief that food doesn't affect acne (or many other conditions like IBS, Chrons, Arthritis, etc. ) is utter crap.

Psychologically, it is easy to understand that an individual will depend on his control of food in order to cope with a visibly uncontrollable condition. I do think that I am conditioned in such a way, unfortunately. Nevertheless, simply haven taken a few college courses in biochemistry, physiology, and endocrinology has provided me with enough understanding that one really is what he eats.

What you say really bothers me because I hear similar things in the context of cancer. A number of factors contribute to it and yet people don't dare point the finger at the shit they eat and the lifestyle they chose.
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Very good post.

I had some problems with cystic acne when I was a teenager. When I saw the doctor, I asked about the possibility of a change in diet to combat acne. He basically told me that diet has no effect, prescribed me some antibiotics for the cystic acne, and then suggested that I go on Accutane. I decided against the Accutane because a friend of mine, who I never really noticed to have particularly bad acne, had started taking it and it "brought out" some serious acne, that lead to some very noticeable scarring later on.

Anyway. Yes. I think it's a bad belief to circulate that diet has no affect on acne. It would be better to say something like, "there's no solid link that's been confirmed".

A friend of mine who was having problems with acne actually quit gluten for a while. As she suspected that she may be gluten intolerant (in a non-severe way). The reasoning being that if she were unknowingly gluten intolerant and consuming gluten, she would be putting stress on her body / it would be some kind of allergic reaction / it would stress out her digestion and thus lead to more acne. I should ask her whether she noticed an improvement in her skin.
 
Again, im not saying diet has NO affect on acne, im just saying what do we have to prove this fact? We have just as much evidence that says it doesnt correlate as we do connecting the two, so saying either/or is rather dumb. In truth, we dont know, we can only speculate. I hope one day we have a definitive answer, itll save many people the hassle of feeling self conscious about their own body for large chunks of their lives.

Ive said all I needed to say
 
Spoiler: Bomboclat had to say that when he was working as the ASSisstant at this old job. Hehehe. ;)

Much love, brother.
 
Rated E said:
Very good post.

When I saw the doctor, I asked about the possibility of a change in diet to combat acne. He basically told me that diet has no effect,
...
Anyway. Yes. I think it's a bad belief to circulate that diet has no affect on acne. It would be better to say something like, "there's no solid link that's been confirmed".
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Yes I was wondering about the same thing... several dermatologist encourage to take vitamin dietary supplements to balance a diet that lacks of natural vitamin sources to help preventing acne - source -. but synthetic vitamin is not good because not completely absorbed by our body. Honestly I'm afraid of what is "invasive" on my skin.
I prefer to bet on a healthy diet and use natural products and methods.. I don't believe in miracles so when it cannot go worse, it's always good to see improvement even if they're small.
regards.. carolyn
 
Healthy diet definitely plays a role in skin health. Your skin is an organ, and like all your other bodily organs needs nourishment. Im a big believer in 'less is more' when it comes to acne treatments. Ive used lots of different harsh prescription and otc treatments, sometimes with dramatic results, only for my acne to return with a vengeance.

My acne isnt GONE gone, but its drastically better since i quit messing with it constantly with creams a few times a day. I just wash it in the shower with a really basic facewash, nothing overly drying, and a swab of tea tree oil every few days immediately after showering. Also, carrot juicing has (at least my friend told me) given my skin a brighter tone. I think my acne gets shitty moreso from picking at it than neglecting to wash, treat, etc
 
Diet had zero effect on my acne as a teenager.

You can't stop hormones working their magic through diet.
 
^ No, but you can manage the acne. You don't have to be subject to 1,000,000 zits. You can help yourself and only be subject to 500,000 zits! :)
 
Cornishman said:
Diet had zero effect on my acne as a teenager.

You can't stop hormones working their magic through diet.
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Everyone is different. If you read through this thread you will notice one theme: something different works for everyone. I have tried everything and the only thing that works for me is being healthy - diet and exercise, and not slathering my face with chemicals - which irritate it.

Additionally, teenage acne and adult acne are different.

Food definitely has an effect on my diet. Sugar and dairy specifically. Skin is your largest organ, why wouldn't it be effected by health issues? Have you ever stopped to think what causes the hormone issues?
 
IMO diet probably has very little effect

I went on Acutane twice as a teenager... my acne was bad but not horrifying however it was very persistent... i have struggled with depression/anxiety in the past and i did not find that it made it worse.... the hardest thing was how chapped my lips would get

Currently i am pregnant and have been on and off breaking out like a teenager again.... i have had to take ampicillin a couple times since being pregnant for UTI's (common during pregnancy) and i have consistently noticed an improvement in my acne when i take it
also since being pregnant for the first time in my life i have gotten neck zits..... they hurt
 
tackyspiral said:
IMO diet probably has very little effect

I went on Acutane twice as a teenager... my acne was bad but not horrifying however it was very persistent... i have struggled with depression/anxiety in the past and i did not find that it made it worse.... the hardest thing was how chapped my lips would get

Currently i am pregnant and have been on and off breaking out like a teenager again.... i have had to take ampicillin a couple times since being pregnant for UTI's (common during pregnancy) and i have consistently noticed an improvement in my acne when i take it
also since being pregnant for the first time in my life i have gotten neck zits..... they hurt
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I am positive it varies greatly from person to person.

I know for a fact it has an effect on me. Generally, I do not eat dairy and I do not eat added sugars - I'm talking absolutely none. If I go on vacation and have a week of eating whatever (I am not intolerant, I just choose not to consume them because they bug me) my face breaks out like crazy.

Some people can eat whatever they want whenever and it doesn't effect them... some, not so much. Kind of like weight gain. Our bodies all function and react differently.
 
I am on numerous steroids and take relatively take doses of very androgenic compounds. My skin is clear from showering twice a day, using organic soaps, cleansers, and moisturizers, and using a strict regime of supplements and medication. I take 5 grams of B5 a day along with 100mg a day of Doxycycline that I cycle. Combined with a growth hormone releasing peptide and Melanotan II my skin glows and remains very healthy.

I avoid processed foods, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavorings, artificial dyes, red meat, xenoestrogens, and drink a gallon of water a day.
 
Was prone and had HORRIBLE, cystic acne as a teen and right when I went to college. Tried everything. I found the best way to eliminate it was to simply wash with just cold water 3 times a day (esp after sweating), eating a moderate carbohydrate diet, and to minimize stress.
 
I had extremely had acne for about 11 years (it started soon after menstruation, so I suffered with it from ages 10-21, which is my current age. I also have mild rosacea and blocked pores on my nose and chin area.

So this is my routine - I tried it for about 2 months and noticed amazing results!

I wash my face with Olay foaming face wash only once per week, washing only my cheeks, chin and nose. My forehead gets extremely dry so I cannot wash it without it peeling.

Second, I use clean and clear 8hr spot treatment if I get a large red pimple. It even works on ones that are considered "cystic".

Third, I use eucerin redness relief lotion about 3x or more per day. It has tints of green in it to neutralize the red. I apply all over my face.

Also, I don't use *any* makeup, and I use biore pore strips on my nose and chin to remove blackheads.

I have combination skin and it took me a long time to figure out the right combination, but my skin looks amazing with my new technique! It took me years to find the right thing for me. I can't wash my face everyday - my face would peel and flake horribly. So what I recommend to everyone dealing with acne is try different combinations, even if they may seem strange and unconventional!
 
I know it's been awhile since anyone has posted here, but I finally found something to calm my raging teenager acne (almost 25 ☹️) and I thought it might help someone out there. I just started taking saw palmetto and l-lysine and my face is actually dry instead of dripping sebum and healing! I've tried literally everything. Not even accutane helped.

I'm also regularly taking evening primrose oil, omega 3s, extra biotin, EGCG, zinc, magnesium, and antioxidants (C, E, ALA, ALCAR, selenium, and asthaxin) but only noticed improvement after adding those two in. The lysine helps healing and collagen production and the saw palmetto prevents testosterone from turning into the skin/hair destroying DHT. I'm also a daily stimulant user so that's kicked my hormones into overdrive.

I just really hope that someone else can benefit from this. Having horrible skin for over half my life has nearly destroyed my self esteem and definitely contributed to my persistent depression. I know everyone is different but I definitely recommend giving these two a try. They are cheaper than most supplements and topical creams I've tried and I couldn't be happier!
 
NeverHaddaChance said:
I just really hope that someone else can benefit from this. Having horrible skin for over half my life has nearly destroyed my self esteem and definitely contributed to my persistent depression. I know everyone is different but I definitely recommend giving these two a try. They are cheaper than most supplements and topical creams I've tried and I couldn't be happier!
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Here are a couple more helpful hints.

Most over the counter face wash has salicylic acid in it. It sucks all of the oil right out of your skin. For someone suffering from acne that sounds like exactly what you want. It's actually the worst thing for your skin and will more often than not make you break out worse. When you suck all the oil out of your skin your pores start overproducing to make up for what is gone. As silly as this sounds the best thing to wash your face with is coconut or castor oil. Just a very little bit to lightly cover your face. It's a fact that oil dissolves oil. What you are essentially doing is using the good oil (coconut/castor) to push the bad/dirty oil (sebum) from your pores. The good oil keeps your pores from over producing while pushing out all the crud. I personally use coconut oil and have never tried castor oil. People have reported that for about a week after they started using coconut or castor oil to clean their face that their acne got worse before it started getting better. The people who did the studies called this an "adjustment period" and its actually your body purging the pores of all the impurities and garbage deep in your pores.

Instant caffeinated coffee made into a paste and rubbed on your face will stimulate your pores to shrink leaving less room for dirt to get in there. Caffeine is a stimulant.....who knew it could work as one for you on the outside of your body? I do it in the shower because it's kind of messy. I rub the paste into my skin and let it sit for a minute or 2 before I rinse it off. I put this on over top of the coconut oil so it helps shrink the pores around the nice healthy clean oil I just applied.

Raw Organic Honey is an amazing product to have on hand for just about everything, but for your face it has natural anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties. It contains enzymes and probiotics that are excellent for your skin. It's extremely gentle on your skin and it helps stimulate new cell growth so it is really good to use if you have acne scars. It reduces inflammation drastically. After washing off the oil/coffee I rub on a generous amount of honey (being careful of the eye area....it burns like hell if you get it in your eyes) and leave it on until I am completely done with my shower. I haven't had a break out in almost 7 years. The last random small pimple I had was about 6 months ago. I haven't had a blind pimple in almost 7 years as well. The last one I had I rubbed some honey on it and went to bed, Woke up the next morning and it was gone. I had a couple of deep chicken pox scars on my forehead right near my hairline and after about a year of washing my face like this I noticed they were both completely gone. So if you have any acne scars it might be beneficial to at least start using the honey. Has to be Raw, Organic

I wash my face with honey everyday and I wash my face with the oil and coffee every other to every 2 days. In the winter when my skin is dry I use Aloe vera straight from my plant to moisturize.
 
Haven't read through this thread but diet is key. Low-carbohydrate / ketogenic diet will do wonders (high-fat, moderate protein, low-carbohydrate)

Also getting some sun/tanned.
 
check on ebay and order a few bottles at a time...its much cheaper and yes it works better than anything I've used.
 
A really helpful appreciative thread. The amount of advice and hints is astnonishing if you ask me. Fair play to every1 that contributed.
 
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