Hey guys I'm a 19 year old male who's had cystic acne for more than a year now. Its been a rough ride but I figured out that the no dairy diet has done HUGE for helping me control my acne. However, I've found that i still get random cysts now and again and I know its not from any dairy related products so I've researched that alot of people found going Vegan to fully resolve their acne issues. Now i've been considering it for the last few days, but it is very hard. I'm a huge meat lover and it was hard enough as it is to give up cake, ice cream, pizza, etc. I'm willing to try it but it's very hard to push myself to only eat vegetarian food, i've never been a fan of a meal without meat. I've been considering accutane as well in hopes that i can just go back to eating regular old food again without worry. But i also read that people often relapse and eventually go vegan anyway. I'd like to hear your thoughts on this, if you had to vegan for your skin did you find the transition difficult? was it worth it? Do you ever consider accutane and going back to your old diet or do you believe accutane is only a temporary solution?
Please excuse the painfully long post - Here is my personal opinion/experience/advice:
Honestly, it really does depend on the person and what is causing your acne. I too have heard of numerous people that have cleared their skin through diet changes. But at the same time I've also seen plenty of people online who say that going vegan did nothing for their skin or worse, that going vegan gave them acne. I was actually vegan for a year and developed acne & other skin issues during that time. I'm not saying with 100% certainty that it was caused by that, but my skin was fine before so it certainly didn't prevent anything. Accutane worked for me in the past, while for others it did not. That being said, there is no one solution!
In your case, if you decide to go vegan just for your skin it might be very difficult for you to stick with it. It's a big transition and you will need more a drive to get you through it (i.e. Making some sort of ethical, environmental or health-related connection). Otherwise you will probably be relying on your skin to motivate you and since there is so much uncertainty (Will it work? How long will it take?) it might become difficult on a day-to-day basis as you wait for something to change. When I transitioned to being vegan it wasn't hard because it was during the summer and I had more free time. Overall it wasn't too difficult because I cook for myself. However, eating out with friends was a hassle and I did feel very limited most of the time at pot-lucks, restaurants, movies, etc. I started developing skin & hair issues about six months in and stuck with it for a full year to no avail. Now, I'm still living the same lifestyle in terms of work, exercise, etc. The only difference is my diet.
I took accutane about 7 years ago. For me, it was honestly a miracle. It completely cleared my skin without any bad side-effects. I know everyone has different experiences with it, but that is how it worked for me. After that it was smooth sailing: I never broke out and din't have to worry about skincare or what I ate. My skin was finally normal, as it stayed that way for years! The only time I started breaking out again was after going vegan, and even then the breakout was extremely mild compared to how it was before accutane.
SO, considering your situation and how you are already struggling with limiting your diet as it is... Perhaps you could consider doing a course of accutane and seeing how it goes? If it doesn't work then you can always try being vegan. At least with accutane, it's a set course with month-to-month progress check-points so you will feel like you are working towards a solid goal, as opposed to diving into something with a lot more uncertainty surrounding it.
DISCLAIMER: I am writing all of this under the assumption that you have already been to a dermatologist and tried/failed numerous other treatments to help with your skin. If you are going for the first time trying to get accutane, your doc most likely will NOT give it to you. It's a last resort option.
Hope this helps!
If dairy free is going well for you, I think it makes sense to start the no side effect route. Accutane is a very serious drug that can cause heaps of problems. Give veganism at least 6 months of fully being on it, your skin and body may go through a detox period if you normaly eat a lot of meat/dairy and be sure to choose healthy options, not just the vegan soy and wheat alternatives. Even if skin is your reason going vegan, I hope you find the many more reasons to stay vegan! I was vegan for 6 yrs and if it wasnt for the fact that i found out im allergic to beans/soy/wheat/all the veg options id deff still be.
Good luck!
Personal experience: I took Accutane when I was 16 (I'm 22 now). My skin cleared up for about 1 year, and then I got acne again, along with an array of unpleasant side effects that affect me on a daily basis. Which is beyond frustrating, since my skin didn't stay clear. My theory is that all of the antibiotics my derm prescribed me before Accutane destroyed my intestinal tract, and THEN the Accutane finished me off by giving me IBS and all sorts of other nonsense. So now I don't digest/absorb food correctly, and my skin reacts to almost everything I eat.
Although I've never gone completely dairy free, I do notice that my skin is clearer when I don't have much milk or anything. I eat a pretty clean diet, exercise, and do everything you're "supposed to do" health-wise to have clear skin. If I could commit to going completely dairy free, I believe my face would be quite clear. But to have completely clear skin, I'd probably have to never eat again. Which is obviously not an option.
It's a personal choice, and everyone is different. But I would have never chosen Accutane had I known it would lead me to a destroyed stomach, lots of other health problems, and still having acne 6 years later.