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Hi everyone,
I just want to share what worked for me because I really hope it helps other people or at least gives some hope to keep forging on. I've struggled with acne since I was 10, I'm 27 now. Chronic, cystic, scar-leaving, gross acne nonstop for 17 years, and l've of course tried every kind of medication and cream and herbal pill.
I've wanted to give up SOOO many times!! Whenever I discovered some new idea online, I would get so excited hearing stories of how that one thing was the miracle cure for so many people. Then I'd try it, and it wouldn't do a thing for me, and I'd cry. I'd try the next great idea, again same disappointment. Luckily though, I'm a tenacious person, so I just kept trying, and finally something seems to be happening, so I want to encourage you to do the same! It's worth giving everything a shot b/c you never know what will work for You!
Here's what seems to be working for me so far:
1. Going off dairy Completely really helped me a Lot. I didn't think I could do it, because I had milk, cheese and yogurt every single day, but once I saw the improvement, it became so easy to let go of dairy in exchange for CONTROL, something I had never had before over my acne! It's an amazing feeling, so please, as hard as it sounds, try going off dairy first, because more and more evidence links it to acne for many people (not everyone tho). I can't drink soy (b/c it has the same effect on me as dairy), so I drink vanilla almond milk (almond's vitamin E has made my skin softer!), have almond cheese, and coconut milk ice cream, and all is well! It's not easy to always avoid dairy, but it's easier than i thought and 100% worth it.
Strangely going off dairy has also brought me back to my correct weight - I was only 5 pounds over and couldn't lose it, but going off dairy, even though i'm eating more meat to replace the protein loss, has helped! Maybe also because I've been forced to be more creative and healthy with my food choices now that I don't have the luxury of grabbing pizza or processed junk on the go...
2. I know I suffer from hormonal acne because I break out right before my period (and if milk affects you, you probably have hormonal acne). Birth control pills did nothing for me. Going off milk helped 90% of my acne, but I was still breaking out during PMS a bit. So I kept reading about more ideas and came across Calcium-magnesium-zinc-vitamin D pills. I know that sounds like a bit much, but it's all in one supplement, and the combination of these nutrients keeps hormones balanced. Apparently Dr. Oz recommends this combo too. Nature made has a safe amount that minimizes potential side effects. I take them 2-3 times a day and more around my period, and i barely broke out last time. It's too early to declare this my miracle, but it's certainly something good! For the first time in my life I can start looking up ideas on how to heal acne scars rather than just how to prevent acne. I don't think this supplement would've worked on me if I were still eating dairy, though. Dairy was the root problem that prevented anything else from helping me. I just wish I had heard about it years ago!!!! Tell everyone you know, we need to spread this knowledge!!
3. I also take omega 3 fish oil almost everyday, although I can't say it has directly helped my acne. I can't be sure. But it works for many people, so it's worth a try and it's very healthy for you anyway!
4. I bought Broccolive pills recently, because they sound amazing. the Indole 3 Carbinol in broccoli and other cruciferous veggies is also known to balance hormones, and apparently Broccolive has the highest potency and has helped people with acne. I'm going to wait before starting them, to see how long this Ca-Mg-Zn-D pill experiment works for me. I'll keep you posted.
Bottom line: Find the root cause and obliterate it. If you suspect it's hormones, try everything to balance your hormones. Keep researching, reading, trying, and failing, and then trying again. Accept that most things won't work on you, and then you'll feel less depressed when they don't, and you'll be ready to try the next thing. DON'T GIVE UP!!!! I want you to find your cure, it's out there!!!!
Note: Accutane did nothing for me, PLEASE DON'T GO ON ACCUTANE!!! It's not worth it, very few people I know had their acne completely cured by it, and with the damage it causes/can cause, and all those copays and blood tests, it's just not worth it! If you really want to try it, don't go on it again if it doesn't work the first time! Your derm is a money-grubbing idiot if they're telling you to do that, think about who stands to benefit! I don't think most derms really look out for our best interests, but that's another issue.
Thank you acne.org for providing this forum. it has helped me SOO much! Good luck to everyone and let me know how it goes!!!!! With love, river333
Hi River333,
On the whole, great advice!!! 
However, I would add that meat and fish can cause acne too. Your body just doesn't need meat, fish or dairy. They're also loaded with antibiotics, hormones, toxins, heavy metals, disease etc. A mostly raw, organic, balanced, nutrient packed, healthy vegan diet is what halted my acne longterm.
However, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ABOUT DAIRY!!! Going off dairy completely is HUGELY beneficial. Thanks for making this incredibly important statement. It is so vital to get off dairy for good skin. As you said, people need to know that dairy can be a major culprit of acne. And even if you don't get acne from it, it wrecks you're immune system and can be attributed to other diseases like arthritis, cancer and diabetes to name a few.
Also, your vitamin combination sounds great!!! I don't take calcium, however, because I don't drink sodas or caffeine (which tends to leech calcium from your system). I get it from my food like sesame seeds, hummus, tahini, chickpeas, broccoli, kale, nuts etc. I also read that aging is attributed to calcification of the body, and the more younger you are or youthful/ healthy, the more magnesium you have in your body. So, I do take magnesium supplements which is so very key to optimum health (also great for PMS, period cramps, relaxation and sleep). It's largely an overlooked mineral though. As for vitamin D, I get mine from the sun (mostly I have direct sun exposure 1/2hr to 1hr per day without sunblock). This is a crucial vitamin. And of course, zinc is a great mineral for clear skin and fertility/ reproduction health. Peanuts and pumpkin seeds are packed with it.
As for Broccolive pills, I haven't heard about it!!! Must do research on it Please let us all know if you find it has a positive impact on your health and skin. I love learning about new great nutrient supplements that help improve your overall heath and skin.
Cheers,
AS
PS I was tempted to go on Accutane. But I never did. My friend did and her beautiful thick raven hair thinned out so much and her skin went bone dry, even her palms were crinkled dry. I didn't go on it because I was worried about my future children (if I had them) as it can cause birth defects. However, I totally ruined my skin with BP (which is so bad to use longterm). Benzoyl Peroxide gives you such damaged skin which I can only describe as "crocodile skin"!!! Anyway, I'm now on a mission to get my skin damage sorted out by skin needling and it's going reallllly well Might be something to look into for you too
Also, I hate to say it, but I did try botox once (just under my eyes to make them appear wider, stupid reason I know NOW!!!). In this way, I did not use it for wrinkles around my eyes (as I gently dab pure natural vitamin E everyday and night and have absolutely no wrinkles around my eyes -- pure natural vitamin E is highly recommended for anti-aging around your eyes -- might be great too for the forehead wrinkles but I used BP instead, which was a verrrrrry bad mistake!!!). So, although I escaped the Accutane trap, I did fall into the botox trap (and they're BOTH equally awful for your longterm health!!!AVOID AVOID AVOID!!!!!!!!!). I now wish I hadn't!!! Who knows how botox can affect your health longterm or your babies (if you ever have them). Anyway, lesson learned. I'll stick to natural, mostly raw, organic, foods and leading a healthy lifestyle. I'll also use techniques that repair the skin, naturally builds collagen and maintains glowing skin like gentle skin needling with vitamin C serum (and other vitamin packed serums) plus low strength glycolic peels.
Hi Aquasea,
Thanks for your response. I saw your other post as well about your whole regimen. It was very helpful, thank you! Because of you I started looking up skin needling and it sounds pretty awesome, I definitely want to give it a try. I wish it helped with red scars and hyperpigmentation though, but hopefully it'll at least help with my icepick and rolling scars. Should I wait until my dark spots have faded a bit more? I'm soooo glad there's a non-surgical option!
Thanks for the BP warning too. I've stopped using it. I just use salicylic acid, but mostly I try to stick with natural stuff - tea tree oil + aloe vera, honey + turmeric, tomato, and rose water + glycerin + lemon juice combo for helping to fade scars. I also use a 25% glycolic acid peel at home, which seems to make my skin softer and a little smoother.
I'll keep you posted on the Broccolive pills once I start them!
Thanks,
River
Hi River333
Wonderful to hear that you're off the BP!!!
And yes, skin needling has been really effective so far. I HIGHLY recommend it for scarring, pigmentation etc. However, it's a slow process. It takes about 2 weeks before you start to notice structural improvements. So look at it like a 6-month regimen at least.
I also might look into a professional in-clinic skin needling session in about 2 months (NOTE: however, I will see how well the home skin needling goes first) on the most damaged skin/ scars on my face ONLY with maybe a 1.00mm or 1.5mm needle (NB: nothing above 2.00mm though, best to stick below 1.5mm size). Just don't let the clinicians "overdo" your in-clinic skin-needling if you choose this too; as some therapists are too aggressive and can damage the skin further. So, go to a professional, highly skilled, veteran skin needling expert.
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Here are some VITAL key tips for successful home skin needling:
1. I recommend home skin needling with the novaderma's 0.75mm home roller 2 or 3 times a week (spaced out 2 or 3 days): GET IT FROM CLEAR SKINCARE CLINICS online!!!
**IMPORTANT NOTE******: Keep all the tools and products in a sterilized, hygienic environment i.e. in a clean box in the fridge. Make sure you only wash the needle/roller under plain hot water for 2-3 minutes after needling , let it dry naturally and then place in casing and in fridge for future use.
Also, after 2 weeks of using the skin needling; try applying pressure until you see a little speckle of blood. I noticed more skin improvements days later when I did this. I read this elsewhere too. Just DON'T OVERDO IT!!! Let your skin heal too. It takes 6-12 months for skin to remodel itself.
Then AFTER skin needling for 2-3 minutes in different directions do one of the following (on alternate days even):
A. For scarring and redness use Copper Peptide serum (NOTE: but only use Copper Peptide serum short term i.e. 2-3 months as it can thin the skin);
B. For pigmentation and damaged skin/ wrinkles, apply Vitamin C serum before you apply:
- "New Skin" (containing vitamin A)
- "Clear Skin" -- (PLEASE USE ONLY short-term i.e. 2-3 months max as it contains hydroquinone 2%, which is effective but HIGHLY TOXIC)
NOTE: You can get all this from Clear Skincare Clinics online -- highly recommended brand as its engineered by the expertise of a doctor.
C. On days between skin needling, apply hyaluronic acid (HA Serum) by Clear Skincare Clinics first and then apply their "New Skin" and "Clear Skin" daily.
D. When you get your desired results, switch to glycolic acid 10-12% strength daily with maybe hyaluronic acid or a natural organic oil like pure natural vitamin e, organic macadamia oil, virgin organic coconut oil.
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Cheers, !!
AS
PS You're right, 25% glycolic acid home peels rock!!!
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How are you doing and have you managed to stay mostly clear?
Hey pegz thanks for the question. So it turns out I did speak a little too soon 
which seems to be the case for a lot of people on these message boards...I learned my lesson! So while I still think going off dairy is helping a Lot, I did break out horribly a week before my last period, so the Ca-Mg pills turned out to not be enough. There's still some serious hormonal issues going on.
A few other factors contributed to this problem - first, i somehow forgot about taking my fish oil for a couple weeks (!?!) I guess because there's more to keep track of now. I think it was helping me though, b/c once I got back on it, I noticed a difference. Also, I very intelligently (heavy sarcasm) decided to start taking the Broccolive pills one week before my period, and I think there's an initial breakout with that. All this added up to an unbearable breakout and so I got off the broccolive for now so I can maintain some sanity.
I also started reading threads about the digestion-acne connection and how that can affect hormones too. I know I'm being all over the place and should take things more slowly...but oh well. I started taking fiber and probiotics, and while I am currently going through quite the initial breakout from it (let's hope it's only an IB, not permanent!), I feel great, because my BM's have improved so much. I never had bad ones to begin with, but when you start taking fiber, you realize how much more you can improve. I am hoping the IB is just a herxheimer reaction (detox reaction), so I'm going to stick it out this time and see what happens. Will keep you updated.
Anyone have any experience with probiotics? it's hard to find people who actually stuck it out through the IB, I wonder how long it's supposed to last.
Update: it looks as though this initial breakout while on probiotics was just an initial reaction (fingers crossed, can't say for sure yet until i wait it out longer). For those of you wondering, i didn't start breaking out until 4-6 days into taking fiber/probiotics, and the inflammation lasted 4-5 days. It just so happens that at that point, I started increasing my intake of fiber/probiotics (i was taking less than recommended before), so I don't know, maybe that sped up the detox process. I'm still waiting for the big zits I got to shrink and die, but thankfully the major inflammation and constant rise of zits has slowed (knock on wood!). I think 50 mg of zinc daily is helping a lot with that.
I've also started green smoothies recently, and while it's too early to tell if they're helping, I am loving making and drinking them everyday. When you look at how greens like kale are so nutrient dense with exactly what is needed to help our skin, how can you Not try it! even if it doesn't completely rid me of acne (i've learned not to expect that of anything), I believe it will help a lot, and help my health enormously. I strongly recommend green smoothies! there are acne.org posts on it, and google it too.
