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I'm 28 and have been suffering from for 10 years. Each year my acne has gotten progressively worse despite the extractions & facials, no dairy, antibiotics, & thousands of products. I am having my hormones tested in the near future, but I also plan to try this regimen. However, I have a question: Can your success not be attributed to your age?
On juicing:
Partially because of this post, and other posts about juicing being beneficial for acne sufferers, I have been juicing since february. I didn't exactly follow this regimen (mostly because of the L-carnitine being super expensive here), but I kicked sugar too but did not take any B5.
This is by no means proof or a scientific experiment, obviously, but I have been slacking from juicing the past month. Instead of religiously juicing vegetables EVERY day first thing in the morning for about 5 months, I juiced maybe 1-2 times a week. Just got lazy.
I'm not sure if this is related at all, but my acne, that had been very well under control, seems to have gotten worse in this period. I suspect that the daily vitamin explosion may have very well been contributing to my skin (and general well being).
Madeira: I think you can choose any vegetables for this, as long as, like OP stated, you keep the cucumber and carrots there. My medicine of choice usually involves broccoli, apples, kiwi, sweet potato (this is really very good if juiced and superhealthy), carrot, ginger and cucumber.
Broccoli because it's so healthy, but I severely dislike the taste and smell, so this is a great way to get some (it's practically tasteless if you juice it combined with apples, carrots, etc).
Celery is very good too. I make sure to focus on vegetables mostly and usually don't use any fruit (except for apples; that are pretty much unmissable because they contain so much juice and are a good natural sweetener).
I use a juicer with a large 'tunnel' so you don't need to cut up the veggies. When using the biological kind, I would normally not even remove kiwi-skin. It takes away 8 minutes in total for me including rinsing.
I really want to try this regimen but I don't know how I'm going to kick the sugar. A coke and a smile (aka.hersheys w_almonds) is my fav stress medicine.
I would like to know opinions on if I should stop taking he solodyn perscribed by my derm once I start the reg...thoughts???
If you like sweets try to make cakes, ice cream, cupcakes etc. with RAW FOOD - if you do not already know about this. Is tasts really nice, and there is no sugar, gluten etc. just healthy ingredients.
I know this is all about changing your diet, but I have also tried "Mellisa AHA Frugtcomplex Creme" (sorry for the danish name), and after one day I can see a small change but there is a change 
)
Hello.
I have been online all week searching for more detailed info. about acne. After I had my youngest son, and then got into wearing make up, my mild acne turned into moderate to sometimes severe acne. And I am fed up! I really don't feel like going anywhere because I feel like I look horrible. Today is Day 1 for me. I had NO SUGAR...I have had fresh vegetables as well as veggie juice that I have prepared using the Breville juicer. I am really going through it right now because I have had mostly water today and I also had to teach my Group Exercise class tonight! I have a mild headache and I am drinking more water. I have just subscribed to this message board and I have read this entire thread that wingedserpent posted. Thanks and I look forward to keeping track of how the days go as I work to exclude sugars and include more fruits, veggies AND most importantly WATER to my lifestyle.
The haunt of the acne I have has just really taken its toll and it is time to take a more natural approach.
Best wishes to everyone! 
I'm worried to take b5 due to all the horror stories of hair falling out, is just one pill/recommended dose on the bottle going to help minus the hair fall? I wanna start using these two supplements you've noted (already juicing) but my acne is very hormonal related (period etc) and so far my 3-4 months of a diet very similar to yours hasnt helped at all :/ things are still as worse as ever, its a little discouraging, but i still might try get my hands on the supplements you mentioned
Wingedserpant, I have a question. I know you stated that you've cut sugar out. Now that you're clear, have you tried introducing small amounts? Like, a little bite on birthdays? And has it affected you?
Been following your regime for almost a week, without the supplements. There's definitely a glow.
Thank you for sharing, easy to read and very motivating! I'm very grateful for your post!
Hi rabanne, I've been following this for just about half a year now, and it works for me. Apart from improving my skin, the regimen has also made me feel better overall. (Read this article on Forbes for another insight into how cutting out sugar can be helpful: http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelellsberg/2011/07/18/how-i-overcame-bipolar-ii/ .)
For me, if I do introduce small amounts of sugar, a few days to a week later I will get some blemishes, so it's a trade off. (Does the enjoyment of eating a birthday cake outweigh the negative utility of a blemish a week later?)
What I've found is that if you stick to it, it becomes a habit, and you start to see eating sugar as something you just don't do, like its outside your realm of possibility. (Watch this video on TED to see how doing something for just 30 days can change how you act: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days.html .)
I would also suggest 3 other points:
1. Meditating to reduce stress ( http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/how-to-meditate/ ).
2. Not using BP at all - My skin is very sensitive, and I actually think BP was contributing to my bad skin before.
3. Cutting out salt as much as possible.
Let me know how it's going, maybe we can create a more active community for this regimen.
I finished a 2nd accutane course about 2 months ago, and my acne is like it never left.
I've been desperately trying to find a dietary reason for my bad skin. I eat very well though. Although I have a sweet tooth, but make a point to not have too much. I cut out coffee once and it didn't make any difference. Same with dairy. Though I may try cutting them both again out of pure desperation.
Wingedserpant, I have a question. I know you stated that you've cut sugar out. Now that you're clear, have you tried introducing small amounts? Like, a little bite on birthdays? And has it affected you?
Been following your regime for almost a week, without the supplements. There's definitely a glow.
Thank you for sharing, easy to read and very motivating! I'm very grateful for your post!
Not sure if this helps but a couple of months I cut all sugars and recently I've started to drink sodas again (without caffeine) and haven't seen any effects. Before I'd drink a full can every day, sometimes two cans so I stopped completely and after sometime I started drinking them again but only about a quarter of a can every few days and now I'm around 50-60% of a can every couple of days and I'm still clear. To discourage myself from drinking it all, I dump around half of it after I open a can...otherwise If I get distracted I'd drink too much of it. Chocolates are still out but I eat a tiny bite about every week or 10 days. No candy or chips. I do drink coffee every morning and no effects from this either
Wingedserpant, I have a question. I know you stated that you've cut sugar out. Now that you're clear, have you tried introducing small amounts? Like, a little bite on birthdays? And has it affected you?
Been following your regime for almost a week, without the supplements. There's definitely a glow.
Thank you for sharing, easy to read and very motivating! I'm very grateful for your post!
Let me answer it this way. Can an alcoholic 'introduce small amounts'? Can he have a drink 'on birthdays'?
To have a sugar-free diet you have to get out of that denial mindset. It's not so much that a little sugar will affect your skin (it won't), it's just that before you know it, it's a little here, a little there, and then you're back on that sugar rollercoaster, and your skin is oily and spotty again. So say no!
Sorry I haven't been around a while, everyone. I hope my regime is working for people.
Is it okay if on the vegestable juice, I just blended them with water?
Yes.
I'm 28 and have been suffering from for 10 years. Each year my acne has gotten progressively worse despite the extractions & facials, no dairy, antibiotics, & thousands of products. I am having my hormones tested in the near future, but I also plan to try this regimen. However, I have a question: Can your success not be attributed to your age?
It's possible, but seems too much of coincidence to me.
I really want to try this regimen but I don't know how I'm going to kick the sugar. A coke and a smile (aka.hersheys w_almonds) is my fav stress medicine.
Reprogram your mind every morning to associate sugar with spots. Reinforce it at every opportunity. Every day. That's the way to beat any craving. Remove the perceived fulfilment and you remove the desire. It's the same as quitting smoking. I reprogrammed my mind to associate cigarettes with horrible diseases. It was easy to quit then because my mind want to get me as far away from the prospect of a horrible disease as possible.
So I am going to do the juice thing.....VEG JUICE: Carrot, Cucumber, Celery, Mint and Beetroot/ JUICE: Berries, Watermelon.
CUT OUT SUGARS, No milk, Bread, sweets, desserts etc.
I am going to take the B 5 suppliment plus an EXECUTIVE B Stress tablet and 2 vitamin c tablets a day, and see how I go with that.
I am 30 from Australia, Male.
I use BP on my face and differin on my nose. I do not use face wash....
Any suggestions, PLEASE comment below.
Trent
Another option if you can't afford a juicer (I am saving up) is making the same ingredients in a smoothie. I have been making green smoothies for a few months and noticed a huge difference in my skin! I also cut out caffiene, sugar, alcohol, most dairy (I still eat eggs and cheese), meat, wheat and nuts. After being on Accutane at least 5 times in the course of my life I am finally 99% clear on my own!! I will never take it again, and the acne/oily skin would always just come back anyway. I am so much healthier being clear this way too! I struggled with acne since I was 12 and I'm now 23.
The best things I have found to help my skin are: beets, carrots, apples, spinach, kale, berries, kiwi, herbs, ginger, and turmeric. Diet really does work. I was never a believer until I was forced to change my diet because of extreme migraines. Sure enough my skin started clearing up. Then I started making smoothies daily and now I am clear. It's willpower and work but it is so worth it.
Does this help with whiteheads and blackheads?
Yes.
What happens if we cheat and have one choccy or lolly occasionally....I am sooo craving junkfood atm, and has one piece of chocolate today.
As I said in the FAQ, the occasional sugary item won't make any difference to your skin. The real problem you face with giving in to these 'cravings' is that by giving in once, you simply reinforce old behaviour by reconnecting the neural pathways in the brain. So it's even more difficult to resist next time. Before you know it, you're eating sugar every other day, then every day, and the whole treatment is compromised.
Most of the time our brains work in our favour. If you put your hand into a flame, your brain sends a message to instantly retract your hand to avoid serious damage to the organism. If you walk into a smoke filled room, your lungs crave fresh air and you try to get out of there as soon as possible. You don't have to think about these things -it's instinctive. The body will always try to get us out of pain and into pleasure as quickly as possible. It is a survival mechanism.
Unfortunately, with cravings also, you are in pain, and your mind will try to get you out of pain (the craving) and into pleasure (the craving has gone) also. It is instinctive too, and works on a very powerful subconscious level. That is the simple reason why WILLPOWER ALONE WILL ALWAYS FAIL. It's why people who try to stop smoking fail again and again because the pain (nicotine withdrawal) is too strong for willpower alone to overcome.
The way to change behaviour is to reverse the pain/pleasure process and get it to work in your favour. If you mentally associate sugar with pain (blackheads, lesions, cysts, oily skin), then your mind will start to work in your favour by trying to get you away from the pain of horrible skin and into the pleasure of not eating sugar and having clear skin. It is then easy to stop. Really. Willpower is not required, since it doesn't take any willpower to get away from something bad. It happens automatically.
Now. To get to this stage is simple, but not easy. You have to reinforce your new way of thinking about sugar until it becomes subconscious and automatic. This means repeating the bad effects of sugar to yourself several times a day. Sounds silly? It works. I advise writing out all the bad things about sugar consumption and keeping it with you and reading through it several times a day. Don't just write down 'spots' -write down the emotions connected to them. Embarrassment, isolation, self-loathing. Really FEEL the pain of those negative emotions. This is the most powerful way to start mental reprogramming since you are experiencing the pain on an emotional level. Tempted to eat sugar? Then run through the list again. You wont want sugar after reading it. It's a chore at first but it yields massive benefits if you manage to see it through. After a while, your mind automatically associates sugar with pain and eventually it never crosses your mind to eat it again. This saves you the futility of fighting cravings all your life.
These are well-known principles of changing addictive behaviour and they really work. I have applied them to several areas of my life and they have yielded incredible results -results that I could never have got through willpower alone- and I advise everyone struggling to change their behaviour to try them. Sounds like too much effort? I understand. But you're trying to change your life here. It's not an easy thing to do. Massive effort = massive results.
Wingedserpent- I have read this entire thread and I want to thank you for your original post!!
I started another thread a few weeks back about being 48 and still dealing with cystic acne, so for those of you who say " yeah, you just grew out of it, that's why you cleared up...it wasn't the dietary changes...." I say, NO, this is simply not the case!! Unfortunately, for many of us, you don't grow out of it. This is a myth for so many people, so don't fall into that mindset. In fact, I didn't even start getting cystic acne untill my 30's. Before that, I had moderate, pustular acne, but rarely ever a cyst...at least not the deep, nodular cysts that began in my 30's and have persisted into my 40's....
It is clear to me now that my diet is a MAJOR culprit with regards to my persistant adult acne ( I am a 48 year old female, so I've no doubt that my changing hormones have also played a role) After this last breakout, I ordered the book " The Clear Skin Diet", and it has been great. I have begun to totally change the way I eat and, 2 weeks into it, I feel better already, and my skin feels smoother, a little brighter. Now, as Wingedserpent says, it's not a "miracle cure"...I've no doubt I will still have some bumps to come....what I"m looking at is an overall trend for the better, that continues over the next months. And, let's face it....there really is NO downside to eating fresh fruits and vegetable, lean meats, grains, and limiting dairy and processed sugary foods. NO downside physically that is. Yes, mentally, I am REALLY missing my ranch flavored doritos and my kettle cooked potato chips.... And don't get me started on my M&M's and my hersheybar fix, needed daily before I started this diet!! 
And, boy oh boy, do I miss my daily glass of wine or beer!!!
But, ya know, if it makes me overall healthier, and clears my skin, then to me it's worth it. I can get through a temporary craving, in order to improve the overall quality of my life....and acne really did/does affect my quality of life, as most here can understand. No, I didn't hide in my house ( well, that's not totally true, there are times when a cyst is so bad, I literally will stay home for a few days) , No I wasn't a loner. I have a job, a husband, friends, a social life, great kids.....but acne has and does hold me back from fully and completely embracing life. I'm done with that. 2012 is the year to finally take hold of this issue and make LIFESTYLE changes, lasting lifestyle changes, to improve my skin and my overall health...
My one issue is the juicer....both the cost of the juicer, and the cost of the vegetables necessary to make daily juices, does have me looking at the possibility of finding a healthfood store vegetable juice. I know it's been said that V8 juice is a poor substitute, but for the meantime, I am drinking a V8 daily. Yeah, it has high salt, but not as high as the pototo chips I was eating daily!!
Bottom line, take Wingedserpents regimine, and use it as a springboard for developing your own regimin for clear skin. The fact that this worked for him does not necessarily mean that it will work for everyone, in terms of the specifics of his regiment. But, if you notice, it's really at it's core, about eating well, drinking LOTS of water, and exercising......living a healthy life and putting healthy, clean foods into your body.
Yes, there are those out there who can eat anything, do anything to their skin, and never once will they have even a freakin' blackhead!! We all know them ( my lovely husband is one of those people, clear skin his whole life besides a few zits as a teenager, and some blackheads on his nose as a teen) and envy them....but that's just lucky genes. For me, it will be a life-long issue, one that I need to look at as a chronic issue, and will always need to be on top of. It's OK though...I accept that, and will do what I need to do....
Im still breaking out and I dont see how this will help with blackheads though. I have them all over my nose and some on my cheeks, typical t zone problem areas.
mI still juicing, today I had some grain waves chips and two pieces of rolo chocolate, now I feel bad bad bad..........
Wingedserpent- I have read this entire thread and I want to thank you for your original post!!
My one issue is the juicer....both the cost of the juicer, and the cost of the vegetables necessary to make daily juices, does have me looking at the possibility of finding a healthfood store vegetable juice. I know it's been said that V8 juice is a poor substitute, but for the meantime, I am drinking a V8 daily. Yeah, it has high salt, but not as high as the pototo chips I was eating daily!!
Bottom line, take Wingedserpents regimine, and use it as a springboard for developing your own regimin for clear skin. The fact that this worked for him does not necessarily mean that it will work for everyone, in terms of the specifics of his regiment. But, if you notice, it's really at it's core, about eating well, drinking LOTS of water, and exercising......living a healthy life and putting healthy, clean foods into your body.
Thanks! And you're the 100th post! You're absolutely correct to say that people should my regime as a springboard to developing their own regime. My approach is not set in stone -you can tweak the vegetables used, the amount of juice, the level of supplementation, but the key principles -juice and sugar elimination- is what I am trying to promote, as they have been shown to improve skin across large sample sizes.
I know that many people are under financial pressure at the moment, but I would strongly urge anyone to make it a priority for 2012 to get that juicer! It will be the best money you ever spent, and will repay itself to you many times over. Leaving your skin aside, the benefits in terms of energy and mood and wellbeing are immeasurable. If you put great fuel into your body, it will reward you with great performance! That filters down into every area of life.
If you cost up the projected price of the vegetables and buy in bulk I'm sure you'll find that you can accommodate them, although It may mean cutting back on something else. Even if you can't afford all the vegetables, then start off in small way -simply a half a cucumber and a couple of sweet potatoes a day. It doesn't have to break the bank. If you're currently taking supplements, then quit those and spend the money on fresh food. It's money better spent.