Everyone who has been beaten down and suffering from acne whether it be teenage cystic or adult, needs to read this. I'm no stranger to acne. This is my 6th year suffering from it as I crossed the teenage boundary into adulthood at the age of 20. I've tried antibiotics, birth control, natural topical remedies like honey, coconut oil, tea tree oil, and just about every topical treatment you can think of (clean and clear, proactive, BP, retinoids). Let me tell you. READ THIS BEFORE YOU GO TO A DERMATOLOGIST. It might save you from going through all the pain and annoyance that products (that will harm you on the inside more than actually relieve you of your acne) will cause. Here is a way to solve your acne problems. If this works for you, please comment. If not, please offer more tips! This could help a lot of people.
1) TOPICAL: Stop washing your face with any kind of cleanser that isn't all natural. Stick to an all natural, oil-based bar soap. If this is still too drying, cleanse with a cold cream. This has helped a lot of people with cystic acne and has helped to flatten it out right away. Stop letting shampoos you use touch your face. Don't use body washes on your face. Always moisturize and try to use a non-comedogenic oil such as argan or rosehip to moisturize. Don't skip. I know the feeling of not wanting to look at yourself in the mirror or touch your face because your acne has gotten so bad. Be careful and make your your hands are washed whenever you do. If it makes you feel better, apply a moisturizer with a cotton swab or something besides your hands. Remember to tell yourself that it WILL get better. You are not worthless because of your acne.
2) INTERNAL: This category is so big that I will divide it into parts. Everyone with severe acne (hopefully everyone) knows that usually it's an issue caused by something going on internally that is causing inflammation or a hormonal balance. What a lot of people don't realize or fail to accept is that your diet might be messing up your skin, even though you think you may be eating healthy. Personally, having severe acne has led me to become a vegan. Although I did it for my skin at first, I took it as nature's way of telling me that something needs to change for the better and nothing is better for my health, animals, and the planet than veganism. I would recommend watching Vegucated, Cowspiracy, and this in addition to doing more research about veganism. Treat your body with respect. It will reward you. I didn't realize this as I sat in bed, literally depressed for about a year before I realized what the heck I was doing.
- DAIRY: I cut it out. The hormones were definitely messing me up and as soon as I cut it out, the painful cysts were gone within a month. There is an adjustment period, but it is worth it. There are many other issues consuming dairy can cause as well. I will post another post if requested in the comments about dairy and skin.
- GLUTEN: I stupidly thought that this had nothing to do with skin but so many websites mention it. CUT IT OUT. Gluten-filled foods cause the biggest blood sugar spikes in our body, which in turn, mess with your hormones. All of those pimples pop up as cysts along your jawline and up your cheeks eventually. Mine basically outlined my face and even started to work their way up my noise and my forehead. Gluten can impact you badly especially if you have taken antibiotics for your skin have in turn messed up your gut. Make sure to eat lots of probiotic and prebiotic rich foods while your are fixing your diet. This is good for your overall health and your skin. Try to stay away from probiotic capsules until you have figured out the right strain for you (go to a local naturopath).
- SOY: Doesn't break everyone out, but caused huge cysts for me because it messes with your estrogen levels. Plain and simple. Cut it out if you suspect that this is the problem.
- ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS: EAT A LOT OF THEM. Google it and you will find a huge list. What I've found overall is overloading on vegetables is the best for my skin. The cysts disappear within a week. It's literally magic. A spoonful of turmeric and honey is magic but gross.
- SUPPLEMENTS. Visit a naturopath. Get your blood tested. A deficiency may be causing your cysts. Make sure you are taking a daily multivitamin and a B complex (especially if you go vegan).
3) MIND: A conflicted mind is part of the treacherous cycle that acne causes. Your mind is constantly trapped, questioning your own actions about what caused this horrible thing to happen to your face. You need to remember that it's not your fault but it is under your control. You can fix this, and you will fix this. No one else can help you fix it but you. With that, you can't be hard on yourself. All you can do it be grateful for that power and take steps to improve. Do yoga. Exercise. Dance. Do something to relieve yourself of the emotional toll that acne can take on you. Get your lymph nodes cleansed out. Supplements by HUM nutrition and simple things like spirulina powder can also aide you in this but make sure you are MOVING. A couch potato leads to bad things sometimes.
With all of the above, try cutting the food groups out one by one, because you want to figure out what it is. But I strongly recommend for everyone with cystic acne, cutting out the first two. It has made a world of a difference for me. Overloading on vegetables is the secret. Cut out the unhealthy dairy, breads, and hydrogenated oils. Processed food is no good. Eat plants. Life and your skin will treat you tremendously. In the end, we can deal with scar treatment with things like natural oils or if severe, CO2 fractal laser treatments. But step 1 is getting rid of the acne. I wish you all good luck in this tremendously difficult struggle we have all been dealing with. I really truly hope this helps.
