posted 06-09-2003 11:29 PM            

But like any other part of your body, it won't affect it immediately. Just like drinking alcohol won't immediately cause liver damage, or that lack of calcium will instantly weaken the bones and teeth, foods also take a long time to affect the skin. It takes 90 days for a pimple or cyst to occur... so it's going to take at LEAST 90 days to see any differences.

If you've only been on it for a couple of months, and expect it to work miracles, then it was doomed to fail since day 1. It should be a lifestyle change, not a diet of the month.

posted 06-10-2003 09:36 AM            

I see so many people try one thing, then after a few weeks, more onto something else. They'll try an AHA/BHA solution, then if that doesn't work, move onto BP... if that doesn't work, try zinc... if that doesn't work, try B5, etc etc.

posted 06-10-2003 10:17 AM            

I just worry about the people who don't give BHA, BP, and B5 a chance to work because they do work well for most, but not all, people--just not overnight, unfortunately--and sometimes skin will just break out for the heck of it, but then all returns to normal again. If you give up too soon, you miss seeing how skin can cycle, no matter what you use, and that it is just a temporary fluctuation.

posted 06-10-2003 12:24 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by linnybee428:
Alright I have tried every supposed acne diet (low carb, or tons of carrots, or no saturated fats, no caffeine, only fruits veggies and grains, no soy etc.) and I really can't tell if anything is making a difference so i am giving up! I want to eat ice cream again and frapuccinos. Just a good old fashioned sandwich with a french bread roll and lots of condiments sounds good. So, for the next week (while I have finals) I am going to eat whatever the hell I want! We will see if it makes any difference.

---

You ate grains? What kind? Grains have been proven to aggravate acne in some people.

posted 06-10-2003 02:45 PM            

Of course, I can understand that if you don't have a clue as to WHAT food is the culprit in your breakouts, worry may play a role. Yet, even when I was 11 and did believe the myths about chocolate, soda, and potato chips, I never worried, I just avoided them. I avoided chocolate and soda for over 10 years and my acne never drastically improved.

10 months ago, I drastically changed my diet and now I eat chocolate. Not every day, but I do and there's no fear of breakouts...I eat quite a bit of "junk" actually, with no repercussions. Oh, but I can't touch soda, for it will certainly give me a cyst or two a few days later. Yet I KNOW this, so if I decide to drink one, I won't fret over the consequences. Then again, sometimes those consequences, a cyst that lasts 2 weeks, are enough to make you stay FAAAR away from your culprits ;-)

So yes, Delphi is correct when she said that ALL acne is HORMONAL. Whether you are allergic, intolerant, pubescent, or imbalanced, there are still hormonal reactions going on inside. Not everyone has the SAME triggers, but I do want to emphasize that ALL acne is treated the SAME way.

That doesn't sound quite right, but what I'm saying is that acne is connected to Insulin Resistance. This is partially WHY the hormones in your body become imbalanced, during puberty or into adulthood. Yes, there are MANY DIFFERENT hormonal disorders involving ACNE, but they all have steriod hormones in common. As such, the medications that you hear about on this board do the SAME job!

They are either going to:
-balance your insulin levels which will balance your androgen levels OR

-they will balance your cortisol levels which will balance your androgen levels OR

-they will reduce your androgen levels, OR

-they are going to inhibit the effects of androgen in your system (sebaceous glands) OR

-they are going to prevent the conversion of testosterone into DHT (super androgen)

The list goes on depending on the disorder, but did anyone notice the key here is ANDROGEN? Thankfully there's several ways you can go about dealing with this hormone, and yes diet is one of them. I do not claim that diet will help EVERYONE, but what I do know is that it has helped me and others that had tried a great deal of things, natural supplements, medications and I believe that we are really lucky as a result.

I have a post somewhere around here talking about Insulin and how it leads to a variety of health problems, that are rising in the United States. You should take a look at your family history and see what health/hormonal problems they have. The more they do have that relate to insulin, the more likely that a diet change could be your answer. The fact that at people at 10, 15, 20, 30 or 50 years of age get acne is rather troublesome. Yet, acne is a SYMPTOM of an imbalance, chaos, in your body and if you can find out the true cause and stop it, then you may not end up with Heart Disease, Obesity, Diabetes, etc years down the road. I like that A LOT knowing that I'm preventing WORSE health problems down the road makes me feel, kinda powerful. To think, all I had to do was STOP eating foods my body does NOT know how to HANDLE PROPERLY....wow ;-)

I genuinely care about all of you and the LAST thing I want is for anyone to go around believing in myths or INCORRECT information. I do NOT want ANY of you to be cheated and realize this later down the road. I tried for over a decade to get answers and most doctors did nothing. I kept trying and usually by sheer accident did a doctor take a second look at me and over the years, I was able to put the pieces together as to what is wrong with me. Unfortunately, I went through THREE endocrinologists before I found one that was willing to dig deeper than the usual "hormonal imbalance" or "androgen sensitivity"!

I am sooo grateful to him as well as others on the board that have helped me realize how much a diet change can make a difference. =) Yes you can take medications and become clear. You can take supplements/detoxes and also become clear. Yet, you can do the very same through diet alone, if you so choose. The question is, is there a single internal "cure" or is it a combination of internal aids for YOU?

What I can tell you about me, is that my acne reached it's worse when I was 11. That's when I wasn't just breaking out on my face, but also on my scalp, nose, ears, neck, upper arms, chest, back and other places.... When I was 17, I took Birth Control and Spironolactone (supresses effects of androgen & DHT conversion) for 3 years and they did help, but I was STILL breaking out in most of those areas. When I was 21, I started taking a reduced dose of Spironolactone and Avandia (insulin sensitizer) and that helped a little bit more. Yet when my breakout cycle came around NONE of these popular acne fighting drugs could PREVENT it, but did manage to reduce the amount.

Then just last August, I switched to a gluten free diet. I was taking an increased dose of avandia at the time and so I didn't know what to attribute my skin's 95% clear state and my elimination of menstrual pain to. I knew that both the diet and avandia were working in similar ways to reduce my androgen levels, but which was responsible for this? I always figured I could eat whatever I wanted since I was underweight and saw no reason to low carb, especially since I was taking Avandia. Then 2 months later, due to some fluke I stopped taking the avandia, during my "break out cycle" and I was trying not to FEAR that I would break out horribly as a result. I didn't...and now I'm 99%+ clear =)

Doctors give you pills because nobody wants to CHANGE their eating habits. Fine. Sometimes these pills have horrible side effects that you may end up getting as result of taking these drugs. Yet, they know that people live for "pleasure" and of course drugs make lots of money so while they KNOW diet plays a big role, that isn't as emphasised as telling you to take your medication! Maybe they aren't all incompetant, maybe they are hoping that your condition worsens before they will treat you (hope not). See, why can't they treat to PREVENT, it's much cheaper than after the problem has escalated???

Anyway, so far, I don't have a single internal cure, but 2. I still take spiro because I know it helps with my mild hirsutism and I'm not sure how much it helps with my acne since the diet change. You know, my gluten free diet, which you can also call a low grain diet or a low carbohydrate diet. While I care, I'm not going to preach about what you should do to solve your problems because some people's problems are soo severe or they haven't been kept under some sort of control (ha ha), that you may NEED to take drugs and change your diet to get the results that will make you happy & healthy. Perhaps one day you can taper off of the drugs...

I would like to say though, that if you choose to test out ANYTHING, you must give it enough time to work. Yes some clear in 2 weeks, but others it can take months. Remember that your hormones had YEARS of rampant chaos in your body, do you honestly expect that to change overnight? Not to mention that while I know some of you have eliminated certain foods, are you sure those were the culprits?

What if you are SILL consuming your culprits?

Notice I am not 100% clear? I'm sure that it's because I could drop more grains from my diet to further control that insulin, which I'm reading up on. The same thing goes for those of you who choose to eliminate soda, but are still eating wheat for example. I hesitate to say this, but wheat gets reduced/eliminated in most people's diets.

So if you are breaking out every day, or every week, and are still eating something that COULD be contributing to this, then of course it will look like a diet change doesn't work for you. You didn't eliminate ALL your culprits and some culprits MAY be worse than others.

In fact, this is similar to what happens with skincare. You can't use pore cloggers on your skin and say that it's OK, because you have BP or BHA to help you. No! Yes they are effective, but if you keep the problem that's causing those breakouts around, your skin won't improve as much as it should! So when it comes to diet, just like myself, this could explain why some people improve slightly and other not at all.

posted 06-10-2003 07:36 PM            

Yes, even though I know that diet has been the BIGGEST help for me, I still use a good simplified skincare regimen. I utilize a variety of acne fightering & non pore clogging ingredients, except BP (leaves blemishes/marks) and I have no intention of stopping. Infact some of these acne fighters are great because they have anti-aging properties so why not huh. As a result, smaller pores, less oil, a more even skin tone, smoother skin, usually faster healing, effective spot treating, and an amazing warmth/glow to my skin. It just looks really healthy =)

posted 06-10-2003 08:14 PM            

Brief examples of things that can cause some people acne. Make sure to find a product that won't.
ENVIRONMENTAL:
Toxins
Pollution
Drinking Water
Household cleaners
(allergy)

EXTERNAL
Skincare
Makeup (lip balms)
Toothpastes
Fragrance/Perfumes
Deodorants
Hair Care products

laundry detergent
dirty telephones

INTERNAL (more detail on another post)
Allergy or Intolerance
Drinking water
Diet
Detoxing
Herbs/supplements

Undiagnosed Hormonal or Nutrient Disorder

Stress
Exercise

Linnybee,
Have you ever tried a low grain or no grain diet? You've already tried everything else, so why not. It's similar to low carbing, but it may work better because of the whole Paleo Diet philosophy. Where, just like Celiacs, perhaps we are not fully capable of digesting the proteins-sugars found in grains. Unfortunately some people's bodies are more stubborn than others and that means that they may have to give up different or more foods. Then again, if you are truly tired, and I can UNDERSTAND that one, then take a break and "enjoy" finals ;-)

Although, I am curious as to how long have you had acne and how severe is it? How long were you on each of those diets before you gave up? Did you see ANY results? I don't believe that everyone has to change their diets, some of it will naturally change as we get older anyway. Yet, have you tried other natural ways, like supplements, etc? Better yet, if this is really bothering you, have you gone to an endocrinologist to see about this?