23 replies to this topic

[i_ming]

I had been on the regimen for about 3 months with success. I had managed to achieve clear skin, and was dealing with red marks.

Then the school year started and I returned to weight lifting (after quitting for over a year.) Within weeks i suffered a cysts right above my eye brow. I never get these kinds of break outs, they are the most severe i've ever seen. Less than 2 weeks later i got another one on my cheek.

After suspecting this correlation i did some research and found a link between DHT (Dihydrotestosterone), Acne, and weight lifting.

Note: after lifting i immediately showered in the locker room, washing my hair, face, body. Everything i would do at home. So I strongly doubt it is hygiene related.

[acend]

I believe that weight lifting was also the cause of my acne. It started as a huge cyst on my cheek and then spead all over like wildfire. The most frustrating thing is that doctors and dermatologists don't believe that.

Do you have links to what you found about dihydrotestosterone, acne, and lifting?

[notadoctor]

I honestly don't believe it either. I have weight lifted on and off, throughout good skin times and bad skin times, and it makes absolutely no difference. Your body also produces proteins that attach to the DHT and controls hormone use throughout the body more efficiently after exercise including weightlifting. I am guessing there is some other underlying cause that is making your acne worse.

Do you wash your skin one extra time if you weight lift? When you don't lift weights are you washing your skin less?

It could be something in your washing routine that is making your acne worse, and since you are washing more often when you lift weights it seems like it is the weight lifting that is making it worse. Or it could be something else entirely.

[i_ming]

I honestly don't believe it either. I have weight lifted on and off, throughout good skin times and bad skin times, and it makes absolutely no difference. Your body also produces proteins that attach to the DHT and controls hormone use throughout the body more efficiently after exercise including weightlifting. I am guessing there is some other underlying cause that is making your acne worse.

Do you wash your skin one extra time if you weight lift? When you don't lift weights are you washing your skin less?

It could be something in your washing routine that is making your acne worse, and since you are washing more often when you lift weights it seems like it is the weight lifting that is making it worse. Or it could be something else entirely.

i usually wash my face with dan's cleanser whenever i shower, so i guess thats 1 extra wash whenever i go to the gym. but could that really be causing cystic acne? i'm sure my acne prone-ness is genetic because my dad has acne problems, so that is why i am suspecting that it is something internally.

[chrisaus]

Are you lifting within 30 minutes of eating a meal? cos heavy exercise straight after a meal always gives me spots.

[notadoctor]

I honestly don't believe it either. I have weight lifted on and off, throughout good skin times and bad skin times, and it makes absolutely no difference. Your body also produces proteins that attach to the DHT and controls hormone use throughout the body more efficiently after exercise including weightlifting. I am guessing there is some other underlying cause that is making your acne worse.

Do you wash your skin one extra time if you weight lift? When you don't lift weights are you washing your skin less?

It could be something in your washing routine that is making your acne worse, and since you are washing more often when you lift weights it seems like it is the weight lifting that is making it worse. Or it could be something else entirely.

i usually wash my face with dan's cleanser whenever i shower, so i guess thats 1 extra wash whenever i go to the gym. but could that really be causing cystic acne? i'm sure my acne prone-ness is genetic because my dad has acne problems, so that is why i am suspecting that it is something internally.

What you should try doing is just lifting weights right before you do your daily routine. So that way you won't be doing one extra wash. Or, just don't wash yourself after lifting weights. You should try experimenting, because it really should not be that you get worse acne after lifting weights.

[SoCold]

What does your diet consist of?

[un4tunate]

same here, my body acne worsens by 80% when i lift or do any sweaty activity but face acne stays the same, showers right after dont help.

[beqone]

Did any of those who reported acne while weight lifting take whey protein or consume any dairy products?

I believe dairy products and high fructose corn syrup aggravate acne.

[Necromancer]

I had been on the regimen for about 3 months with success. I had managed to achieve clear skin, and was dealing with red marks.

Then the school year started and I returned to weight lifting (after quitting for over a year.) Within weeks i suffered a cysts right above my eye brow. I never get these kinds of break outs, they are the most severe i've ever seen. Less than 2 weeks later i got another one on my cheek.

After suspecting this correlation i did some research and found a link between DHT (Dihydrotestosterone), Acne, and weight lifting.

Note: after lifting i immediately showered in the locker room, washing my hair, face, body. Everything i would do at home. So I strongly doubt it is hygiene related.

Actually it might. After sweating I usually don't shower for several hours after. I might change my shirt or something, but I usually let the body cool itself down naturally. Showering might aggravate your skin. Sometimes I don't shower until the next day.

[Leo21k]

I had some of the worst cystic acne when I was weight lifting and after I quit lifting a lot of it went away.

But I'm not sure if it was the weight lifting, the whey protien I was taking, the fact that I was sweating a lot from the work out, or all of the above that caused the cystic acne to get so bad.

[ryudoadema]

My acne definitely gets worse after lifting even for one day, it sux...

[SoCold]

As I posted over a month: if you suspect weightlifting is causing your acne, post your diet and I will show you it's not.

[jkom]

It could be something in your washing routine that is making your acne worse, and since you are washing more often when you lift weights it seems like it is the weight lifting that is making it worse.

I agree, and I also recommend not washing the extra time each day before reducing your exercise routine.

[Introducing...]

As a bodybuilder who works out out regularly, I don't see any increase in acne, except when I first started, due to an increase in testosterone, but the levels out and the acne goes away after about a week or two. I consume Whey protein of course, and the only time I broke out was when I tried the vanilla flavor, I'm not %100 sure it was from the flavor/protein or if it was just from something else, but chocolate whey has never broken me out. Creatine is the only other BB'ing product I consume regularly, some studies have shown that it can improve acne a bit. It's probably the quick increase in testosterone that caused the breakout, it will be fine if you keep lifting, other than that check your diet and make sure your getting enough water( 1 gallon a day) and taking a multivitamin and fish oil.

[Wynne]

Nice points, Introducing...

My husband lifts weights three to four times a week. With improved diet (but not cutting out dairy) his acne is gone, completely gone. He also shaves less and that also helps. He does not shower immediately after going to the gym.

Lots of water is an exceptionally good point. That alone will help the skin immensely.

[datsnotmyname]

I think this is an interesting topic so I thought I'd bump it just in case current members have relevant experiences to share.

In addition to commenting on the link between weight lifting and acne, I'm curious about peoples' experiences with intense weight lifting and hair loss. I ask because I experienced a fair amount of hair loss on Accutane and I'm not keen to lose more!

Here's one link that I found on the hair loss topic:

http://www.cnn.com/2...olis/index.html

[tnajamie]

my face also seems worse after weightlifting!!!

[Packerfan785]

There is no doubt weightlifting causes me to break out more, but apparently DHT blockers have no effect on acne.

[SuperMachii]

weight lifting should not cause bumps.

If it did here's one reason why:

your working out certain muscle groups more than others.
This usually happens because of using machines to lift heavy weights.

For instance, using this machine designed to work out the back, you can target an area, but it doesn't allow you to fully take control because the weight is supported by the machine, your body is supported by the machine and therefore, your not using all the muscles to pull the weight.

So by channeling out certain muscle groups that you needed for supporting the weight, your adding an imbalance of muscle ratio to your body. This is typical mistake for beginners. For instance, working out the back using machines and doing so without full control can work out the muscles near the neck, the shoulder/back muscles... So if you get a good workout, and they grow.. chances are you may get a pimple or two there because there is alot of tension there even when you don't work out. The muscle isn't properly distributed like it would be for a normal balanced person. Happened to me, I wanted to work out my entire back, but I mostly worked out my upper back more than my lower.

I am certain this was the exact case for my back/neck acne. I have fixed that since, and no more. It wasn't easy to fix it either, so do not make that mistake.

In summary, do not weight lift, unless you want to take 'FULL CONTROL' of the weight, no momentum bs. If you half ass it, mostly do machines, you will fail. and fail hard. I'm not saying machines are bad, they have their place, but never depend on them for your main workouts. Free weights are better. Also, work out all your muscles, don't single out any muscle groups.

Sweating/blah blah blah .. can be easily taken care of regarding acne. It's not rocket science, don't make it out to be complex. It's a simple "heat on" "heat off" cycle. You work out, get "heat on" and then your body sweats "heat stable", then after workout, wait 30 mins to naturally and gradually cool off.. and then hit the shower, try to match the shower water to your body heat.. and thats it. very simple. Even if you do this wrong, there's some tolerance.

I don't know why you guys always complicate things, seriously.

Edited by Wangod, 07 August 2011 - 02:52 PM.