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Basically in ruibinbai road right now, however it's only been a month and i just upped the dosage to 1000mg for both b5 and carnatine. I broke out pretty bad the last couple of days, so i'm going to give it one more week. This regimen feels like it's failing.
Wingedserpent did say give it 3 months though. I think It might work at the 1000mg dose but I just can't cope with the stomach pain it's giving me. If its not painful for you keep at it for a couple more months before you ditch it.
I mean, you should see some sort of improvement within the first month and a half from doing the regimen. I would venture onto something else. I increased the dosage to 1000mg for both about a week ago. Giving it two more weeks if nothing, then I have to seek another alternative, but it's getting pretty damn depressing.
Ruibinbai -I drink beer and cider. I don't like wine or spirits. I did experiment once by stopping alcohol completely, for about a year, but it made no difference to my skin. In fact, I couldnt detect any visible health benefits at all. And being teetotal just wasn't for me!
But I never drink Coke, etc. In my observation, people who do drink soft drinks, tend to drink a lot of them. You see them in the supermarket with several of those huge plastic bottles of Coke -that is probably just a weeks' supply. It really is horrifying. Many soft drinks are filled with dubious ingredients, particularly that awful substance, high fructose corn syrup which has done more to make the world fat than anything else. If you did nothing else but avoided all food and drink with HFCS then you would have done a great deal for your health. Becks beer, by contrast, has just four ingredients -barley, hops, yeast, water. Drinking Becks in moderation, and cutting out soft drinks completely is arguably better for your health.
I don't watch hidden sugar in my general diet. I focus on reducing salt and saturated fat. In my opinion, 90% of the acne-sugar problem can be addressed by removing the obvious discretionary items. That extra 10% wont really
pay dividends.
Basically in ruibinbai road right now, however it's only been a month and i just upped the dosage to 1000mg for both b5 and carnatine. I broke out pretty bad the last couple of days, so i'm going to give it one more week. This regimen feels like it's failing.
Wingedserpent did say give it 3 months though. I think It might work at the 1000mg dose but I just can't cope with the stomach pain it's giving me. If its not painful for you keep at it for a couple more months before you ditch it.
I mean, you should see some sort of improvement within the first month and a half from doing the regimen. I would venture onto something else. I increased the dosage to 1000mg for both about a week ago. Giving it two more weeks if nothing, then I have to seek another alternative, but it's getting pretty damn depressing.
There is a reason that I quote three months.
If the maxiumum gestation period of a lesion is 6 weeks, then a treatment that requires 4 weeks to create significant physiological change in the body, might not begin to show noticeable benefits until 10 weeks after commencement. Holistic treatments, by their nature, take time.
Incidentally, are you juicing?
I'm 30 years old and have had cystic acne since I was 14. I just finished another round of Accutane about a month ago. It was great to have clear skin for 8 months, but being a rational human being you realize that it is temporary relief and that you cannot put your body through an over dose of a vitamin A derivative forever. Anyway, the oil came back full force along with the acne (deep cystic acne) and I came back to these forums to look at another alternative. I think very systematically and rationally about solutions, which I think is what made me identify with Wings approach and decided to give this a shot.
Veggie Juice:
I dont use a juicer I just use my blender. I put about 2 cups of water into the blender and slowly feed in small chucks of veggies. From there, I use a fine metal strainer over a bowl and dump in the contents to separate the pulp from the juice. Just so I dont lose out on all the fiber I take two spoonfuls of the pulp and mix it into the juice. In terms of veggies I have a similar combination as everyone else and I drink one of these every morning when I wake up and every night with dinner
2 full carrots pealed
cucumber pealed
beet root pealed
yam pealed
1 stalk celery
1 small ripe tomato
sweet potato pealed
Supplements:
I take 500mg B5 in the morning along with 500mg acytlcarnitine, Im in experimentation phase with dosage, both in the morning and at night before I go to bed. I expect Ill adjust this over time.
Water:
I just try to drink more water on a regualr basis during the day.
Sugar:
I dont drink soda, only eat sweets occasionally, but I do drink coffee with cream and sugar and eat cereal for breakfast with milk. Im a home grown American white boy so thats expected. I don't think I have a high sugar intake, but in the few places I can eliminate sugars without living like a 'southern califorinia raw food vegan' I have.
So far, after 7 days, my oily skin has reduce by 85% and the acne that returned after I stopped the Accutane is 70% gone (reduced inflamation, small zits drying up, red spots have better coloring). However, this is something to think about over time. Im not certain if the fact that I just stopped an Accutane treatment has anything to do with absorption of vitamins and minerals. Given this, I'll post my progress at the 1 and 2 month marks to communicate if the effects stay long term.
I also want to add that I am very active. I do a full upper body weight lifting workout once a week, go to yoga classes once a week, along with 3 1 hour spnning classes. So, I factored this into my veggie and supplement consumption.
Basically in ruibinbai road right now, however it's only been a month and i just upped the dosage to 1000mg for both b5 and carnatine. I broke out pretty bad the last couple of days, so i'm going to give it one more week. This regimen feels like it's failing.
Wingedserpent did say give it 3 months though. I think It might work at the 1000mg dose but I just can't cope with the stomach pain it's giving me. If its not painful for you keep at it for a couple more months before you ditch it.
I mean, you should see some sort of improvement within the first month and a half from doing the regimen. I would venture onto something else. I increased the dosage to 1000mg for both about a week ago. Giving it two more weeks if nothing, then I have to seek another alternative, but it's getting pretty damn depressing.
There is a reason that I quote three months.
If the maxiumum gestation period of a lesion is 6 weeks, then a treatment that requires 4 weeks to create significant physiological change in the body, might not begin to show noticeable benefits until 10 weeks after commencement. Holistic treatments, by their nature, take time.
Incidentally, are you juicing?
No, but i am dieting like.. no sugar, dairy, or processed foods. That should be enough. I'm naturally slim, so just juicing would make me look like a twig.
Basically in ruibinbai road right now, however it's only been a month and i just upped the dosage to 1000mg for both b5 and carnatine. I broke out pretty bad the last couple of days, so i'm going to give it one more week. This regimen feels like it's failing.
Wingedserpent did say give it 3 months though. I think It might work at the 1000mg dose but I just can't cope with the stomach pain it's giving me. If its not painful for you keep at it for a couple more months before you ditch it.
I mean, you should see some sort of improvement within the first month and a half from doing the regimen. I would venture onto something else. I increased the dosage to 1000mg for both about a week ago. Giving it two more weeks if nothing, then I have to seek another alternative, but it's getting pretty damn depressing.
There is a reason that I quote three months.
If the maxiumum gestation period of a lesion is 6 weeks, then a treatment that requires 4 weeks to create significant physiological change in the body, might not begin to show noticeable benefits until 10 weeks after commencement. Holistic treatments, by their nature, take time.
Incidentally, are you juicing?
No, but i am dieting like.. no sugar, dairy, or processed foods. That should be enough. I'm naturally slim, so just juicing would make me look like a twig.
You're not supposed to juice instead of eating - you do it in ADDITION to your regular meals.
I've just spoken to my mum who appears to have been suffering exactly the same symptoms as me so maybe it's not the supplements after all. It could well be a stomach bug. Plus I haven't got better 48 hours after my last dose! In fact it's got worse. I think the supps may have just irritated it further.
Might try again when I'm better.
Basically in ruibinbai road right now, however it's only been a month and i just upped the dosage to 1000mg for both b5 and carnatine. I broke out pretty bad the last couple of days, so i'm going to give it one more week. This regimen feels like it's failing.
Wingedserpent did say give it 3 months though. I think It might work at the 1000mg dose but I just can't cope with the stomach pain it's giving me. If its not painful for you keep at it for a couple more months before you ditch it.
I mean, you should see some sort of improvement within the first month and a half from doing the regimen. I would venture onto something else. I increased the dosage to 1000mg for both about a week ago. Giving it two more weeks if nothing, then I have to seek another alternative, but it's getting pretty damn depressing.
There is a reason that I quote three months.
If the maxiumum gestation period of a lesion is 6 weeks, then a treatment that requires 4 weeks to create significant physiological change in the body, might not begin to show noticeable benefits until 10 weeks after commencement. Holistic treatments, by their nature, take time.
Incidentally, are you juicing?
No, but i am dieting like.. no sugar, dairy, or processed foods. That should be enough. I'm naturally slim, so just juicing would make me look like a twig.
Juicing is the basis of this regime! That's why it's number one on the list. If you are not including it, then it is hardly surprising that you have seen no results. The hypothesis behind my regime is that each element acts in synergy with the others, producing an effect that as a whole is greater than the sum of the parts. If you remove the main element, then the logic behind the treatment collapses.
Juicing cannot make you lose weight. It is an addition to normal healthy meals not a replacement.
Just to let people know that I have reorganised and edited the regime post on page 1 to made finding information easier.
It looks great! Nice work spiffying it up a bit! What a nice young man you are 
.
Well thanks!
When I originally started this thread 18 months ago, I didn't expect it to be as viewed as much as it has been, nor did I expect so many messages, nor did I really intend to come back much and maintain it. But it's been so gratifying to hear about people's success stories that I've been pleased to expand it.
But I also know that there are people out there out still struggling to find a solution, like yourself, and it would be so great if we could find out why my plan works so well for some but not for others, and how we can adapt it to help even more people. This is how I'd like to see this thread progress. So keep those posts coming in, everyone.
It's really gonna suck (for my teeny wallet) to buy a juicer but I am definitely going to start this and purchase one in a couple weeks.
I've always been a fairly healthy person and I really related to you when you said it's not that hard to give up sugar and sweets because I myself associate all that nasty stuff with gross skin, fat, and just plain creepy stuff.
Two minutes of a good taste isn't worth your health. I've heard weird things about B5 so I hope I don't get any negative side effects. And how come it's always so hard to find vitamins that aren't overdosed? Really quite a shame.
You can get away with not buying a juicer. I didn't get one as all it does is separate the pulp / fiber from the juice of the veg/fruit. I use a blender, a plastic bowl, and a fine strainer, which you can get for a total of $50 at target. The strainer has hooks that fit over the lip of the bowl to hold it a few inches from the bottom. Pour your blended mix in, shake it gently, and the separation is done. Also, make sure you add at least a cup or two of water to the blender and slowly add chopped up veggies. I had a bit of a burnout on my hands trying to feed my blender half a sweet potato once
I'll also add that the initial recipe for veggie juice is good,but it might not as nutrient dense as it could be. Adding kale, spinach, and collard greens into the mix would be hugely beneficial according to research done on 'the most nutrient dense veggies'
Some reading on this:
You can get away with not buying a juicer. I didn't get one as all it does is separate the pulp / fiber from the juice of the veg/fruit. I use a blender, a plastic bowl, and a fine strainer, which you can get for a total of $50 at target. The strainer has hooks that fit over the lip of the bowl to hold it a few inches from the bottom. Pour your blended mix in, shake it gently, and the separation is done. Also, make sure you add at least a cup or two of water to the blender and slowly add chopped up veggies. I had a bit of a burnout on my hands trying to feed my blender half a sweet potato once
I'll also add that the initial recipe for veggie juice is good,but it might not as nutrient dense as it could be. Adding kale, spinach, and collard greens into the mix would be hugely beneficial according to research done on 'the most nutrient dense veggies'
Some reading on this:
http://livingmaxwell.com/andi-scores-what-are-they
Yes, it is possible to juice that way; I will update the FAQ.
You've quoted some of the best vegetables for the skin there, I agree. Kale, in particular, is said to have very powerful anti-acne properties. However, I tend to eat leafed vegetables, rather than blend, especially spinach. Unfortunately, despite persevering, I find the taste of Kale unpleasant, so I avoid. Others may not. But you make a very good point, and I will update the FAQ with that also. Thanks.
I'm glad you like him -I caught the little fella at the bottom of my garden.
Just had a look at your gallery: your skin is so much better! I think you're well on the way to beautiful, smooth skin. If you succeed, you should be the poster girl of this thread!
In the meantime, I think you might accelerate your progress if you add some new veggies to your juice. It doesn't really matter what, just mix it up a bit. Just a thought.
When during the regimen did you stop using BP completely? Did you wait until the 3 month mark or did you do it earlier?
When during the regimen did you stop using BP completely? Did you wait until the 3 month mark or did you do it earlier?
I stopped BP before I started my regime. There were two final straws. 1. I ruined a Paul Smith suit because it was summer and the sweat ran down from my neck and bleached the jacket. 2. My then girlfriend said that it was transferring from my face onto her's and causing her dermatitis. So that was the end of my relationship with BP. And later, with my girlfriend, but that's another story!
See the FAQ for my views on high-sugar vegetables. But if you have a medical condition it would be wise to direct your question to a doctor, I'm not able to advise you further. But in general terms, you could choose only to juice low sugar vegetables. They are all good for the skin.
My acne didn't worsen on stopping BP. The acne I was getting at that time -mainly hard lumps the size of peas and marbles on my forehead and neck that became cysts- was never tackled well by BP in the first place.
I've always said that people should make their own decision about BP. I think that stopping it should be everyone's treatment goal. But not everyone feels comfortable with that, I understand. That's why I've not included BP cessation as part of my regime.
Well I don't know what the hell has happened to me but I can't even drink the juice anymore without getting serious stomach pains and being physically sick. My body is rejecting it right now. I don't get it. The doc said he can't see anything wrong with me.
I've been drinking it over 3 months no problem!
I guess I'm gonna have to give up this regime altogether which is a shame as I think it could work.
Very... 
^ You probably completely overlooked my post of trying to add the L-Cysteine. Do yourselves a favour and try adding that if you're not really seeing/feeling any difference in your skin. Here in Canada, carnitine is extremely pricey, about twice what it costs for an equivalent quantity/dosage of cysteine so it was a no-brainer that I should at least add it in after reading other posts/articles about being getting this same success with that combination.
Also, do not be afraid to play with dosage. It might take more for you to see an affect than it has taken the OP. I wish I could getting away with that low/inexpensive of a daily dose but it just seemed to not be doing anything in my case. Hopefully eventually I can get away with toning it down and still get ongoing results or use a low dose as a maintenance. At the moment I am taking 500mg carnitine and cysteine in the morning on an empty stomach. I then take 1g B5 with the day's first meal. Followed by another gram of B5+ 50mg zinc with dinner. Finally I finish it off with another 500mg of cysteine before bed an hour or two after I've last eaten. I would take a 2nd 500mg of carnitine with it before bed but it's just too expensive here.
This is where I have started to notice "movement". It is still an extremely mild supplementation routine when compared to the megadosing 10g of B5 a day study. I don't understand how some of you are being discouraged so quickly and talk about giving up when the OP says this is what finally helped him after 26 years. Not to mention the other similar post in the adult section of the person getting clear after 10 years with a similar routine but using the cysteine instead. There is CLEARLY (pun semi-intended) something here, people.
I must admit that in my case, the zinc is what made a dramatic difference in the inflammatory part of my acne. Especially on my back/neck/shoulder area. It has essentially cleared that area leaving only the clogged pores/non inflammatory acne, which is what composes the majority of my problem. But I have high hopes for what I am doing now and know/hope it will help normalize the rest of my skin.
^ You probably completely overlooked my post of trying to add the L-Cysteine. Do yourselves a favour and try adding that if you're not really seeing/feeling any difference in your skin. Here in Canada, carnitine is extremely pricey, about twice what it costs for an equivalent quantity/dosage of cysteine so it was a no-brainer that I should at least add it in after reading other posts/articles about being getting this same success with that combination.
Also, do not be afraid to play with dosage. It might take more for you to see an affect than it has taken the OP. I wish I could getting away with that low/inexpensive of a daily dose but it just seemed to not be doing anything in my case. Hopefully eventually I can get away with toning it down and still get ongoing results or use a low dose as a maintenance. At the moment I am taking 500mg carnitine and cysteine in the morning on an empty stomach. I then take 1g B5 with the day's first meal. Followed by another gram of B5+ 50mg zinc with dinner. Finally I finish it off with another 500mg of cysteine before bed an hour or two after I've last eaten. I would take a 2nd 500mg of carnitine with it before bed but it's just too expensive here.
This is where I have started to notice "movement". It is still an extremely mild supplementation routine when compared to the megadosing 10g of B5 a day study. I don't understand how some of you are being discouraged so quickly and talk about giving up when the OP says this is what finally helped him after 26 years. Not to mention the other similar post in the adult section of the person getting clear after 10 years with a similar routine but using the cysteine instead. There is CLEARLY (pun semi-intended) something here, people.
I must admit that in my case, the zinc is what made a dramatic difference in the inflammatory part of my acne. Especially on my back/neck/shoulder area. It has essentially cleared that area leaving only the clogged pores/non inflammatory acne, which is what composes the majority of my problem. But I have high hopes for what I am doing now and know/hope it will help normalize the rest of my skin.
I've added a small section on suggested treatment tweaks to the FAQ and will expand it in due course as more data comes in. I've suggested Cysteine because it has made a difference for some people and is clearly worth further investigation.
Well I don't know what the hell has happened to me but I can't even drink the juice anymore without getting serious stomach pains and being physically sick. My body is rejecting it right now. I don't get it. The doc said he can't see anything wrong with me.
I've been drinking it over 3 months no problem!
I guess I'm gonna have to give up this regime altogether which is a shame as I think it could work.
Very...
I am doubtful this is anything to do with the juice. But you are in a better to position to judge that than me. If you think it is, then I suggest juicing just one vegetable at a time and seeing whether you can tolerate that. In this way you might be able to isolate if there is a problem vegetable.
Will using topicals on this affect the results? Also, should i expect an initial breakout on this? Accutane cleared me 100% so i assume oil production must have been a big trigger for me. Will be going to get blood test soon so will hopefully be starting this in a few weeks!
First of all thank you wingedserpent for making this thread. I must say low dosage of B5 combined with L-carnitine works! It took a while though, but the moment that i knew it was working was when I noticed that my face is less oily and as wngedserpent said that you will have chapped lips although my lips were only slightly dryer than usual, the only thing that I didn't do in this regimen is juicing, which is vital, but instead of juicing I just ate them raw. I think juicing will make my improvements dramatic as I still have occasional semi-breakouts. thanks again wingedserpent!
Just me checking in:
I will have been on this regimen for 4 weeks now as of tomorrow. I have been following the regimen as outlined by wingedserpent to the letter with 1 exception - I started the L-Carnitine and Pantothenic Acid (B5) about 10 days after I started juicing. My results so far:
1. Almost instantly - probably 1-2 days - my skin felt much smoother and softer.
2. 4-5 days - my energy levels were MUCH higher. Didn't see a whole lot of acne improvement just yet.
3. 2 weeks - noticeable oil reduction in problem areas of skin. New cystic lesions still appearing.
4. 3 weeks - skin continues to look healthier. Acne still appearing but problematic neck acne that I mentioned in an earlier post is beginning to clear.
5. 4 weeks - the problems areas on my neck are in significant recession - I would say 90% reduction in active lesions in the neck areas. There are still red marks but those are healing nicely. I am still getting some acne here and there but, in general, it doesn't last as long and isn't like the nasty cystic lesions that I have been used to getting. They come up quickly, I am able to pop them successfully with some gentle pressure and subsequently they heal quickly.
Note: I also want to add that I am still using BP at the same time as this regimen. I am applying a half-of-a-finger-segment length of BP to chin and forehead areas only and a very, very miniscule amount to the area between mouth and nose, once per day along with moisturizer. I will be ramping this down over the coming weeks and plan to be off of BP completely by the 3 month mark, if not much sooner.
Overall:
I'm now addicted to the fantastic energy boost that juicing each morning gives me - I plan to continue it regardless if I am able to completely clear my acne or not. I am very positive about this regimen and will be continuing to the full 3 months and potentially beyond if I continue to see good results.
I do have one question though: I have read competing opinions about whether or not eating raw sweet potatoes is safe. I have seen things ranging from them being toxic when raw to inhibiting protein digestion. Have you noticed any issues with juicing sweet potatoes? (directed at wingedserpent or anyone who has been juicing sweet potatoes for a signficant length of time).