Biotin and Sebum...

Just wondering if any of the clever people on this site had any ideas on this one. I've been trying to figure out a link between Biotin and Sebum for a while.

This was mainly down to personal experience. When in the past by sebum had dropped down to almost nothing, due to B5 at one point, and Accutane at another. Addition of Biotin seemed to increase the amount of Sebum on my face. It may have not increased it beyond pre accutane/B5 levels, but seemed to restore it to similar. Drop the Biotin and the oil seemed to go away.

If I google Biotin causing cystic acne (which was my main issue), there seems to be quite a few cases of people with hair issues supplementing Biotin, only to find out cystic acne comes there way, having not had it before. They stop the Biotin, their cystic acne goes away. I can't help but feel there is a link there somehow.

Biotin often seems to get ignored on its effects in nutrition, as it can be created by the body itself to my understanding. I'm almost wondering if some of us who have cystic acne/lots of sebum, we have too much Biotin being created (maybe in relation to other vitamins, like B5?).

I also notice one of the side effects of lack of Biotin is dry skin, so it does seem to affect the skin somehow, but again dry skin may be unrelated to sebum, but what is the indication for too much Biotin ? I'm sure there is some effect, even if by competing with other vitamins.

I can see some very loose links to insulin as an example http://endo.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/140/10/4595 , but not really anything concrete. Has anyone come accross anything like this before at all ? I can remember years back Craigy on these forums was pondering a link at the same time, but never knew if anything came of it.

OIly skin and a low GL diet helping so far...

Hi all,

Haven't seen much mention of this in the oily skin forum, so thought I'd mention it, and see if anyone else wanted to try it and see if it helps them. So far I've been on a low GL diet for 2 weeks, and although its early days, its probably the best its been.

I'm now 40, and had an oil slick for a nose for 25 years, only accutane and b5 has ever made any difference (that I've realised).

The "diet" isn't actually too difficult, its basically eating healthy without starchy carbs (wheat, rice, potatos) and sugars, and not eating too much of it (unless you burn off a lot of calories). Making sure as much is "whole" still as possible, and not processed. Theory I think is, that the high GI/GL foods promote an insulin response that eventually promotes more sebum (lots of info on Google out there).

For example very little bread (if you must, have something like Burgen low GI bread), cut out rice (I swap in more green veg), not much potatos, and very little sugary foods.

Breakfast, I would have something like Porridge or maybe eggs/bacon (instead of my old usual cereals).
Lunch, Something like a tuna+veg wrap (instead of a cheese sandwich).
Dinner, Something like stir fry with chicken with lots of green veg, or another meat with a large salad.

Main thing is trying to make sure you get lots of non-starch veg in, at least half of lunch/dinner should have this. The rest can be protein, plus a little starch veg like potato if needed.

Don't each huge portions of anything except non-starch veg, but do adapt if you lead a very active lifestyle (mine is fairly sedentary, working indoors). Fats you can include in your salads for example with healthy fats, rather than cheese or something, but no need to get too many in.

Nothing needs to be avoided "totally", just if you have a chococolate, only have a square, not a bar. The more refined carbs you eat, the more sebum you will end up with, so its a good choice to avoid too many of them, a tiny bit would be ok though, even better if after something low GI/GL

If possible, also do 40 mins walking/running/some other exercise every couple of days, to help improve insulin sensitivity.

I first started noticing a difference after about a week, will be interested if anyone tries it and finds the same. If anyone wants more example foods or resources, I can dig some out as well.

Taking fat and accutane...

Hiya all, just wondering for those who know a bit about nutrition etc and how its digested. I normally take accutane when I've eaten some food with fats such as cheese etc to help absorption as it says. Just wondering, does it matter what type of fat it is, i.e will the fats in nuts likely absorb it just as well?

Just going to try and cut dairy stuff out, and wanted to make sure I'm still taking the right stuff when munching the accutane and get confused with the different types of fats out there.

Anyone taken days off work/college etc for acne?

Hiya all,

Just wondering really if others have taken days off work or school/college due to some ghastly zit/cyst or something? Don't really mean so they can goto an appointment for it, I mean just because they couldn't face going in and dealing with the inevitable comments.

Have to say I've thrown a few sickies when I've had some huge monsters swelling up on my face. Even left one job when I went through a really bad patch. Feel so bad when I've done that and when I see I've let it run/ruin my life to that extent.

Makes me feel emotionally weak, but can't help it sometimes .

Anyone else done this in the past, or most people just suffer and take it like a man/woman ?

Accutane and biotin in supplements....

Hiya all, just thought I'd mention this, its early days for me but this possibly seems to make some difference and trying to find if any others can make the same link.

Basically after reading Craigy mentioning this several times in B5 threads, I wondered if it had some effect with Accutane as well. I'm about 2 months in to Accutane course, and a few weeks ago oil started coming back a little which surprised me a bit (nowhere near as bad, but pores were looking bigger and some oil).

Anyway after reading the B5 thread with biotin mentioned, I realised that the multivitamins I were taking had extra biotin in them as well (0.15mg). I had started taking them a few weeks after to cope with any lack of vitamins because of the Accutane I was taking, oddly enough I'm now wondering if they were reducing the effects of the Accutane.

2 days since switching to a none biotin included multivitamin, my face has totally dried up again and pores seem to be different like they were originally, I may even be having an Initial Breakout, but I'm guessing currently thats just co-incidence.

It may all be totally unrelated, but I'd be interested if any others here are taking supps that include Biotin and if there's any change if you stop them (2 days for me), especially with the thoughts on it affecting B5 effectiveness.