3 replies to this topic

[Avanderb]

hey!
I've struggled with acne since I was a teenager. Nothing worked for my skin (a variety of topicals, strong antibiotics, etc) until I went on the pill. I was on the pill for most of highschool and my skin was beautiful. After my first year of college, I decided to stop going on the pill after researching the awful long term effects of synthetic hormones (and seeing what they were doing to my sister). Unfortunately, my acne came back with a vengeance; a nasty, angry, belligerent vengeance. I went to a hollistic doctor who took a blood test. I'm waiting for the results (though I'm pretty confident my problem is estrogen dominance), but in the mean time I've started to take a progesterone cream (emerita Pro Gest) I'm not sure how long it will take for the progesterone cream to start working, and it will likely be a hassle considering how irregular my period is (thank you estrogen dominance). I've also started to take a heavy dose of vitamin b5 - 6 grams a day.



side notes:
old acne regiment: brevoxyl wash, evoclin foam int he morning, plexion mask, then benzaclin at night with solodyne 45 mg at night.

new acne regiment (after being on bcp and literally just going to the derm again, this is my new regiment): finacea 15% in the morning, triaz 6% wash, plexion mask and acanya gel in the evening with 100 mg minocycline. (and the progesterone cream)

diet: paleo diet, with a few exceptions (I occasionally sneak in dairy...i love cheese and icecream!)
supplements: 6 grams vitamin b5, 100 mgs vitamin d, vitamin b 100 complex, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and an overall "daily complete" vitamin.

Eventually, if at all possible, I'd like to stop taking all antibiotics and prescription topicals and just use all natural products, but we'll see how things go. I believe once my hormones are naturally regulated and I can normalize my adrenal glands, this can happen.

I'll keep updating, so hopefully other people out there still perusing this website can see if this might help them!!

[sick of cystic acne]

Best of luck to you girl! I hope you can figure something out!!!

How long have you been on the paleo diet? What's a typical day like for you in terms of food?

Take care!

[Avanderb]

thanks!! Hopefully you have your acne already under control!


I've only been on the paleo diet for about 2 weeks now..so hopefully it works!

a typical day for me is this
morning: a scoop of almond butter (i would have eggs, but there has been a major recall because of a salmonella breakout) and perhaps an apple or a plum
lunch: grilled chicken salad
snack (if i'm hungry): apple and almond butter
dinner: grilled vegetable (grilled asparagus is actually my favorite!) and either chicken or lean steak
dessert: coconut milk icecream (they use chicory root extract as a sweetner) - i know, this isn't exactly "paleo"...but its my cheat =)

[Avanderb]

well, its been a week on my new regiment

can't say i've seen any terrible improvement, though i do find these products (finacea, acanya, and oscion cleanser) far gentler on my skin than my previously prescribed

my cycle has still be irregular and i had breakthroughs, so i'm guessing thats the true source of my naughty skin as i always have a flair up, literally the next day is a break through bleed, and it takes a few days to calm down.

SIGH. natural hormone balancing is so difficult; i wish the pill wasn't so bad for you. I want my old bcp skin back!!!