My diet-acne story

I just wanted to put this out there:
I've known for several years that I had a soy allergy. When I'd eat veggie burgers / hot dogs or anything made out of tofu, I'd get a strong allergic reaction - tingling mouth, tightening sensation in chest and throat, etc. Very uncomfortable. But it was only a few months ago that I realized that nearly all processed food that you buy contains a little soy - nearly all candy bars, soup, chips, etc. (often the soy is listed under a different name in the ingredients, like monosodium glutamate). I had no idea that I was consuming soy regularly. Since then, I've made an effort to cut soy out entirely, and I must say that I feel a lot better. I've always had a feeling that my eyes were watering or that there was pressure behind them, and I often felt lethargic. That's gone now. I realize now that those were symptoms of a soy allergy as well, though not as severe as the tightening feeling, etc. I know, sounds so stupid, so obvious, once you know what it is. I'm 29 now and have lived with these symptoms for my entire life; indeed, I thought they might just be normal for me somehow. I just wish I (or someone else) would have figured this out years ago. Now that I feel "normal," I can hardly believe that I felt so shitty for so many years.
I also had cystic acne, mainly on my back, in varying degrees since I was about 16. I did notice that it improved once I totally cut out soy as well, but it wasn't completely gone. I did this in part out of desperation once I realized that the Accutane I was taking wasn't working. I had read on these boards about the connection between diet and acne, but I thought certainly that it was mostly just a lot of new-age hippies trying to push their goofy agenda or whatever. After trying a no-dairy diet (in addition to no-soy), I'm glad to say that my acne has completely disappeared. I know it wasn't the Accutane because there have been a few instances where I've just gone ahead and eaten dairy because I felt like it, hoping nothing would happen, and when I did, I got acne. The diet-acne connection is perfectly clear now. I've been acne-free for six months now, and it's damn good.
So I know now that, at least in my case and in many other people's cases, there is most definitely a link between diet and acne. Of the five dermatologists I've seen over the years, none of them offered this as an explanation. They just prescribed antibiotics (completely ineffective) or topicals (also completely ineffective) or Accutane (which I now know is a potentially dangerous drug with possible serious side effects, and for me, also ineffective). Which makes you wonder why, if diet plays a role in some people's acne, this is almost never given as a treatment option. I've come to the realization that it's because (and I'm not the first to say this by any means) drug companies have a heavy hand in doctors' education & training. They stand to make huge profits from medications, and they don't want you to just, for example, give up dairy to cure yourself when they can make say, $3000 off of a six months' supply of Accutane. Sounds evil, doesn't it? But this type of thing happens all the time in business. Pharmaceutical companies are companies, and they're in business to make money. It's sad and wrong that innocent people trustingly go to their dermatologists for their acne, putting their faith in this "professional," only to be frustrated when they shell out hundreds or even thousands of dollars for shit that doesn't work, and sometimes end up with serious side effects from these meds, when in many cases the cure is simply a matter of diet. Needless to say, I've become much more suspicious and much less trusting of doctors, especially dermatologists.
That said, I am definitely not saying that diet is necessarily the cause of all acne or that there is no room for medications in acne treatment. I don't claim to have the magic answer that will cure everyone. Diet certainly was the cure for me, though. Although I love milk, cheesecake, candybars, etc., giving up foods with soy and dairy has been a tiny price to pay for being acne-free; I eat healthier these days as an added benefit. I just wish I would've figured this out years ago. My quality of life could've been so much better all these years. So I'm acne-free these days finally. Now if only I could have my Accutane-affected hair go back to normal and fix up the scarring caused by my acne somewhat. I'm working on that.
That's my story for whatever it's worth. I felt that I needed to tell it. I'd also like to say thanks to people who've posted on here regarding the connection between diet and acne, since you're at least in part responsible for putting an end to my acne.

Products for fine lines / wrinkles

Maybe some of you ladies (or fellow men) out there can assist me.
I'm male, 29, and have developed some fine lines on my forehead after using Accutane. They're pretty minor, not a huge deal, but they bother me some because I didn't have them at all prior to Accutane. If they would've developed gradually over the course of years, that would've been one thing, but this is a little more alarming since it happened within the space of only a few months.
Anyway, I was prescribed Retin-A for some back scarring and have been using that on my forehead as well for about four months now. I do think that there has been a slight improvement, but I'd really like to get rid of these things (or close to it), and I'm not convinced that the Retin-A is going to be the answer.
So I'd like to know what products there are out there that can effectively treat this. I've tried to do some research online, but most of it's a lot of hype - companies trying to sell you their product. I also don't want to conceal or cover this up - again, I'm male, so I don't wear makeup - I want it actually improved. It looks to me that I've lost a little collagen in my forehead (and possibly in the rest of my face, too). I've read that topical L-ascorbic acid has been proven to stimulate collagen production. I've tried reading scholarly journals to see if there's anything to this claim, but they're too technical for me to really understand. Is this true? Anyone tried this? Anyone tried anything that really works? Thanks in advance.

Hair dryness, etc. 4 months post-Accutane

I finished Accutane four months ago. My hair has improved some, but it's still dry and frizzy, whereas before, it was nice and thick and somewhat oily.
If it's been four months, and it's still not back to the way it was before, will it ever be normal again or have I done permanent damage to myself that I'll have to live with for the rest of my life? I have to say I'm kind of depressed and angry about this situation (although I realize of course that it could be worse).
My dermatologist had assured me that hair problems would be temporary, but to be honest, I don't have any faith in dermatologists anymore. It's been my experience that most of them really don't know much.
I know there's a huge thread on Accutane and hair loss, etc., but to be honest, I don't have the patience to go through 125 pages of this shit looking for an answer.
Any input would be appreciated.

Scar treatments in the 6-12 month range post-Accutane

I finished a course of Accutane two months ago for acne on my back. I don't believe it worked too well, but that's another story. My face hasn't had any significant acne in years, but I do have some scarring on my face, and I want to get subcision (as well as possibly other treatments) done on my facial scarring at some point. The recommended waiting time post-Accutane to get scar treatments done is 6 months to 1 year, as far as I can tell. I assume this means that a person should wait a minimum of six months - but that a procedure might still be somewhat risky after six months' time - and that after a full year any procedure should be pretty safe. But from what I've read on these boards, some people recommend waiting as little as three months or as much as three years.
My dermatologist says I should wait a full year to get any sort of scar treatment done. I haven't discussed it with her, but I'm thinking I might go for it after six months. I've had these scars for a few years, and I can already hear people saying, "Well, if you've lived with them for years now, you might as well play it safe and go another six months" (maybe not bad advice), but I'm really just ready to see some improvement in my scarring - I'm really sick of living with them this way, and from everything I've read, it seems that people are just choosing these waiting times arbitrarily, not based on any real data or experience. So what I'd like to know is: Has anyone gotten scar treatments done in the 6 month - 1 year range, and what have been your results - in particular, have you experienced any delayed healing / additional scarring / other negative side effects that you have reason to believe came as a result of not having waited long enough? I know, of course, that side effects will vary depending on what procedure is done and from person to person, but I'm just trying to get an idea of what people's experiences have been. Or - and I know this is a long shot - does anyone know of any studies that have been done on this topic? Thanks in advance for any input.