I'm 23/F. I've had mild to moderate acne since I was 14; it has gotten a bit better as I've gotten older but hasn't really completely cleared. I've gotten acne on my forehead, t-zone and chin. It's worst on my chin now but my forehead used to be pretty bad.

I mostly get whiteheads and sometimes red pimples, maybe papules and pustules? I don't think I've ever had cysts or nodules or severe acne. However, I have seb derm that flares up on my forehead when the weather gets colder.

I have never seen a dermatologist so far, but I have an appointment scheduled in November 2022. Prior to that, my pediatrician would just give me topicals (clindamycin, BP, salicylic acid) and my family doctor (a guy I saw after I got too old for the pediatrician) didn't prescribe anything or even mention my acne.

While I wait to see a dermatologist, I've just been controlling my acne with diet. I eat brown rice, salad (no dressing or toppings), chicken breast strips, and sometimes get steamed chicken takeout from a Thai place. I try to drink 5-6 cups of water a day as well.

I haven't had any dairy, sugary desserts/drinks, white flour, deep-fried/salty foods since June 2022 (I've had dairy and white flour in small amounts but honestly close to zero).I think diet is a huge factor / cause for my acne. While eating healthily doesn't clear me completely, it makes it a lot better.

By the way, I don't have a skincare routine beyond wiping my face with Cetaphil cleanser 1-2 times a day. I'm not using any OTC meds or anything like that either. My skin is very sensitive, so I don't want to use anything else but Cetaphil cleanser for that reason.

So what I'm wondering is - for anyone else whose acne is also caused by diet, what's the end game? Do you just plan to avoid dairy/sugar/other junk food forever, or? I can see eating dairy/sugar in moderation as a long-term solution, but it kind of seems like the smallest amount of "bad food" makes my skin worse.