Just wanted to add to this thread that I was cleared using a not to strict paleo diet:

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/Completel...-a-t260537.html

I uploaded my before and after pictures to the gallery. Here's the link:

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php...amp;album=10886

Would it be possible to have my log thread added? I have before/after photos there (throughout the thread) with the after photos showing me 100% clear from holistic methods only.

Thread here: http://www.acne.org/messageboard/Pangarl-s...56#entry2900656

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/cleared-s...-y-t278656.html

Two threads merged and pinned. Please post ONLY if you were cleared by Holistic means and please give a SHORT summary of what you did.

Please...no questions as this thread needs to be free of clutter. PM the poster if you have questions.

I had a discussion with a good friend (36 yo male) who got clear recently (not on the site)

He used to drink a huge glass of cranberry and orange juice every day as a habit.

(He is in a wheelchair and careful to protect his urinary tract)

Two changes cleared his skin:

1. He stopped drinking orange juice.

2. He switched to T-Zone with manuka honey and tea tree face wash (Available in Britain - not sure about everywhere else)

He used to have deep acne that produced loads of puss that looks like cream cheese and smells bad. (Sorry if it's gross)

Caused indented ice-pick scars.

Acne now gone! So happy for him.

Hi!

I got nearly 100% clear from my severe acne within 4-ish months from completely natural means. And not even that many supplements!

My regimen basically includes working on your emotional wellbeing and your soul, as well as your diet, exercise, sunshine, your whole holistic being.

Emotions are the most important! you will never get completely clear if you can`t enjoy your life due to your poor self esteem, ridiculously restrictive diet, etc etc. And any health changes you make will be made more effective with healing of your mind and soul at the same time.

Nutritionally, my regimen involves finding out your food sensitivities, cutting them and anything irritating out of your diet for 3 weeks to two months to allow your digestive system to heal itself and get stronger so that you aren`t so sensitive anymore. After that, you can add things back in and can enjoy a whole range of healthy, whole foods, while enjoying your life and not being so tied down, or having to chomp millions of supplements every day.

It`s best to be kind of strict at first while you`re cleansing, but don`t expect to keep it up at that level forever, or you will never be able to enjoy your new, clear face to its fullest! Just enjoy the journey, and it will be more effective.

Anyway... instead of starting a thread here, I have begun work on my own blog website to help acne victims heal holistically (so I could share it with everyone and not just those on this board). Its in its infancy, but I plan to be updating it frequently with more and more resources and support, so check it out often. Unfortunately I can't put external links here, so check out my profile to grab the address.

If you want to see my before and afters (they`re pretty dramatic), they`re on the about page of the website.

Peace It`s possible to get clear! Don`t give up!

Had acne for 5-6 years,

Cleared using non-strict cyclical carb Paleo-ish diet whilst also supplementing with vitamin C, E, Chromium, Zinc, Green tea and Cod liver oil.

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/ACNE-cure...p;gopid=3016191

I probably should have done this sooner!

I actually managed to clear up my acne in January of 2010 after having varying degrees of it for a good 12 years. I cut out all grains, processed sugar, dairy, soy and dramatically reduced processed meats. I consume meat, vegetables, fruits and nuts. I've experimented with various food options and have always reverted back to these basics. I did, however, discover that putting small amounts of organic cream into my coffee wasn't a problem, but all other dairy was. I do tend to eat most of my fruits and veggies raw, as when they are cooked, I don't seem to get the same energy boost. Still haven't quite figured that one out yet.

I do not take any supplements and I follow a moderate exercise routine - and by routine, I mean I do it when I want to. This typically involves 30 minutes on a treadmill whilst watching a show of some sort in the Winter and Summer, some push ups, lunges, squats and mild yoga. The walks typically take place outdoors in the Spring and Fall. When weather permits, I hike on the weekends.

When I started eating this way, my skin was quite literally clear of active acne within one week. Within about 2 and a half weeks, it was 100% clear.

Thanks for the good advice absyna.

I would like to share some very nice results that I've been getting for the past month, gradual success that seems to be building and lasting. When I try different things, as we all can attest, I might get positive results, but usually will only last days or a week(s). This has been slow and steady for me and it's based on healing from the inside, which gives me greater hope of lasting success. I have not changed my cleansing regimen.

I'm 44 and have battled acne since high school. I always have waxy plugs, very clogged pores, that turn into pustules. I also have a tendency to get cystic acne as well. I first started using b5, that worked for a while, but was not a long term solution I wanted. I then started adding anti oxidants Vit C and Vit E. I started getting results quickly in terms of much less cystic issues, so the infections were minimized greatly. But still, I had clogged pores, oil buildup, and waxy plugs in the sebaceous gland zones . So I was looking for a way to get better oil into my body instead of the bad oil (sat fats), thus the Cod Liver Oil.

I've been using:

Cod Liver Oil (Carlson): Over a month now. 3000 mg daily

Evening Primrose Oil (Health From The Sun): Started 5 days ago. 3000 mg daily

Vitamin C: 1500-2000 mg daily

GTF Chromium Polynicotinate (Nature's Way): 400-600 mcg daily.

MSM (Trader Joe's): 1000-2000 mg daily

Candex (Pure Essence Labs): About 1 week. For Yeast/fungus. 4 capsules daily (for now, will lower for maintenance soon). I have seb derm as well.

Facial Cleansing: Just Wallgreen's Fragrance free salicylic acid based shampoo. Just a very light touch cleansing from the excess after washing my hair. I have a close cropped cut, so there is very little to wash above.

Also, exercise daily to get a good sweat, 5-10 minutes sauna after for additional perspiring.

It's the Cod Liver Oil that made the first impression. I started to get results quickly, better / thinner oil on my face, much less hard waxy plugs. Then it seemed to plateau a bit, but no reversal, so that was in itself good news. I felt I was headed in the right direction. When I added the EPO together with the CLO about 5 days ago, I've gotten even better results. It's not perfect, but it's very noticeable. Now if I get a new pimple, it's very small, and it heals quickly. Even my old blemishes are now healing and the pigmentation is improving.

Since I have seborrheic dermatitis as well, I think the Vit A in the CLO has been a nice benefit to aid in proper skin cell turnover control. With Seb Derm, skin cell turnover is greatly accelerated causing a build up and clogging of the pores. The turnover is less now, so I have to think the Vit A has had a hand in that process.

lastly, I did notice a nice benefit once I started using the Candex. Yeast overgrowth has been linked to Seb Derm as well.

I know I have a really accelerated testosterone level, so I'm hoping the EPO will help control that hormone imbalance, and it makes sense together with the good fats from the CLO and with the Vit A, it's a good combination.

I'll try to post updates as the weeks progress.

BLENDED GREENS (Green Smoothies)

I eat very few animal products, few grains and rely mostly upon nutrient-rich plant foods for my diet. Before I started eating lots of vegetables, blended greens were vital to keeping my skin clear. A few days without them, and my skin would slowly start to break out again.

I still eat blended greens every day, as they are our most nutrient-rich foods, and they are fabulous for your skin! Because of their high content of beta-carotene, which safely converts to the amount of vitamin A that your body needs, I call blended greens "Nature's Accutane." Isolated beta-carotene and vitamin A in pill form are dangerous - best to get them from plant foods!

Here is a link for learning more about blended greens, and if you're still looking for a solution, I hope you soon find what works for you! http://www.acne.org/messageboard/FABULOUS-...-G-t108917.html

I've been taking a multi-vitamin, cod liver oil and evening primrose oil for about 3 weeks to a month and suddenly my skin has significantly improved. I just have problem with that pigmentation left over.

I also re-started proactiv, so perhaps it's a mix?

I know what essential fatty acids are, well, essential for a healthier body, and I as don't each much fish, this does the trick for me.

Just thought I would add what I did to get clear.

I had terrible looking, itchy and painful acne that started around 18 years old and got terrible by 19 when I was in college. Most were pustules, some were huge nodules and left scars. I tried salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide (including ProActiv) with very little results. My whole face turned red and painful with the benzoyl peroxide. I tried minocyclin and saw improvements starting but had such terrible nausea I stopped it in less than a week. I tried tea tree oil, various soaps, etc with little results also.

Finally what cleared me when I was almost 20:

I visited a naturopath and was put on a strict "candida" diet with absolutely no sugar (no artificial sweeteners either), no dairy, no gluten, almost no fruit (only lemon, lime, and blueberries were allowed), and no processed foods. No peanuts and some other random things also. I also was put on supplements- multivitamin, extra magnesium, fish oil, probiotic, alpha lipoic acid, and cat's claw. I cooked at home most of the time from scratch and ate mostly brown rice, meats, vegetables, nuts, beans, and gluten-free breads.

I followed the regimen faithfully and started seeing results within a week, though gradually. My skin was less red, fewer new pimples, old ones healing, etc. I also noticed I slept better and felt just better in general.

It was consistent that my skin improved whenever I followed the diet and got worse again when I didn't. I tested it constantly over the next 2-3 years b/c my parents are doctors and they were adamant that diet had nothing to do with acne. After watching me and trying it on other patients, they are now total believers in the diet and acne connection.

Now, 4 years later, my skin is basically clear and smooth though the acne did scar in some spots. My skin is 100% clear as long as I mostly follow the diet. I can get away with some occasional fruit (maybe 2 svgs a week), bacon, and very rare wheat/dairy/sugar. If I eat more than that, especially sugar or I think dairy, I almost inevitably get a small "warning" pimple that doesn't clear until I go back to the diet. I rarely take supplements now and seem to be able to maintain clear skin without them.

My mom says medical school just taught that diet had nothing to do with acne even though now she realizes the studies they drew from really don't say that (they don't test all of the diet, just one specific food like cocoa). The naturopath said 90% of her patients who followed the diet strictly got clear, but that it really had to be strictly followed.

I didn't use any special creams or skin care regimen and still don't.

I feel SO much better with clear skin and I hope this helps someone get there too.

Hello

I want to share with you my experience with acne.

All my life I've been on a healthy diet, as a long time(10 years) sufferer of sebborheic dermatitis .

I never had problems with acne (except some pimples), but about 1 year ago I had mild acne on my cheeks.

My grandmother told me that this must be hormonal (i'm 25) so she told me I should drink daily 1 cup of Achillea millefolium tea (yarrow).

I saw a great difference in my skin after just a few days and I was completely clear within a month.

This tea is also great many hormonal related problemes in women.

I hope this helps!

Here's my success story:

100% clear after 9 years of acne

I'm still adding details to it.

Wanted to add my log here

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/Candida-d...00-t276279.html

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php...t&p=3152711

Here is my success story after 2 or so years of moderate-severe acne.

Hi all, i've been a reader on this message board for years, but I never actually participated in the discussion...well I decided i've finally reached a high enough level of "success" in my trials and errors that I had something meaningful to add.

My history: I'm 28 now so i've been dealing with acne for about 15 years. I've had it just about everywhere on the body you can have it (scalp, arms, back, face, neck, etc) i've tried just about everything out there: benzoyl peroxide, differin, antibiotics, 3 courses of accutane (yes you read right, 3), B5, zinc, niacin, apple cider vinegar, a variety of topicals, and probably dozens of other things.

A quick note on the accutane: I know it's a contentious subject. I think I should add a little about my experience with it to you give you full context. My first course was during my freshman year of college. I have to say I am thankful for it. It cleared me up while I was on the drug and for a few months afterwards. I had severe nodular acne on my back that cleared up completely and (for the most part) never returned. My side effects included occasional lower back pain and of course dryness but otherwise were mild. I took the subsequent courses a few years later when the oil production returned in full force. In the 2nd and 3rd round the accutane was not working as well. I have very thick hair, but on my 3rd round I noticed it was suddenly starting to thin...and so I stopped immediately. The accutane not working was in part what led me down the path to a more natural/holistic solution.

Where I'm at now: I agree with Dan when he says he doesn't think there is a "silver bullet" for acne. The things I do are the result of a long and tedious process of trial and error. I cant say that any one thing is or isn't the magic ingredient. I also can't say that they will work for you the same way they have worked for me. As far as acne goes, I think "managing" it is really a more accurate thing to say than "curing" it. I'm fairly certain I could start doing things differently and revert back to where I was a few years ago. The way I am defining success is that other people can't tell that I have an acne problem. I still get occasional breakouts, but nothing more severe than most of my friends. I have reached a point where it is not controlling my life and if you saw me you'd never know.

Paleo Diet:

I did the paleo diet for 6 weeks. It was more of a test than a sustainable solution but I'm glad I did it. As an aside, my weight dropped from 175 to 155 eating as much food as I wanted in the first 3 weeks (I'm 5'10") and ive been maintaining it at 160lbs on a sustainable semi-paleo diet since then. the cravings suck at first. I also felt light headed as my blood pressure dropped. Contrary to what ive read from others I did not feel an amazing burst of energy...In fact at first I felt tired and crappy until I upped my fruit and vegetable intake (probably kicking me out of ketosis). I think its important to get enough fruit and veggie carbs on the paleo diet.

I ate:

meat, some grass fed but mostly grain fed

-steaks

-chicken breast

-salmon

-ground turkey

-canned tuna

-bacon mmmm.....bacon

-eggs

-pretty much anything that wasn't overly processed

Fruits and veggies

-avocados

-broccoli

-carrots

-mangoes

-peaches

-apples

-spinach

-cucumbers

-cherries

-frozen blue berries, raspberries, black berries

-you get the idea

Oils

-first cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

-expeller pressed coconut oil (supposedly antifungal and stuff, high lauric acid...another topic really)

I did not eat:

-dairy

-grains/starches (rice, wheat, potatoes)

-processed sugar

-legumes, peas, beans, etc.

So this is a great diet if you live in a cabin in the woods away from western civilization. If you're like me you have friends or family who like to do crazy things like "eat at restaurants". So after my six weeks I just try to eat as much paleo stuff as I can, but I usually cheat on the weekends. As far as the acne goes I think it has helped a lot, BUT I believe it is a long and slow process...I'm talking months here. The main acne related lessons I have learned from the paleo experience:

-Reduce or eliminate simple carbs and processed sugar, they cause me to break out. Check out

its about obesity, not acne, but still very applicable.

-Up the fiber intake, I put psyllium husk in my fruit smoothies (make sure you get the kind without added sugar)

-avoid dairy

-I avoid wheat and gluten. I know there's this whole big gluten bandwagon that everyone is jumping on these days but I do believe it causes me to breakout.

-Beer is a big trigger for me. I don't know if its the gluten or what, but I try to stick to drinks made with liquor if I can.

-consume as many vegetables as you want. Raw doesn't hurt...I've gotten into juicing recently. A quality juicer will run you $50 and up. The juice I had today was broccoli, cucumber, celery, fresh mint, young coconut water, and apple for a touch of sweetness.

-Fruits shouldn't be juiced, eat them whole to get the fiber buffer.

**At this point I need to caveat all this by emphasizing that I don't actually know any of this for a fact. I think people on this message board are sometimes too quick to say ______ caused my _______ or ______ cured my _________. Unfortunately I cannot do a double blind placebo controlled study on myself. On any given day I am eating/drinking/saying/wearing/feeling/doing a lot of different things. So, I should say I think beer is a big trigger for me. It could actually be the case that a butterfly sneezing in Indonesia is the real culprit. **

Sleep/Melatonin:

I don't know how close the relationship between sleep and acne actually is, but I think its safe to say this: If you don't get enough sleep you will have more stress. If you have more stress you will have more acne. There may be additional mechanisms at work, I don't know. A convenient side effect of getting quality sleep in darkness may be reducing your risk of cancer since light exposure supresses your melatonin response. I try to limit my light exposure close to bed time. I have a dimmer on my computer (which isn't great I know, but better than nothing). I also take about 1/2 a mg of melatonin if I feel I need it (I cut the pill..I think 3mg is counterproductivel, but experiment for yourself).

Vitamins:

The only thing I take is zinc a couple times per week. I would do it every day but I forget. I don't take fish oil although it probably wouldn't hurt. BTW I did try taking a ton fish oil at one point for a period of time...didn't work for me.

Topicals:

Yes, I still use them. I got really frusterated with topicals at one point and wanted off them. At this point they are still part of my mix and I do think they help a lot..perhaps if I was able to do 100% paleo I wouldnt need them but that's also speculation.

I kind of do the "regimen", not religiously though. I mostly use Alpha Hydroxy Acid, more than Benzoyl peroxide. Where I live Walgreens sells it in these little tubs (black top, white base, red label for about $8). For me its great...I think pretty a pretty undervalued topical when it comes to acne. I usually put it on my face after I shower, and on the back of my neck where I sometimes breakout.

I also shower with Head and Shoulders and Nizoral for my scalp.

Summary:

Perhaps this all sounds like a lot but its actually pretty seemless for me at this point. I maybe spend 5 minutes per day with the topicals. As far as the food goes, it certainly doesnt take any more time since I have to eat anyway and I think I am getting general health benefits from eating more fresh fruit and vegetable.

Anyway I hope this was at least a little but helpful for someone out there.

Hello,

I have been away for a long time as well. I owe my clear skin to this forum a 100% The information and ideas here are priceless. Bless you all! Well, where to begin?

Background:

I had smooth and clear skin until I turned 16. That is when I started getting these massive cysts on my left cheek. For some reason, the right cheek was OK. At first, I thought breaking out was just normal and did not pay attention to the acne. But soon, I started noticing that these cysts would not go away. They stayed for weeks at a time. My chin also started breaking out as well. The pimples were horrendous! I mean it was so bad that I would get pimples on top of my pimples. Pretty gross right? anyway, this freaked me out and I went to the doctor. The doctor gave me some creams to put on. They smelled horrible. They did absolutely nothing. My acne basically left my self confidence shattered and my social life took a nose dive. This kept on for quite a few months until I went to the dermatologist. I had had enough! The dermatologist gave me doxycline pills and a cream called Ritovan (Rivolan?) and that worked for a while. I took the medicine for 6 months and thought I was cured. (I was naive back then )

The resurgence:

I remember it was the second year of college. I got this feeling inflammation in my skin which only meant one thing! The acne was coming back. Thankfully, I was able to get to the dermatologist again and he prescribed more stronger medication. This cycle went on for quite a few years. The acne would get resistant, the medication would be changed. BUT after a while, this stopped working. The dermatologist told me that if I did not 'outgrow' the acne soon we would have exhausted all the medication options. Well I didnt outgrow my acne and the medicine stopped working. The dermatologist pretty much told me I had to live with my acne and there wasnt much I could do besides taking Accutane. Well I went home that night and researched Accutane and it scared the bejesus out of me guys! I mean, I was like no way am I screwing up my body with this thing!

Hopelessness:

This was a dark point in my life. I was 23 years old and depressed. I would go to work and hurry back home so people couldn't see my acne ridden face. My acne had continued to devastate my face to the point where I dreaded going to work. Sometimes I would call in sick just so people couldn't see me. It was that bad. I became lonely and started basically hating myself and my skin. I remember crying and asking God, why me? Silence was the answer.

Motivation:

After a couple of months in this state, I said what the hell? I am 23 and hate my life. I need to do something about this. I joined the gym. Started swimming and working out. That got me out of the depressive state. I also noticed that I had more energy and positivisy. Then one day, I thought to myself. Why not research on the internet to find out what other people going through acne are coping with it? So I sat down and typed 'Acne help' in Google and somehow found this site. What a relief! People like me! But these people were actually trying to find a cure! But that's impossible I said to myself. My dermatologist told me I had to live with this.

Research:

I started reading up on acne as much as I can. There were weekends where I would just sit on the computer researching on acne. Publications, journals, books and forums. You name it and I was eating that stuff up. One common theme came up again and again in my readings. The relation of diet with your acne. I thought why not give it a shot. So I started keeping a log of all the stuff I ate. It was a real pain in the behind! I am not an organized person to begin with but I had to force myself. I was on a mission to cure myself man! So, I religiously kept a journal of everything I ate, when I ate it. I soon realized that for me dairy and HFCS were the triggers. Once I got rid of this my acne reduced dramatically in a matter of days. But, I wasn't acne free yet!

More research:

I still had a little acne around my cheeks that even after cutting out these two main triggers remained. Elated by my previous success, I started researching again. I learned about the acid mantle and your skin's natural oil cycle. And let me tell you guys, it was a shock. I mean I felt I had been lied to by the media my entire (I guess i was still naive then! ) But seriously, our skin doesn't need all those expensive face washes and conditioners. Its all a lie, ladies and gentlemen. This was the missing jigsaw piece so to speak. I stopped using all the skin conditioners, face washes. Hell, I stopped washing my face. Talk about going all out! But it worked!!! My skin got scaly and then it rejuvenated into just AWESOME skin just like a baby's butt

Conclusion:

I hope I didn't bore you too much with my long winded story but just wanted to document my experience for everyone out there. Keep trying and keep experimenting. You don't have to live with acne. You just have to find out what the problem is. I am currently in the processing of documenting all of this into a book as a way to show my gratitude to this great forum and to all the people around here. Hang in there and never give up! God bless!!!

http://www.acne.org/messageboard/index.php/topic/306613-wai-diet-thread/

User: OlympusMons

Title: Wai Diet Thread

Summary: Male, 20 years old, whole-face 2nd degree burn suffer, 100% clear for the last 8 and a half months, after 9 months of Wai Diet. Used to have very inflamed acne and irritated skin.

this diet cured both acne/eczema/rosacea PLUS THE SCARS. my scars healed REMARKABLY fast on this diet. i used to have KELOID scars that i had to get STEROID injections for. YEARS of getting those things to FLATTEN. but i never could get the redness out until DIET.

i dealt with acne for 10+ years. i went to dermatologists and did the topicals/drugs/treatments. the benzoyl peroxide acne.org offers does a great job when it comes to preventing acne on the face. however, it never could prevent body acne and it never helped with acne SCARS. after going through all sorts of diets such as vegan, vegetarian, paleo, raw paleo, etc, i figured out the ideal diet to heal skin conditions i've been plagued with for FAR TOO LONG. and i'm quite SICK of hearing people say it's a hormonal thing when it's DIET that causes those hormones to get out of control. this is the diet that works in literally THREE DAYS. and i'm not selling A THING nor do i have a WEBSITE. warning, this diet is something you have to stick with and if you eat anything else, then don't count on it to completely get rid of your conditions. this diet is no cakewalk and even i have trouble with it because junk food has an ADDICTIVE element to it. here is the diet:

by VOLUME (as in, the % you see on your plate):

80% cooked organic vegetables such as kale, collard greens, broccoli, and some carrots

WHY? because raw vegetables are not easily absorbed due to cellulose trapping the nutrients and just passing through your body not being able to be utilized. you should STEAM the vegetables until they are soft and not crunchy/hard. also, try to eat more of the greens because they are the least starchy. if you need the energy and carbs, go for carrots. remember to steam them.

20% cooked lean meat such as turkey and chicken.

WHY? animal protein is complete protein. we evolved on meat. but remember, you can only eat it in this amount. only 20% of your plate should be meat. so don't say you've tried this diet if you're eating 80% meat with only some vegetables. you MUST do it in these proportions.

now that the diet is explained, i will say some things. everyone is DIFFERENT. some people may be able to eat eggs for their 20% cooked meat or even fish (preferably sardines, has the least mercury of all the fish). also, you can experiment with eating non-allergenic grains such as BROWN RICE or QUINOA however you must eat the 80% cooked vegetables still. also, some people say they can have RAW milk in the 20% protein portion, so experiment with that if you want. but remember, this is the diet that got me GUARANTEED results EVERY SINGLE TIME. i've done it COUNTLESS times after eating junk foods for months and it continues to work. please PLEASE pleaseeeeee do not knock this diet until you try it exactly as i have said. ALL OF THE DETAILS are important. please pay CLOSE attention to the words i used above. i'm only typing this on here because i'm tired of seeing people think that accutane and drugs and hormones as the answers as if dermatologists are GODS and know what they're talking about when they only know LIMITED information that they are taught in school. anyway, i've dealt with the insufferable and unexplainable pain that these skin conditions entail and i just want to help. so please don't act like these conditions are not preventable because they are 99% of the time. yes, everyone is different and it may not work for everyone but i can pretty much guarantee you that you've NEVER tried this PARTICULAR diet.

also IMPORTANT information i forgot to mention:

FRUITS are not vegetables and i don't advocate eating them in place of the 80% cooked vegetables portion of the diet. fruit is SUGARY and it does NOT matter if it's fructose or sucrose. it's SUGAR. if you need a sugar fix, get some stevia and mix it in with water and that should satisfy your sugar fix.

ALSO: do not expect COMPLETE results if you eat other junk food and think that eating vegetables will cancel out the JUNK FOOD because with me, IT DID NOT. you must be STRICT with your diet. again, you can EXPERIMENT with yourself as you are UNIQUE, but i suggest you first do the diet completely and then see what you can add in or change for YOURSELF. but give the diet 3 days to a week. that's all it takes to see results for me. who knows, it may take slightly longer for some people. also, your scars will heal FASTER if you adhere to the diet STRICTLY.

ALSO: i do NOT recommend vegetables such as tomatoes or any of the NIGHTSHADE vegetables. i specifically said WHICH vegetables helped me. also, olive oil and avocado were NOT included in my diet but you can experiment if you want but i CANNOT guarantee the results i got with the PARTICULAR diet i just outlined. i don't need exercise and i think exercise is truly only required when we're OVER-eating or eating fruits and carb-laden foods. when it comes to liquids, try to just drink WATER. even SODA slowed my progress down.

New member here. I want to share my success story. I am 24 years old, I have had acne ever since 16 (first got a pimple when I was 14). I struggled with it until I was 22 years of age, when I finally cured my acne (I can still get acne, but if I follow my guidelines then I will never get it). When my first pimple arose I was dumbfounded, I had no idea what it was. It was located near my hairline (I use to gel my hair everyday in grade school). So, I asked my mother and she said it was a zit and she said I need to start using face wash. From that point onward my face and acne problems got worse and worse. I use almost every brand available, and I went on to proactiv when it first came out for about 3 years (through high school). Proactiv was the only thing that made a noticeable different, however, I still got cystic acne and I never knew how or why I got it. I would literally touch a cystic zit and immediately feel the pressure in my head (sinuses). I figured I was doomed by environmental allergens and I would have this problem my entire life. When I was 19 years old I decided to change my diet and lifestyle. I worked out a lot and ate a strict diet, of fish, chicken, veggies and fruits and nothing else. No junk food no bread or anything made with flour. I also decided to stop washing my face with soaps and stopped all creams, nothing at all except water hitting my face in the shower. That summer (before college started again), my face cleared up 100%, I was also going to the beach on an almost daily basis, my lifestyle was clean as ever. Once back in college and eating door room and cafeteria food again I went to slightly breaking out again. From that point onward I was in a battle with my skin again, trying different products and eating whatever I wanted to, my acne wasn't terrible but I still got the occasional zit or pimple (usually cystic in nature).

When I first started working (age 22) I was eating whatever I wanted to, and then sweating all day (part of the job). My skin cleared up, and that is when I realized a regime that has worked for me ever since (not last year though, I got a very very bad sun burn and it reversed the effects of my regime, I will explain later). I took short cold showers (1-2 minutes tops), washing my hair, genitals, and armpits and feet that was all, nothing on my face, I would let the water run down my back and not my face. I then would get out of the shower and splash cold water on my face for about 1 minute and that was all. I cleared up so good I was surprised that I had been missing the point on acne all along, at least for me.

About the sunburn incident. I had a very bad 2nd degree sunburn that I got from sleeping on the beach, don't ask me why. At this time I had decided to also switch to long hot showers and using body soap. All a very very very VERY bad combination for my skin. Not only did my face break out, so did my back. I stopped taking hot showers, back to cold short showers, and I also stopped using soap. My back cleared up within 2 months but my face still had a lot of scarring and hyperpigmentation. Because the sunburn had destroyed my skin tissue I had old dead flaky skin that was different color tones, some even looking yellow, it was bad. I thought my old method would work, however it did not. The only thing that helped me cure the burn was time, NOTHING, and hot water. Time to heal, and then nothing to the skin to irritate it. Also, I switched back to hot water showers, this in turn created dead skin and shedding. At this point, this was great for the burned damaged skin on my face, as it was a great way to exfoliate the skin. I just let the water splash on my face that was all. Once the burned tissue started looking better (over 4 weeks of hot showers) I had a lot of dead flaky skin. So, I used Q-tips to gently remove the dead skin. From this point onward I have been back on the short cold showers and clear ever since.

I have a food allergen problem with gluten, so my diet has changed, and I do contribute some of the cystic acne to the gluten allergen. My sinuses are much much clearer from this point onward. But here is my basic regime that has kept me clear to this day:

1. Short cold showers (1-2 minutes, washing genitals, hair, armpits, and feet NOTHING else). Let the water run down the back of my hair and back not my face, never let water touch my face. ***side note, I only use shampoo to wash nothing else, no bar soap no body wash, just shampoo and recently I have decided to stop using (maybe like once every 4 days) on my hair. I am going to see

2. Out of shower, splash cold water on my face for roughly 1 minute.

3. Only shower once everyday or every other, just splash cold water on face and leave for work, and no it isn't nasty and no I don't smell bad; trust me I have asked people to smell me, lol.

4. Gluten, although I have the allergen I can't say that it was the main problem here, I cleared up during the summer eating gluten 2-3 times a day, however, because it did contribute to my allergies can't say it never cause my acne, I did clear up 100% while eating it.

5. Orgasm/Ejaculation. More on this below.

I know many of you on this forum have been going back and forth with this idea of masturbation causing acne or not, and many people, even studies say that it does not. I my case it has and I will explain things here. When I have sex or masturbate (with or without orgasm), my body gets to a very relaxed state, just like everyone else. For me, however, this is not good for my sinuses or muscles. When that relaxed my sinus muscles can become tense or irregular, meaning they sit in a different position from normal. When this happens any pressure from my sinuses can shift and lead to acne, cystic most definitely. Most of you may laugh at this idea however it is true. If I were to have sex or masturbate more than once a week I would have cystic acne. I don't break out terribly, it is just one or two cystic zits, however they are the ones that hurt from all that sinus pressure. If my body maintains a normal state, not relaxed and not tense, just regular I will never get sinus cystic acne. It has been this way the first time I cleared up and right now.

It is very hard getting over sex and masturbation trust me I know. But if you focus your mind and time on other things it gets easier and easier to live without it. I went over 2 months without orgasm. The frequency I can orgasm and remain acne free is once per week or once every other week, in that time frame, although I choose to go close to 2 weeks between orgasms.

Now for those of you that want to give this a try there are some things to consider. My skin is naturally oily, it's just how it likes to be, and in being naturally oily you need to get used to that, the oil will balance out in about 2 weeks time, as the skin adjusts from dry (washed) skin to oily (unwashed) skin. Once balanced the skin does not feel or look oily at all. For those of you with naturally dry skin you might not notice this difference at all.

I decided that it's time to share my success story over my 12 year battle with acne. I first started getting acne at around 13. Now i'm 25. I have tried every OTC regimen, and nothing significantly worked for me. I have also always had a lot of bloating and gas. Unfortunately, prior to stumbling on this section of this website, i never heard of a correlation between acne and food.

Well, i decided to eliminate dairy. I was consuming a gallon of milk a week plus cheese on nearly everything. After i quit dairy, my gas, bloating, and acne decreased by about 60%. So i figured there must be something else. That's when i read more about gluten. I then eliminated gluten and in about 2-3 months, my face cleared up about 98%

I still have chocolate cake (containing both gluten and dairy) at work parties about once a month. I still have a little cheese on my omelet if i go out to breakfast... So i eliminated these 2 items by about 95% but i'm at a point where im happy with my face, and i need to indulge and cheat every once in a rare while. Cheating once in a while DOES NOT make me break out. Although my stomach will make terrible noises and ill have increased gas after some cake... I believe it was the quantity of gluten and dairy that i was consuming that was resulting in my acne.

One thing i consume a lot of is oats. And although oats don't naturally contain gluten, they pick up small amounts since they are processed on the same equipment as bread/wheat. So i buy gluten free oats. Bob's red mill brand.

I can't express enough thanks to all of you for giving me the knowledge and resource to successfully eliminate my acne. Thank you, and happy holidays.

I should add that I wash my face with just water, morning and night. That's it. No topicals, no moisturizers, no cleanser. Just water, twice a day.

TAKEN ON 4/15/11

8 month progress TAKEN ON 12/23/11

After allll these years. This is what finally helped me get flawless skin.

4 products that i buy in a shop called De Tuinen here in Holland.

1 Stinging nettles capsules (we call it brandnetel)

2 Brewers yeast tablets extra strong (we call it biergist)

3 Burdock root capsules (we call it Grote Klis)

4 Maria's thistle (we call it mariadistel)

I get acne from food so i don't eat a lot of oily manmade stuff but mostly naturemade stuff.

I believe in herbs!

O, i liked to add.. just like the former poster, i only wash my face with water.

Sometimes i use a facial mask or steam. I hope i can help someone with my regimen. I'm 41 years old and my acne started when i was 12 so i wished i knew about these herbs earlier because it ruined my selfesteem, at the time.

Aww I'm sad that mine didn't get posted in here since it's the most simple and cheap way of getting rid of acne.

I'm going to repost it in here because I think it will help some people enormously and I want to share the awesomeness of finally having good skin!!

I keep coming on this site even though I no longer struggle with acne just so that I can help people, and you can do this for FREE.

I'm 24 and I'm rid of acne! I barely get pimples now (maybe 1 per month, or not even!) and wish I had tried the method I have now. I have been acne free since January!!

Believe it or not, I got this advice from a friend and it has worked wonders:

- quit using products and soap on your face

- only rinse your face with water, and only do so at night, after you've worked up a sweat, and in the morning (doesn't matter hot or cold water)

- don't touch your face!!!

If you're like me (24 and had tried a crapload of products that never seem to work), try this out, what have you got to lose. I wish I had done it sooner, and I would have had less scarring on my poor cheeks and jaw

Oh well, here's hoping you guys don't spend a whole lot of money on products that only further aggravate your skin when you can get acne free for free!!

PS: I have been doing this method since Last year in January (2011). I am now 24, going on 25 and my skin has never looked better (at least since I've had acne...) And it doesn't matter what I eat, it doesn't change my much clearer face, so food is not the issue when it comes to acne.

PSS: Do not use ANY acne products while using this method. I tried sneaking in some tea tree oil and bio oil one night, and my friend who gave me this awesome advice noticed the next day without even having known I used anything, stating "Your face looks a little red and aggravated today, did you put something on your face?" Then promptly scolding me for having done so haha, damn.