4 replies to this topic

[amyjayne27]

Hi everyone, I'm Amy and Im 24 years old, nearly 25 so just under the age bracket, hope its still okay to post in here!

I have had acne for years, and have tried everything and nothing so far has worked. My dermatologist has suggested as a last route I try Accutane but I have been reluctant to go on it because of obvious reasons.

I was talking to my parents about it and they said I may have a food allergy. At first I thought this was a silly assumption but the more they told me the more it kind of makes sense. When I was a baby/young child I couldnt have milk, I would have to be given soya milk or else I would come up in a massive rash and go skitty. Same with E numbers, I was a hyper child and would go crazy so couldnt have those either!

So my question is this, is it worth seeing a food allergist to see if thats the cause or should I stop chasing a solution thats not going to work and just go for the Accutane? I do realise no one on here can give me a diagnosis, but it just helps to talk to people in a similar position and if anyones acne has cleared after being told they have a food allergy.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to chatting to you all.

Amy:-)

[jennifer36]

Definitely look into the food allergies!

Accutane was a temporary solution for me, and left me with permanent side effects such as very sensitive skin, joint pain, more migraines. All my acne returned within 6 months of finishing my course. It's just over a year since I finished my course and I seriously regret taking it.

A few months ago I tried diet changes and am so glad that I did. I eliminated common food triggers such as dairy, soy, high sodium, fried and processed foods, refined sugars for 30 days and that helped my skin a lot. After that I also discovered gluten, citrus and peanuts as acne triggers for me. I'm about 90-95% clear from eliminating these things from my diet! I never went for any formal allergy testing regarding diet and acne, but it's been fairly simple to figure out my triggers based on eliminating and testing these foods. Also, I'm lactose intolerant and my mom has celiac disease, so dairy and gluten make sense as giving me problems. When I was younger I used to get allergy shots weekly and in the testing for that I remember once or twice coming up with a VERY mild allergy to peanuts and citrus, but the next year they didn't come up as an issue.

Pursue the diet and acne link, it's helped so many people on this website! Look through the nutrition & holistic health forum, there is such a wealth of knowledge that's been posted by so many awesome people on there.

[gia1]

Also caffeine is a huge trigger for acne

[cvd]

Yes --- get tested for food allergies! I think that it will help overall even if it doesn't completely take care of the problem. By following the diet you may be able to avoid Accutane. You may still have to use some kind of topical though. And you are still very young...you may still outgrow this!

[amyjayne27]

Hi all many thanks for your replies.

I have an appointment with a food nutritionist tommorow so I will keep you all updated!

Many thanks