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Dr Jerome Litt is an older dermatologist who has advice for what works and doesn't work in controlling acne. His posts can be found on Health Tap and are very interesting. He says there are many disagreements in the professional community regarding diet and acne but he is one dermatologist who firmly believes there is a connection. He recommends avoiding all dairy foods, high sugar foods, and all nuts including peanut butter. He has seen dramatic improvement in patients who do this and who also use benzoil peroxide products. https://www.healthtap.com/topics/do-nuts-cause-acne
I found this very interesting and did what he said. I have sensitive skin and even with my regime below was still getting little spots here and there. I wasn't worried about them...but why not go for totally clear and maybe use less meds? So I have been following his dietary advice for a couple of weeks and my skin has been totally clear. I used to eat a handful of nuts everyday (organic almonds or walnuts). The problem with nuts is their high Omega 6 content which can cause inflammation in acne prone people.
I need to update my info below but now I am off the retin-a (it caused too much peeling anyway) and I hope to move towards getting off the doxy too.
Anyway hope this might be of interest to others!
I followed an organic mostly vegetarian diet, was gluten-free and avoided sugary foods but kept on eating nuts thinking they're good for you. Yes, they have Omega 3 but they also have lots of Omega 6. It's the ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 that counts as far as inflammation is concerned. Acne prone people are particularly sensitive to anything that increases inflammation and nuts have eneough Omega 6 to tip the scale. In non-acne-prone persons this is not the case. They benefit from the way nuts increase skin oils...acne prone people do not. Another thing is that nuts are hard to digest and anything that causes the stomach and intestines to work too hard increases inflammation in the gut (our inner skin) which then also causes inflammation in the outer skin. That's why probiotics are so helpful for acne...they heal the gut which in turn helps to heal the outer skin.
Diet alone never solved my acne problem. It took the complicated regime below in addition to diet to really control my acne. I tried for years to do only natural treatments. They helped but never worked that well. I think what really made the difference was using a good BP cleanser + Cleocin-T solution + monthly microdermabrasions. That combo kicked out my acne and has kept it under control for over a year now.
The 40mg of Doxy is mostly for my rosacea but I'm not sure it really does anything so I'll be weaning off it soon. The low dose Spironolactone is for androgen control since I suffered from cystic acne which is caused by a sensitivity to male hormones (androgens).
Arrggh, I think you are right, but I don't want to have to give up another type of food! I don't do dairy or gluten (still have acne), have cut out soy for the most part, only eat minimal meat... But I could reduce my nut/nut butter intake. I know that I should replace them with vegetables. I know this. But it is difficult! Do you eat eggs, beans, and grains? Any supplements? Would love to know what you are doing!
I eat eggs, beans and grains. I have to be careful with grains though and, especially, not eat wheat everyday. I became allergic to a lot of things, especially wheat and did an extremely strict diet for several years which helped lower my sensitivity --- yeah! Now I just have to be sure to rotate my grains throughout the week. I eat mostly rice and then have wheat maybe once or twice a week. For breakfast, I eat oatmeal a couple times a week and rice or potatoes other days of the week. My supplements are listed below. I strictly avoid all dairy, nuts (including peanuts) and sugary foods...everything in those food groups. It's hard but not that hard. For example, I use an organic margarine that has no transfats, soy milk, and I love avocado. I've found that in mexican foods and anything that uses cheese that avocado is a very nice and tasty substitute. It gets creamy tasting when heated so I like it in burritos, etc. My treatment regime was put together by my derm who is tops in this area and who specializes in adult chronic acne. It is a bit time consuming but it works. I still get 1-2 teeny tiny zits a week but they are hardly noticable, not infected, and I think that is normal for most people.