Acne.org Products
- Use websites like Web Md or the Mayo Clinic for accurate medical information
Web MD article on the diet and acne connection: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/acne/acne-care-11/diet-and-skin
Just tibits i'd thought i'd add:
Acne in textbooks (atleast for my nursing classes which are used for the whole state) are lacking god awful amounts of information; evidenced based information. It is repeated in my maternity/ pediatric textbook that acne is NOT caused by diet. It is stated many times. However medline plus (evidenced based site) states otherwise, yet future doctors and nurses are being preached "not diet related".instead is related to puberty related to increase in hormones and bad hygiene practices.
Anyone on this site who has done research knows there are more causes and more exceptions to the rule. However do not reticule doctors and nurses because this is what they are taught.
So my advice is be your own advocate. Investigate your own causes, aggreviating factors, and what works and what doesnt. In the meantime be supportive of each other.
I've had my roundswith alternatvista, i do not agree with everything she posts or advocates for. However i respect her opinion and her dedication. I wish people would do the same. If that means that they completely change their diet, added some product, something in or out of their life and it worked then so be it. Congratulations. For those that try and nothing happens or works, try try try again. Do not blow up at us or them or whatever.
Yes, i am back from a long hiatus. Although i like to keep touch as there is always new information or things to read up on.
hey, I have PCOS too but am one of the odd ones who is underweight and I have no blood sugar problems. I actually tried a low glycemic diet, I cut out all processed foods, sugar and ate mostly veggies protein and good fats like salmon and olive oil. I drank only water and teas. My acne was at its worst when I ate the healthiest! It just so happned my hormones were so crazy nothing I ate would change that. I didnt necessarily have very high male hormones but I must be sensitive to normal amounts. My skin was super oily and I had cystic acne on my jawline chin and back. The only thing which helped was taking yaz along with anti-DHT supplements.
If you have PCOS how are you treateing it?
If you have blood sugar issues/insulin resistance its a good idea to stick to a low glycemic diet but for me, it didnt help my skin, unfortunately.
yes...but do you know how, exactly? What foods to eat and what not to eat? Most of us dont which is where the frustration comes in. lol
OP- I agree with you. Diets can work for some, but not everybody is the same. Different people react differently to acne. I've been dairy-free/gluten-free for a few months and at first I thought my acne was improving, but it made no difference. Everyone has different triggers for their acne (diet, stress, hormones, etc) I suspect that my acne is hormone-related; I'll have to take a blood test and find out.
But diet does affect hormones so altering your diet can affect hormonal acne.
hey, I have PCOS too but am one of the odd ones who is underweight and I have no blood sugar problems. I actually tried a low glycemic diet, I cut out all processed foods, sugar and ate mostly veggies protein and good fats like salmon and olive oil. I drank only water and teas. My acne was at its worst when I ate the healthiest! It just so happned my hormones were so crazy nothing I ate would change that. I didnt necessarily have very high male hormones but I must be sensitive to normal amounts. My skin was super oily and I had cystic acne on my jawline chin and back. The only thing which helped was taking yaz along with anti-DHT supplements.
If you have PCOS how are you treateing it?
If you have blood sugar issues/insulin resistance its a good idea to stick to a low glycemic diet but for me, it didnt help my skin, unfortunately.
I'm also thin with PCOS (5'6", 120lbs.). My testosterone and DHEA are high according to my doctor and my blood sugar is also considered normal. I've tried using Spiro and yaz/yasmin to help my PCOS, and they do help, but they also make my hair fall out in crazy amounts so I can't take them. Right now I am taking 500mg of metformin 2x a day after meals to help stabilize my blood sugar (even though I don't have blood sugar problems according to blood tests). The metformin has helped to get my testosterone down from male levels to more female levels, but it doesn't make my skin perfect like when I was on spiro or yaz/yasmin; It only makes it better. Right now I'm living at a dorm so I haven't been able to change my diet so easily because I don't have a kitchen. Soon, though, when I have a kitchen I'm going to try a low GL diet and I really really hope it works for me. Otherwise I'm sort of out of options 
Well good luck with it all. Its not easy, for some reason 'they' say that thin women with PCOS tend to have more problems with acne/hirsutism etc.
I have had some hair thinning but Im doing treatments for that, I dont know if its from accutane or yaz but frankly, Id rather have thinner hair than the awful symptoms from PCOS like acne, mood swings, bleeding for most of the month and all the rest.
Being a woman sucks, in my next life I hope to be a dolphin 😉
hey, I have PCOS too but am one of the odd ones who is underweight and I have no blood sugar problems. I actually tried a low glycemic diet, I cut out all processed foods, sugar and ate mostly veggies protein and good fats like salmon and olive oil. I drank only water and teas. My acne was at its worst when I ate the healthiest! It just so happned my hormones were so crazy nothing I ate would change that. I didnt necessarily have very high male hormones but I must be sensitive to normal amounts. My skin was super oily and I had cystic acne on my jawline chin and back. The only thing which helped was taking yaz along with anti-DHT supplements.
If you have PCOS how are you treateing it?
If you have blood sugar issues/insulin resistance its a good idea to stick to a low glycemic diet but for me, it didnt help my skin, unfortunately.
I'm also thin with PCOS (5'6", 120lbs.). My testosterone and DHEA are high according to my doctor and my blood sugar is also considered normal. I've tried using Spiro and yaz/yasmin to help my PCOS, and they do help, but they also make my hair fall out in crazy amounts so I can't take them. Right now I am taking 500mg of metformin 2x a day after meals to help stabilize my blood sugar (even though I don't have blood sugar problems according to blood tests). The metformin has helped to get my testosterone down from male levels to more female levels, but it doesn't make my skin perfect like when I was on spiro or yaz/yasmin; It only makes it better. Right now I'm living at a dorm so I haven't been able to change my diet so easily because I don't have a kitchen. Soon, though, when I have a kitchen I'm going to try a low GL diet and I really really hope it works for me. Otherwise I'm sort of out of options
Well back in the days I had mild / moderate acne. Than when I came to the US I started eating junk food, cola etc. and my acne became quite severe. So I think a good diet helps in controlling acne but its not a total cure.
Agreed. It may or may not improve acne but that doesn't mean it alone is the sole cause and cure for acne for everyone. In fact, even some of the holistic things I've read suggest that diet only accounts for maybe a third of the puzzle of healing acne holistically. Also, there was a study among teenage boys where they ate a low glycemic diet, they had improvement in their acne, but I don't think they got completely clear with the diet. I can relate to eating too little, I have been working hard to eat enough to gradually gain back weight for months, I'm getting there.
Well good luck with it all. Its not easy, for some reason 'they' say that thin women with PCOS tend to have more problems with acne/hirsutism etc.
I have had some hair thinning but Im doing treatments for that, I dont know if its from accutane or yaz but frankly, Id rather have thinner hair than the awful symptoms from PCOS like acne, mood swings, bleeding for most of the month and all the rest.
Being a woman sucks, in my next life I hope to be a dolphin
)
hey, I have PCOS too but am one of the odd ones who is underweight and I have no blood sugar problems. I actually tried a low glycemic diet, I cut out all processed foods, sugar and ate mostly veggies protein and good fats like salmon and olive oil. I drank only water and teas. My acne was at its worst when I ate the healthiest! It just so happned my hormones were so crazy nothing I ate would change that. I didnt necessarily have very high male hormones but I must be sensitive to normal amounts. My skin was super oily and I had cystic acne on my jawline chin and back. The only thing which helped was taking yaz along with anti-DHT supplements.
If you have PCOS how are you treateing it?
If you have blood sugar issues/insulin resistance its a good idea to stick to a low glycemic diet but for me, it didnt help my skin, unfortunately.
I'm also thin with PCOS (5'6", 120lbs.). My testosterone and DHEA are high according to my doctor and my blood sugar is also considered normal. I've tried using Spiro and yaz/yasmin to help my PCOS, and they do help, but they also make my hair fall out in crazy amounts so I can't take them. Right now I am taking 500mg of metformin 2x a day after meals to help stabilize my blood sugar (even though I don't have blood sugar problems according to blood tests). The metformin has helped to get my testosterone down from male levels to more female levels, but it doesn't make my skin perfect like when I was on spiro or yaz/yasmin; It only makes it better. Right now I'm living at a dorm so I haven't been able to change my diet so easily because I don't have a kitchen. Soon, though, when I have a kitchen I'm going to try a low GL diet and I really really hope it works for me. Otherwise I'm sort of out of options
You're not necessarily out of options. Sometimes, a combination approach is good. You could try a little bit of reasonable sun exposure or using something topical (like 5% tea tree oil) or taking a supplement if it is okay to take with the metformin. I think adding 1-2 tsp of turmeric a day to foods or adding it to water like a drink helps. But sometimes, it's hard to be sure which thing is helping me since I'm doing a combination of things.
I think everybody knows that diet attributes to acne, poor eating habits can cause hormones to flucatuate, which can worsen acne. However, those food habits only worsen acne and I don't beleive it is the root cause of acne for most people. I've tried various adaptions and omissions and my skin has been clear at both points (eating healthy and eating healthy with abit of refined food). I don't know what the cause is of my acne, but I have noticed that my acne has worsened with age. I'm currently invesitigating hormonal treatments, as I have a strong feeling that my hormones are unbalanced. In the meantime, I will as always continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle for the sake of longevity/well-being more so than acne.
Just tibits i'd thought i'd add:
Acne in textbooks (atleast for my nursing classes which are used for the whole state) are lacking god awful amounts of information; evidenced based information. It is repeated in my maternity/ pediatric textbook that acne is NOT caused by diet. It is stated many times. However medline plus (evidenced based site) states otherwise, yet future doctors and nurses are being preached "not diet related".instead is related to puberty related to increase in hormones and bad hygiene practices.
Anyone on this site who has done research knows there are more causes and more exceptions to the rule. However do not reticule doctors and nurses because this is what they are taught.
So my advice is be your own advocate. Investigate your own causes, aggreviating factors, and what works and what doesnt. In the meantime be supportive of each other.
Obviously it is what they are taught. That is the problem. But also that they don't seem to be doing any reading on their own to keep up with research. The peer reviewed journals in which these studies are found are published for them to read.
And yes, you must be your owner advocate. Acne isn't the only condition for which doctors are indoctrinated with bad info. And medicine isn't the only industry with this problem. I'll now refrain from ranting about how incredibly bad the builder and architects are, building things completely wrong for the climate.
Sigh, reading this kinda of discourages me. I am one of the ones that have tried a diet, lost weight, and watch the acne not budge with diet. I don't know what I was doing wrong. No GI, no dairy. It seems really hard to find something that you are intolerant. Also, there are numerous other factors according to this board and the people in here, like parasites, candida, sleep stress....like how am I supposed to avoid that in my field? Maybe I am stuck with medicine that can harm my body....
I started eating candy and quit restricting stuff like white rice and my skin is now the clearest it's been in probably 10 years. The regimen helped a lot, but I didn't get this total clarity and improved skin tone until the week I added grains back into my diet. So crazy. You can think you're doing something right for years but are actually making yourself worse. My body obviously needed grains for some reason. Diet is something that should always be changing, and that is something that these strict, locked-down diets don't allow for.
Sigh, reading this kinda of discourages me. I am one of the ones that have tried a diet, lost weight, and watch the acne not budge with diet. I don't know what I was doing wrong. No GI, no dairy. It seems really hard to find something that you are intolerant. Also, there are numerous other factors according to this board and the people in here, like parasites, candida, sleep stress....like how am I supposed to avoid that in my field? Maybe I am stuck with medicine that can harm my body....
It's more than just diet and lifestyle. Damage done over the course of years, sometimes decades, can't be undone retrospectively only by removing the offending agent. Sometimes we need medicine to heal. Also, you're right to say that the causes are numerous - and some of those causes are not internal; as in, it could be a topical infection.
I started eating candy and quit restricting stuff like white rice and my skin is now the clearest it's been in probably 10 years. The regimen helped a lot, but I didn't get this total clarity and improved skin tone until the week I added grains back into my diet. So crazy. You can think you're doing something right for years but are actually making yourself worse. My body obviously needed grains for some reason. Diet is something that should always be changing, and that is something that these strict, locked-down diets don't allow for.
What are these 'strict, locked-down diets?'
Just tibits i'd thought i'd add:
Acne in textbooks (atleast for my nursing classes which are used for the whole state) are lacking god awful amounts of information; evidenced based information. It is repeated in my maternity/ pediatric textbook that acne is NOT caused by diet. It is stated many times. However medline plus (evidenced based site) states otherwise, yet future doctors and nurses are being preached "not diet related".instead is related to puberty related to increase in hormones and bad hygiene practices.
Anyone on this site who has done research knows there are more causes and more exceptions to the rule. However do not reticule doctors and nurses because this is what they are taught.
So my advice is be your own advocate. Investigate your own causes, aggreviating factors, and what works and what doesnt. In the meantime be supportive of each other.
Obviously it is what they are taught. That is the problem. But also that they don't seem to be doing any reading on their own to keep up with research. The peer reviewed journals in which these studies are found are published for them to read.
And yes, you must be your owner advocate. Acne isn't the only condition for which doctors are indoctrinated with bad info. And medicine isn't the only industry with this problem. I'll now refrain from ranting about how incredibly bad the builder and architects are, building things completely wrong for the climate.
Depends on the docs and the hospitals. Nursing practices by evidence based practice which is basically research says:" ". Not all hospitals employ this practice, especially those that are in smaller communities and even then there is only 1-2 hospitals in my state that are actually magnet hospitals that practice EBP. If thats nurses, what of the docs? Instead most falll back on standard procedure, standard practices "lets treat the symptoms" bandaid approach. Looking back on it now spending $$$ to go to a specialist 3 years ago was a waste compared to the regular doc that i go to now; and atleast hes not a %^&*(
So until then we carry on.
Damage as quoted by coat, doesn't actually need years, more like months. I am a great example of my self.. to my self lol. I stopped running and eatting the way i was to support my running and now not even 6 months later my body is telling me whats up and it aint good. At least for me im not im teens where hormonal fluctuations are a roller coaster.
Yea the whole thing is perpetually bad.
This is going to be another endless and dead end debate because everyone posting already has fixed views on the subject, so why bother?
I will just advice you to consider what other damage you might be doing to your body by improving your acne. Sometimes you have to weigh the pros and cons to a treatment and see if clearing up your acne is worth the long term side effects of specific medications. After being diagnosed with PCOS over 10 years ago, I realized that not only is PCOS diagnosis DEBATABLE and UNRELIABLE (ultrasounds, hormone testing, symptom-based - all questionable depending on the doctor), but that there is no treatment for it other than masking and often exacerbating the cause with more hormones (via birth control for instance). The only temporary solutions that have worked for me in the past to manage my PCOS were herbal ones and a combination of low stress, regular exercise, and a healthy diet. This is not the magic remedy that will clear your skin; it takes persistence, patience and a positive attitude. I am not looking for a quick fix, I just want a healthy lifestyle. Not saying you can't be on birth control and still try to be healthy, but it makes it more challenging in the long run.
Another point I would like to make is that you should take all advice with a grain of salt and use your own judgement. This not only applies to what you read on the forums, but also to what your doctors (whether western, holistic, eastern - everyone) advice you. I'm glad you did your research before seeing a doctor about your PCOS, and at least now you know the risks involved with taking birth control possibly for the rest of your life. The least you can do is try to be as healthy as possible in other aspects of your life (diet, stress, emotionally, etc) to counterbalance the negative effect prolonged use of birth control pills can have on your body. And by the way, you cannot take birth control until you are 50. Your body will most likely stop responding to it once you enter pre-menopause because your hormones will change. It's easy to be defiant of long term damage to your body when you are still young.