AKL

Yes.  His posts are perfect examples of trolling.   And he's rarely posted anything else.  He also knows nothing about us.  We do not all follow the same diet.  We are not all addressing the same health issues.  And we certainly do not avoid all food groups to the point there is nothing left to eat.  His ridicule and attacks are based are invalid assumptions clearly pulled from the place BS usually comes from.

OK, that last sentence made me lol

Anyway, if that's this community's definition of trolling, then everybody posting a "This is the cure" topic (with the best intentions, obviously) is a troll as well. But they're taking a holistic approach, so they're hardly ever under attack. I'm all for proper diets (though that's subjective) and a healthy lifestyle, but I also don't mind people questioning the methods and science that are posted here. All people replied with are vague and general terms, nothing to the point (some exceptions). It's a trend in this forum to call people "not helpful" or even trolls whenever they question something. To them I'd say: question your own logic and research, always. And try to keep an open mind, it won't hurt. I'm definitely with jarrit on this.

Deja, I agree, the "making fun of" part is unnecessary, he could have done without, but you called him a troll before he posted that, and that's unnecessary as well. I also agree with alternativista and Bearishly that what you eat affects your body. It's impossible for it not to. But that's hardly enough evidence to say that what you eat causes acne, or that avoiding certain foods or even entire food groups will get rid of it, no matter what your diet is like. Some people are able to find their trigger(s) and eliminate acne by avoiding them, but in my experience most people aren't that lucky. It's my guess that this is what BSDetector is trying to say, in his own, peculiar way. He does have a point when saying that it could be external factors playing a role as well, since just about everything has completely changed over the last century.

If that is what he said, then it would be a valid discussion as opposed to a troll.  Although it would be a completely pointless post as few people here would and ever have argue that 100% of cases could be cleared via diet alone.

Haha yeah, exactly!

@BSDetector: what is your diet like? Do you have acne, if so, what grade? Have you tried eliminating certain foods? Which ones, for how long? Sleep schedule? Stress levels? (yes, I've read your post in which you asked what stress is. Do a Google search, you'll find out) Exercise? You must have a reason why you're so convinced that a holistic approach doesn't have any impact on (your) acne at all, I assume.

Oh crap, not again... Why can't there be a discussion about holistic approaches without everyone calling each other names?!

Troll or not, BSDetector simply doesn't agree with much of the "evidence" presented in this forum. And that's his good right, in fact he's not even wrong on all counts, even though I don't agree with everything he says. It's very simple: the holistic approach with all the nutrient dense foods and healthy lifestyle choices will NOT eliminate acne in many cases. If anyone disagrees: show the evidence. And by "evidence" I mean real evidence, just show the studies or other evidence proving that it will eliminate acne in 90+% of the people taking this approach. The phrase "many people have cured their acne by following this or that diet" is not sufficient, nor is it true. Unless you can prove otherwise, but so far no one has been able to. We've already had stupid discussions about meat and grains, no one provided any substantial evidence at all, yet they keep claiming that certain foods are evil. Clutching at straws, that's all it is. It's exactly what Taketotheskies has said more than once: everyone is different, and there is no proof that dietary changes will help people get rid of acne, just like there's no proof it won't. From my experience, most people need more than that.

With that said, I'm closing this thread now and clean it up later. Name-calling and other nonsense will not make you win the argument (and I won't tolerate it), just post proof.

Thanks to the member reporting one of the posts here!

eta: topic reopened.

[offtopic]

Also, I think many people here would be interested in learning about kimchi! The real stuff!

I don't think so. Tim, Tim, Tim... pizza > kimchi anytime
[/offtopic]

These are some of the self tests I took: http://www.nationalc...ida-self-exams/
http://www.apple-a-d...nic.com/17.html
http://www.marksdail.../#axzz27cpbQB1U (not a self test but helpful)

And have read exhaustively about it. I haven't spoken to my doctor because I don't have a doctor because I don't have health insurance. But as far as I can tell it isn't exactly something that can easily be detected through tests anyway. Not to mention that I don't quite trust the doctors who have potentially screwed up my body with antibiotics to be on board with that theory. I appreciate your concern about my decision-making, but right now this is what's best for me and it's literally the only thing I can attempt, financially and otherwise. The idea that this is just a bunch of bull like every single other thing I've tried over the last 16 years, on and off, is frankly too much for me to bear right now.

I thought so, a candida center with no references, a naturopathic doc pursuing a musical career (no offense), and a blogger. So basically, you haven't taken a test for candida, you've read several web pages (which is fine, the Internet is a great resource, just not for self-diagnosis). Considering the fact that you've taken antibiotics for quite some time, it may be a good idea to look into your diet. Avoid processed/refined foods, sugar, etc., and make sure your foods are low GL, Building an alkaline environment should help. As should supplementing with a broad-spectrum probiotic, and fermented foods. Good luck!

[I would describe it as a white cobwebby film on the outside of the stool.

That could be a sign of ulcerative colitis, (diarrhea-predominant) IBS, a bacterial infection, bowel obstruction. Not necessarily candida overgrowth.

I think I suffer from Candida overgrowth because I've been on long-term antibiotics for years at a time, have been overprescribed antibiotics in general, and I took several self-tests and scored insanely high on every single one. I have literally dozens of the symptoms, including unexplainable fatigue, constipation, and endless digestive issues. I'm not "jumping on a bandwagon." I'm trying a new approach since NOTHING else has worked for me, up to and including Accutane. I'm not really sure why I'm getting so much negative pushback for asking a dietary question in the nutrition section of the forum. I'm sorry if other people here are sick of hearing about Candida or don't believe the "hype" or whatever, but it's the only hope I have right now and I came here for support, not for people to react coarsely to a pretty innocuous question.

Did you talk to your doc about it? What self-tests did you take? The candida symptoms are so vague, it could be anything. I'm not sure why you think that I'm not trying to support you, I'm trying to put your feet back on the ground, and make sure you're doing what's right for you. You can't blame people for asking questions, if you don't provide all the information. Just don't fall for every single treatment or diet, promising you that you'll be free of acne, just to find out that it was rubbish. That is support, parroting is not. But good luck with whatever path you choose!

I'm sorry to sound harsh but the worse you thing u can ever do is to subscribe to a diet system. It's full of blanket statements that cannot possibly be relevant to each individual.

^This. Thanks, TakeToTheSkies!

@ mammasay: why do you think you suffer from candida overgrowth in the first place? Before jumping on any bandwagon, following all the diet hypes, I'd make sure that what I think causes my issues, is indeed causing them.

Sorry was looking for experiences/advice on whether what happened would affect my face! Anyone?

Nothing bad will happen if someone wipes excess moisturizer off your face with a cotton ball once. Relax, follow your regimen and you'll be just fine.

I think that the message Dan is spreading is wrong. Acne shouldn't be treated this way. I tried to use the regiment and even after 3 months I still had acne and burned skin (my skin did not adjust do BP), I used moisturiser etc....

Acne is inside problem, it's not caused by what's outside. That's why it should only be treated topically as a secondary way to treat acne.

I think topical antibiotics like tetracyclin are way better. I know they may cause resistant to antibiotics acne and that BP has similar effectiveness although much worse side effects on skin and many users report that their skin becomes dependant on BP anyway and worsens dramatically after stopping BP use.  
Tetracycline does not leave my skin dry, red or burned.

1. Tetracycline isn't used topically as much as before (wasn't it about the first topical antibiotic for acne and wasn't its use limited due to poor skin penetration?).
2. Skin does not become dependent on BP. Contrary to antibiotics, there's no way bacteria can become resistant to oxygen.

If acne is an inside problem, then why do you say that topical tetracycline is way better? Topical = not treating it from the inside.

Tetracycline will give u temporary relief and will weaken ur immune by killing all the bad bacteria

^this.

and also, the regimen is the best solution for alot of people when weighing pros and cons.  Diet will not always fix acne. everyone is different.

^ This! While coaching some people, trying everything available, I've come to the conclusion that BP is by far the best solution for them. They've tried diet, sulphur, tea tree oil, manuka oil/honey, salicylic acid, several AHA's, several essential oils, niacinamide gel, silicol gel, vitamins, supplements, weird Chinese solutions, doing nothing, etc. etc. etc. While all these treatments were promising at first, they failed miserably in the end. BP got rid of their acne. They've tried them all for some months, so it's not a matter of not giving it enough time. They could have saved a lot of time (years, in fact), money and frustration, if it wasn't for the scare-mongering that kept them from using BP in the first place. I'm not saying other methods don't work, they probably will for some people, but from my experience they don't work nearly as well as BP.

Is BP/the regimen the solution for everyone? Probably not, but it definitely is a proven method, and it should work for the majority. Is it a cure? No, there is no cure for acne, only treatments, until you "grow out" of it.

The following links are to websites that list comedogenic ingredients. You can research the ingredients in your product(s) and determine if any might be problematic. Remember that the further down on the list of ingredients, the less percentage of that ingredient is in the product. So a comedogenic ingredient that is in the last half of an ingredient list may or may not cause you problems.

http://www.cosmetics...ctionary/A.aspx
http://www.zerozits....ect.htm#inglist
http://www.facereali...re_clogging.php

The following link takes you to a website containing a safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep (former cosmeticsdatabase.com)

Still feeling god.

That's even better than what we hoped for! Have fun in Cali, Murph!

Topic moved, this has nothing to do with the emotional and psychological effects of acne. Please read the forum headings and descriptions before posting. Thanks!

As other members have already pointed out: for most people, washing your face 5 times a day will only irritate your skin and aggravate acne problems. I'm glad it works for you, but it won't for the majority.

Thanks to the member who brought this to my attention!

Seeing how this topic has steered away from the original subject, I have to agree with the members saying that this forum is intended to give advice, not to tell people how great they look.

I understand that no bad intentions are involved, on the contrary, but please try to see it from someone else's perspective. Especially those who are not blessed with great facial features (which, of course, is subjective), and on top of that have to deal with acne and scarring. We want them to feel just as good as anyone else, and get the same amount of support. We don't want them to feel like they're fighting a useless battle, only because they may not be as "pretty" by default as someone else. No matter how good your intentions are, commenting on someone's looks can affect other people's perceptions of themselves. Even though all you want is to cheer a person up, it could make another feel down. I'm absolutely convinced that this is not anyone's intention when making a compliment, but please try to keep the aforementioned in mind before posting such comments again. As Green Gables said: there's a personal messenger that you can use. I'm sure the recipient will be just as happy.

Thank you for understanding!

Great post AKL and couldn't agree more!

Even just making yourself smile as you go about your day really can make you feel happier and can make you seem confident, which really goes a long way.
Maybe everyone with acne has the potential to be great actors

Enjoy your day everyone there is so much 'greatness' around us everyday and so many little things that can make you smile and be happy if you are open to it.

Why thank you, Lilly75! I definitely agree that there are numerous things around you that can make you smile, but you don't even notice them when you're feeling down. People have to find a way to reverse this downward spiral. Maybe we should start a topic where people post pics with a pencil between their teeth (yeah...that's a stupid idea, I have plenty of them )

Hey a familiar face. Glad to see you back over here AKL. I too have been absent from these forums because of the negative emotions (which are understandable, but hard to read at times..) and feelings as well as the reminders i get from comign back here. However, i feel much better and can approach the issue without feeling terrible about it.

Hey there, k3tchup! Been some time. Glad to hear you're feeling much better now, and good to see you back here, too! Hope you're well!

Hi everyone!

I don’t visit this section that often, as I feel it’s loaded with negative emotions that I can’t relate to at all (being a happy flower myself, usually). Apart from skimming posts, to see if they’re within the board rules (part of the job, unfortunately). I’ve had to close topics, send messages to members, or ask people to tone it down a bit, knowing how bad they must feel. It doesn’t please me at all, and I wish that I (or anyone) would be able to make them feel better. Sometimes, however, people have such a low self-esteem, that the only thing that will help them, is to seek professional guidance. Those posts really break my heart, and make me feel pretty helpless (I’m sure the feeling sounds familiar to many of you).

Like many of you, I have been (and still am) talking to several members via PM, trying to cheer them up, offering suggestions, sending them silly stuff, knowing that it probably won’t help much, but every smile we can put on their face is a smile, right? It’s why I value so many of you for trying to put things in perspective, and cheering others up. Makes me realize how awesome this community is, everytime. Thank you for that!

Alright, enough with the nonsense. Since I’ve been researching the brain for a long time (and it’s still a mystery for the biggest part), lately I’ve been focusing on ways to make people feel better, if even a little bit, in the hope that it may help some of you cope with your issues. Long introduction, just to say this:

SMILE! Force yourself, if you have to.

Sounds stupid, right? Why would you even want to smile, knowing that your face is covered in acne? The last thing you want to do is smile. Let me try to explain.

Common sense will tell you that behavior follows an emotion: you feel bad, and that causes you to behave accordingly, more or less. What if I told you it’s not that simple? There have been several studies about how emotions are influenced by behavior, it’s a two-way street! When you smile, whether you’re happy or not, it will activate the same parts in your brain, having the same effect on your body. You will be happier because you smile! It creates a real emotion in most people.

Can’t do it? Put a pencil between your teeth (horizontally), and lift up the corners of your mouth. Make your fake smile as big as you can. Looks stupid, but hey…another reason to have a good laugh at yourself.

Obviously, this won’t get rid of your acne. I just hope that it will help some of you feel a little bit better, as that’s just as important.

Good luck everybody! And don’t forget to smile <-- like that! (except this one's on urine therapy, that's not a required element)

Thank you. Mabye your not as bad as I first suspected. Hahaaa =)

I am, you just haven't found out yet (that warning was nothing, trust me) But thanks!