40 year old male here. If not treated I would say a new zit will pop up each week and every other one will want to be an absolutely huge 4 week monster. My regimine is washing the face with various dandruff shampoos (also have flakey scalp due to seborrhic dermititis) a few times a week (mild cleanser otherwise). Twice a day I use clindamycin and 2.5 BP. When those 'weekly spots' want to pop up I find that ice is the best thing to stop them in their tracks.
However, some still get through and I think I was dealing with about 1 bad breakout/spot a month for the past few years. (With a few minor ones thrown in that I was able to stop with ice).
A few months ago I read about taking Zinc supliments on these interwebs and decided to give it a shot. I take 75 mg a day (25 after lunch and 50 after dinner). After a month or so I really started to notice a difference. The weekly breakouts have gone down to about every other week and they have all been much more quickly neutralized by ice - so I have had zero breakouts that end up bothering me.
So I wouldn't call it a cure (I still do everything else to be safe). But it has sure taken the edge off and would suggest it to anyone who hasn't tried it yet. (But give it a few weeks to really get working). The only negative I have noticed is that my scalp has actually gotten more flakey. Strange...but I would rather deal with brushing a few flakes off my shoulders than greeting the world with a monster on my cheek.
Good to hear it's helping. I've been looking into taking zinc to see if it can curb my oily skin. Have you had any side effects? And what type of zinc are you using? Thanks.
I'm taking 20mg per day and it's keeping my acne under control... if you take more than 20 you should add 2/3mg of copper.
No side effects, I had some minor stomac aches and 3/4 white hairs (yes... if u take too much zinc without copper) when I was taking 60mg per day.
I am taking Sundown Naturals Zinc (as Zinc Gluconate) 50 mg caplets (a total of 75 mg a day). In doing research online there was lots of confusing info about how much to take (some people didn't see results until they got up to 100 mg a day). I heard about balancing it with Copper over a certain mg - but I also read that the actual zinc absorbed in caplet form is much lower than advertised. I will be seeing my general care Dr. soon and will ask him about it.
It dosn't seem to bother my stomach at all. I will report back in a few weeks if the Dr. gives me any good info about dosage.
Yea there's a lot of misinformation out there about zinc dosage and whether or not you need to supplement with copper. If you're looking for info, check out the American Cancer Society's webpage on Zinc. It cover dosages, dangers, supplemental and medicinal interactions, and has a paragraph looking at each of the 15 most recent/relevant studies done on zinc; the full reference list has over 85 entries lol. It's a good one.
A doctor will probably tell you that your body doesn't need that much zinc but anything less than 40 mg shouldn't hurt you, and if you plan to be on 30-60 mg of zinc for more than a month to supplement with 1-2 mg of copper taken at different times than the zinc. A lot of these dosages depend on bodyweight, so your actual tolerable limits will be different if you're thin or heavy. The ones I've said are probably for someone around 175 lbs. (Information garnered from reading hundreds of reviews on zinc as well as various medical sources)
Have either of you noticed a difference in oil production? Less shiny face, drier skin, anything like that?
Yea there's a lot of misinformation out there about zinc dosage and whether or not you need to supplement with copper. If you're looking for info, check out the American Cancer Society's webpage on Zinc. It cover dosages, dangers, supplemental and medicinal interactions, and has a paragraph looking at each of the 15 most recent/relevant studies done on zinc; the full reference list has over 85 entries lol. It's a good one.
A doctor will probably tell you that your body doesn't need that much zinc but anything less than 40 mg shouldn't hurt you, and if you plan to be on 30-60 mg of zinc for more than a month to supplement with 1-2 mg of copper taken at different times than the zinc. A lot of these dosages depend on bodyweight, so your actual tolerable limits will be different if you're thin or heavy. The ones I've said are probably for someone around 175 lbs. (Information garnered from reading hundreds of reviews on zinc as well as various medical sources)
Have either of you noticed a difference in oil production? Less shiny face, drier skin, anything like that?
Yes I have... my skin is drier and I'm not using anything except Zinc (no BP, no creams etc.)
So I don't have to take Zinc with Copper? Separate meals?
Yea there's a lot of misinformation out there about zinc dosage and whether or not you need to supplement with copper. If you're looking for info, check out the American Cancer Society's webpage on Zinc. It cover dosages, dangers, supplemental and medicinal interactions, and has a paragraph looking at each of the 15 most recent/relevant studies done on zinc; the full reference list has over 85 entries lol. It's a good one.
A doctor will probably tell you that your body doesn't need that much zinc but anything less than 40 mg shouldn't hurt you, and if you plan to be on 30-60 mg of zinc for more than a month to supplement with 1-2 mg of copper taken at different times than the zinc. A lot of these dosages depend on bodyweight, so your actual tolerable limits will be different if you're thin or heavy. The ones I've said are probably for someone around 175 lbs. (Information garnered from reading hundreds of reviews on zinc as well as various medical sources)
Have either of you noticed a difference in oil production? Less shiny face, drier skin, anything like that?
Yes I have... my skin is drier and I'm not using anything except Zinc (no BP, no creams etc.)
So I don't have to take Zinc with Copper? Separate meals?
Well I'm no doctor, but all the information I've been able to pull up about zinc says that it can slow the absorption of certain nutrients, the biggest two being copper and iron. I think it would make logical sense to take them at separate times if each interferes with the other's absorption.
All the information I've seen does say to take zinc "with" copper. I took that to mean that if you supplement with zinc you should supplement with copper, not necessarily to actually take zinc "with" copper at the same time.
But that's just what I think. I know they sell zinc/copper combination tablets so I'd imagine any issues with absorption wouldn't be too great; if it were me though I'd try to get separate ones.
Jb00 Congratulations, you say you take Chelated zinc 3 x day, but could you please specify the dosage you are currently taking? Do you notice any adverse side effect? Please, keep reporting after your first week if you still have clear skin.
Do you have a decrease in oil and do you notice a dramatically change in the texture of your skin ( comedons, black heads)?
Jb00 Congratulations, you say you take Chelated zinc 3 x day, but could you please specify the dosage you are currently taking? Do you notice any adverse side effect? Please, keep reporting after your first week if you still have clear skin.
Do you have a decrease in oil and do you notice a dramatically change in the texture of your skin ( comedons, black heads)?
Hi, I added more detail on the another thread to answer your question. Yes, I will do a weekly update for this. I did have a decrease in oil production but I am not sure if it because of the zinc. I achieve a more balance skin tone by using honey, apple cider vinegar and virgin coconut oil.
The blackheads and whiteheads were more effectively removed by using aztec bentonite clay! That is one super mask that makes your pores super clear like you have undergone an expensive deep cleaning facial.
Update: I decided to reduce my doasage of 75mg a day down to 50mg and it seems to be just as effective.
I went for a general checkup today and asked the Dr. what he thought about it and he said he thinks 50mg a day is fine. (He had never heard of ballancing it with copper actually). He assumes I have a zinc deficiancy and that is why it is helping my skin so much.
I will ask my dermatologist about it as well when I go back in the fall - but so far I would say this zinc is finally the big helper I have been looking for.
I would encourage anyone to try it if they haven't yet.
Ok.. so im an indian male 45 years old and have been suffering from oily skin and acne breakouts since i was a teenager.
i had just started taking zinc gluconate 70mg ( with 9mg elemental zince) 2 weeks ago..
i take 1 tablet during dinner
i know it may be too soon to see results but shoudl i be taking a higher dosage ( perhaps 3 tablets) ? do i need a higher dosage of elemental zinc to see actual results.?
Ok.. so i am a 45 yr old Indian male who has been suffering from excessive oily skin and acne breakout since i was a teenager
i had recently started taking 1 70mg Zinc Gluconate Pilll ( which conatains 9 mg elemental zinc ) during dinner, Ive only been taking it for 2 weeks
Should i be taking a higher dosage ( perhaps 3 pills ) for me to see better results ? hioe much of elemental zinc is required ?
Does taking it with meals or before/after meals make a difference and can i spilt the dosage to 2/3 times a day?
i am a 26 year old female i just got a botttle of zinc 50mgs it also has vitamin A,C,E and B-6 now it says to take twice a day and im concernd tho cuz wouldnt that be to much zinc i dont want to die or have life long issuses cuz of takeing to much oh its by Good 'N' Natural and its called Zinc for Acne High Potency Formula... thats what the bottle says
oh and its zinc gluconate