26 replies to this topic

[nataliep]

I used to have a severe case of ance. And I went to many derms and the last one was the only person who could stop my acne! So everything she told me I put to pratice and I found to be true!! Over the time, I have asked her many questions about acne and this is what she told me

Smoking and ance- she said don't worry about it, it doesn't directly cause acne, perhaps the smoke is like dust sometimes it can get on your face and cause some acne, but she said that I could smoke although overall it's not good for the apperance fo the skin.

Diet and ance- she said, eat what ever I wanted. She said no main causes from diet so don't worry about it.

Drinking water- she said, absolutely, drinking helps with acne, drink loads of water.

The sun- the sun is bad for the skin and can make acne worse. stay away from the sun.

Popping a zit- she said this was ABSOLUTELY OKAY if you know what you're doing. It 's actualyl good as it make the inflmatory ones heal a lot fast. You can pop a zit only when you can see the yellow stuff(for the inflammatory ones). You can pop blackheads but she said that getting rid of the blackheads on your nose too often can widen the pores and resulting in olily face.

Oily face is bad?- oily face = more acne, use oil controlling stuff.

Accutane- I was taking accutane when I met her, she put me on some other mild medication and she had me using creams and stuff and gave me advice. It seems she never gives out accutane to me, It onyl made my acne worse before.


WHAT"S ABSOLUTELY BAD AND WILL CAUSE ACNE TO HER


Sleeping late
Stress
Changing toothpastes (? she said if you have acne around the mouth watch which toothpast you're using)
Moving somewhere, traveling (she said that there are many reasons why this would cause acne)

Good luck!

[geezer]

Diet and ance- she said, eat what ever I wanted.  She said no main causes from diet so don't worry about it.

I'm not surprised that a derm said something like this. My derm said the same thing some years ago. This is the no.1 reason why I don't have any trust in derms and don't even consider seeing a derm again. It's hard for me trust in people who say something like this and describe antibiotics for acne.

[bexi]

Absolutely - diet is so important. I reckon the reason docs and derms say that it is'nt is cos they know how individual the whole diet thing is - everyone has diff triggers and they know that to treat acne holistically through diet would involve a whole battery of tests, time and effort to work out what that person should be avoiding -a bit like Dirk Gently and the Holistic Detective Agency! Not to mention the fact that they would'nt be able to peddle their potions and pills witha big fat return from the pharmecutical companies! I have never understood why antibiotics are so often the first port of call as an acne treatment - why can't they jus refer you to a nutritionalist in the first instance (if they ca'nt be bothered to address the whole diet thing themselves) and then bring out the big guns if diet alone does not help? Not that I think that oral antibiotics for skin conditions should ever really be an option...they are evil I tell you, evil....!

[skunkanansie]

I tend to disagree with the point about diet being unrelated to acne. Perhaps there are not any main, universal foods which have been proven to trigger it, but YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!
If your diet is not well balanced and providing you with the nutrients you need, or you consume a large amount of sugary and processed (junk) food, it IS going to show on your skin, and in your health in general.

I would imagine diet has more of an impact on acne than the brand of toothpaste you use......

[Minnym0use]

I think derms are 100% sincere when they say that diet has nothing to do with acne. After all, that is what they have been taught. They see a kid with pimples all over his face who tries to "eat right" and the kid complains cause his best friend lives at Taco Bell and never gets a zit!

There haven't been enough studies on diet and acne. Who would fund them -the broccoli industry?

That is why this forum is soooooo great! It is a study, a research in progress. Everyday someone adds new research by their own experiences with diet and different foods, and there is NO WAY I will ever fall for the line doctor after doctor gave my son with moderate to severe cystic acne "Eat whatever you want. It won't help a thing with your acne." So, going against my instincts he would stop for the meatball, cheese sub at subway on the way back from the derm. Top it off with a sprite and "sunchips".

WRONG - his acne has greatly improved - and diet is the main reason.

So, for those of you who want to believe the doctors out there who keep perpetuating the myth, go ahead and never try this type of diet we have all been discussing. BUT for those who think there is a connection and for those who have MADE the connection and seen results, please keep on posting. This is state of the art research here on acne.org with guys, gals, adults, teens – you couldn't find hands on research like this anywhere .

[Minnym0use]

I have asked a mod to remove all but one. Computer wasn't acting normal this morning. All's well now. Sorry.

[ξ®ٱ©]

I strongly beleive that diet has a lot to do with acne. Espically things like fatty foods, sugars, dairy products, vitamin deficentcies, and supplements like creatine and whey protein. There are so many different variables that contribute to acne like genetics, sex, age, and climate it's hard to compare what could cause it for one person and what causes it for another.

I do beleive derms realize that a lifestyle change could help some of their patients out in getting rid of their acne. But they couldn't perscribe countless meds on multiple office calls if they did this. I'm not saying derms don't try to treat your condition, but I think there is more out there for a fix than medicine.

[rowan]

I talked to the Derm about food and acne and he said basically that food can trigger acne and once we all become intuned with out diet, you can figure out what causes acne and what does not. I really like him because he is not so closed minded like some other derms. In fact he is in his 60's, so he's seen alot and also teaches at one of the big universities.

[Noxious Infestation]

When i hear that it always makes me think? They say diet has nothin to do with acne, yea , then why does what have such a great impact on it!!!!
Of coarse diet has somethin to do with acne!!!!

[Antony]

The biggest problem I have with your derm, besides the totally predictable dismissal of a diet connection based on studies that only feed acnegenic foods to individuals who don't have acne in the first place and then conclude from their still clear faces that food never causes acne in anyone, is this:

You weren't very clear but it looked like you were saying your derm doesn't prescribe Accutane, period. It also seems, seeing as you went back to a derm after, that your acne returned after a course on Accutane. How old are you? Did your new derm take you OFF Accutane BEFORE your full course was finished???!! Was this because you were exhibiting severe side-effects from the drug?

If your derm doesn't in fact prescribe Accutane, which was the sense you gave me, I'd be very worried:

I would consider any dermatologist who is unconditionally unwilling to prescribe Accutane to be professionally incompetent, equivalent to an oncologist who refuses to prescribe chemotherapy or a judge who insists that he will never deliver a death sentence (assuming a judicial system that allows for it). This is not to say that the dermatologist should be cavalier about prescribing Accutane or even consider it without extensive previous alternatives, nor that Accutane is without its risks to any patient, but to automatically make it a point of personal policy to never prescribe Accutane only tells you that such a dermatologist is more interested in avoiding the increasing litigation surrounding Accutane than in doing his best to benefit a patient and mitigate his acne. Accutane is the most powerful weapon within the arsenal of modern dermatology, and for a dermatologist to refuse to ever prescribe it is like a general refusing to ever call for reinforcements no matter how dire the battle may get. Such a derm may say he is concerned about side-effects and the patient's safety, but Accutane is to the dermatologist what the nuclear warhead is to the commander-in-chief; sure he may be worried about the broader side-effect/geopolitical implications of such a tactic but when the situation is desperate enough this is what the weapon is there for-- ending the battle and thwarting future conflict by asserting uniploar superpower status a la US with Hiroshima to end WWII/bombing acne with Accutane to assert unipolar superpower status over acne and preventing relapse/WWIII. Any derm who refuses on principle to prescribe it to ALL patients is most assuredly looking out more for himself than for ANY his patients. If t is genuinely a concern for the side-effects of his profession's most advanced treatment and not just the possibility of subpoenas, then he shouldn't be a dermatologist but should be a naturopath, just like any soldier who refuses to have to drop a bomb should not be in the army but should be in the United Nations Peacekeepers instead, getting to wear a helmet and gun but emotionally unrequired to kill.

[dantecubit]

I would consider any dermatologist who is unconditionally unwilling to prescribe Accutane to be professionally incompetent, equivalent to an oncologist who refuses to prescribe chemotherapy or a judge who insists that he will never deliver a death sentence (assuming a judicial system that allows for it).

Personally I wouldn't jump to conclusions. It may be that the dermatologist has seen so many side effects, such as scarring and poor wound healing, that he or she feels that prescribing this medication is unwarranted. It is the doctor's decision, not the patient's. The patient is always able to seek more opinions. I would respect an oncologist, for example, who refused to prescribe Tamoxifen for his patients as I would not want my mother to receive this drug, nor would I want my sister on Accutane.

[Minnym0use]

Personally I wouldn't jump to conclusions. It may be that the dermatologist has seen so many side effects, such as scarring and poor wound healing, that he or she feels that prescribing this medication is unwarranted. It is the doctor's decision, not the patient's. The patient is always able to seek more opinions. I would respect an oncologist, for example, who refused to prescribe Tamoxifen for his patients as I would not want my mother to receive this drug, nor would I want my sister on Accutane.

You know, after reading the many posts by people with MILD acne wanting to either trick or bribe the doctors, I totally agree with the above post. I mean, the doctor has a responsibility to the patient and I am afraid that in today's litigious society, the doctors have to cover their butts too - and rightly so. Suppose they give accutane to a person with mild acne. This person in turn, has a terrible initial breakout resulting in scars and hyperpigmentation or worse than that, liver function tests that go sour. They sue and (believe me with the websites out by there by "accutane lawyers" there are people signing on evey day). I mean, imagine the responsibility of the doctor when he/she is being deposed in a lawsuit - "Well, the acne was mild, but she begged so I gave it to her anyway" "No, I did not have her try other treatments." I mean his/her goose would be cooked!

It is FDA approved for severe nodular acne and people on these posts are taking it left and right.

[Testosterone]

People who blame diet for their acne...laughter.

[karen2906]

Personally I wouldn't jump to conclusions. It may be that the dermatologist has seen so many side effects, such as scarring and poor wound healing, that he or she feels that prescribing this medication is unwarranted. It is the doctor's decision, not the patient's. The patient is always able to seek more opinions. I would respect an oncologist, for example, who refused to prescribe Tamoxifen for his patients as I would not want my mother to receive this drug, nor would I want my sister on Accutane.

I cannot abide a doctor's decision to rule out Accutane completely for a patient just based on other patients' experience or his/her own liability fears without consulting the individual patient's medical history and current health (and skin) status. The drug is out there as an OPTION--for you and the doctor, not just the doctor alone.

i think that little to no results on Accutane or extremely harsh side effects under a doctor's care speaks more to the inexperience or incompetence of the doctor.
With proper dosage and monitoring by the physician coupled with personal responsiblity on the part of the patient, the drug is safe and effective as a last resort to severe, disfiguring, or even just persistent and potentially scarring acne. Accutane has a 90% effective rate (complete clearing or significant clearing).

new regulations that are being debated in the US (and perhaps elsewhere) and the registry that is reportedly being put in place in the coming months are due to the fact that women are still getting pregnant on the drug, not because of a rise in other dangers or the sudden discovery of long term ill effects.

[Minnym0use]

I cannot abide a doctor's decision to rule out Accutane completely for a patient just based on other patients' experience or his/her own liability fears without consulting the individual patient's medical history and current health (and skin) status. The drug is out there as an OPTION--for you and the doctor, not just the doctor alone.

i think that little to no results on Accutane or extremely harsh side effects under a doctor's care speaks more to the inexperience or incompetence of the doctor.
With proper dosage and monitoring by the physician coupled with personal responsiblity on the part of the patient, the drug is safe and effective as a last resort to severe, disfiguring, or even just persistent and potentially scarring acne. Accutane has a 90% effective rate (complete clearing or significant clearing).

new regulations that are being debated in the US (and perhaps elsewhere) and the registry that is reportedly being put in place in the coming months are due to the fact that women are still getting pregnant on the drug, not because of a rise in other dangers or the sudden discovery of long term ill effects.

I am saying for MILD acne.

[karen2906]

This is not to say that the dermatologist should be cavalier about prescribing Accutane or even consider it without extensive previous alternatives, nor that Accutane is without its risks to any patient, but to automatically make it a point of personal policy to never prescribe Accutane only tells you that such a dermatologist is more interested in avoiding the increasing litigation surrounding Accutane than in doing his best to benefit a patient and mitigate his acne.

i should like to add Antony's comment above to my argument about doctors and Accutane.

[cjb]

I cannot abide a doctor's decision to rule out Accutane completely for a patient just based on other patients' experience or his/her own liability fears without consulting the individual patient's medical history and current health (and skin) status. The drug is out there as an OPTION--for you and the doctor, not just the doctor alone.

i think that little to no results on Accutane or extremely harsh side effects under a doctor's care speaks more to the inexperience or incompetence of the doctor.
With proper dosage and monitoring by the physician coupled with personal responsiblity on the part of the patient, the drug is safe and effective as a last resort to severe, disfiguring, or even just persistent and potentially scarring acne. Accutane has a 90% effective rate (complete clearing or significant clearing).

new regulations that are being debated in the US (and perhaps elsewhere) and the registry that is reportedly being put in place in the coming months are due to the fact that women are still getting pregnant on the drug, not because of a rise in other dangers or the sudden discovery of long term ill effects.

I could agree with you perhaps if I didn't have someone close to me who was put on Accutane when she was 16, (after being put on multiple other antibiotics) which also meant she was put on birth control. About the same time, she was also put on anti-depressants. What kind of civilization puts their teen agers on so many drugs? She's now almost 20 and she still has acne, and recurring fungal infections on her scalp. I think diet plays a big role here, but I'm sure the non-stop drugs from about 15 on did NOT help.
Is that 90% effective rate for permanant clearing??

[karen2906]

You know, after reading the many posts by people with MILD acne wanting to either trick or bribe the doctors, I totally agree with the above post.  I mean, the doctor has a responsibility to the patient and I am afraid that in today's litigious society, the doctors have to cover their butts too - and rightly so.  Suppose they give accutane to a person with mild acne.  This person in turn, has a terrible initial breakout resulting in scars and hyperpigmentation or worse than that, liver function tests that go sour.  They sue and (believe me with the websites out by there by "accutane lawyers" there are people signing on evey day). I mean, imagine the responsibility of the doctor when he/she is being deposed in a lawsuit - "Well, the acne was mild, but she begged so I gave it to her anyway"  "No, I did not have her try other treatments."  I mean his/her goose would be cooked!

It is FDA approved for severe nodular acne and people on these posts are taking it left and right.

yes, of course, patients who would resort to trickery or bribery are falling short in the "personal responsibility" category. doctors should have a detailed account of the patient's treatment history before indeed prescribing Accutane as a "last resort." in other words, they shouldnt just take the patient's word for it.

[karen2906]

I could agree with you perhaps if I didn't have someone close to me who was put on Accutane when she was 16, (after being put on multiple other antibiotics) which also meant she was put on birth control.  About the same time, she was also put on anti-depressants.  What kind of civilization puts their teen agers on so many drugs?  She's now almost 20 and she still has acne, and recurring fungal infections on her scalp.  I think diet plays a big role here, but I'm sure the non-stop drugs from about 15 on did NOT help. 
Is that 90% effective rate for permanant clearing??

not permanent, no. the rate refers to the period at the end of the treatment. i am not sure about the long term remission rate, but I've READ that for 20% of patients, acne comes back (though less severely) after one year, and 25%, after two years.

i'm sorry to hear about your friend; however, i would question her physician's judgment to put a young girl on so many medications, not the world that created the drugs and put them out there for use.

[Minnym0use]

i should like to add Antony's comment above to my argument about doctors and Accutane.

Initial posting that started this debate:

“I used to have a severe case of acne. And I went to many derms and the last one was the ONLY PERSON WHO COULD STOP my acne! So everything she told me I put to pratice and I found to be true!! Over the time, I have asked her many questions about acne and this is what she told me ….�

“Accutane- I was taking accutane when I met her, she put me on some other mild medication and she had me using creams and stuff and gave me advice. It seems she NEVER GIVES OUT ACCUTANE TO ME, IT ONLY MADE MY ACNE WORSE BEFORE.�

Sounds like the doctor was wise not to give HER the accutane. The post never said the doctor NEVER gave accutane to patients. The post said that accutane made her acne worse, so this doctor went a different route. What is so bad about that?

So what is the debate here? I doubt there are many doctors out there who would not consider prescribing accutane to a person in dire need of it, severe nodular cysts, but in non severe cases, there are alternatives. This doctor figured that out, and it was a success.

This post was about considering acne myths and that is where this thread was going till Antony jumped on the doctor’s case without carefully reading the post. Then all hell broke loose!

Sorry Antony, but see what you started??