Quetzlcoatl

Hi all - I'll try to keep this as short as possible because I could write a book on the things I've learned about acne and how to deal with it. I'm 25 now and I've had acne for about 13 years. I've spent 10 of those years experimenting on myself for a cure. Many attempts failed, but I did find a few things that worked for me which I hope will help someone else. I've tried to be as scientific as possible in these experiments (I'm a biologist) but if something clearly wasn't working for me, I te

Fats slow the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. Slower digestion means the sugar enters your blood over a longer period of time, leading to a lower spike in blood sugar. Protein has a larger effect, though.

Could be a specific type of fiber that promotes the growth of a niche species in your flora, to which you have an immune response. Solution: don't eat it, I guess.

I wasn't really sure where to post this, but I wanted to share an interesting observation that I made with all of you. I have been on isotretinoin (Accutane/Claravis) twice now for (mostly comedonal) acne that only partially responded to dietary changes and topicals. On both occasions, my athletes foot was permanently cured. Now, you might say, "Quetzl, that doesn't make sense, how can you permanently cure something twice?" To which I reply, read on my friend. I had recurrent athletes foot for

Paleo diet. Include fermented dairy. I would recommend the site Mark's Daily Apple for information. Most people go paleo for weight loss, but it's also very useful for correcting inflammatory disorders such as acne.

Cleanse toxins? How exactly would tea do that? I don't think toxins are the problem. Maybe you should just cut back on sugar and let the outbreak resolve. Of course, green tea does have plenty of anti-inflammatory compounds, so it could help to resolve it faster. Black tea would be much less useful. White tea would be superior to green tea.

I don't buy it. People can suffer acne in their 40s and 50s. Moreover, carbohydrate restriction, while successful for some, is a far cry from a cure. It did nothing for me, for example, and indeed eating a reasonable quantity of carbohydrates daily seems to improve my skin. That being said, I think a diet like the paleo diet is an excellent place to start in the treatment of acne (and a host of other conditions). But I am of the opinion that this is more due to the diet's nutritional density,

It's probably microbial. You could take a probiotic (I recommend Elixa - I may be writing a more in depth post on this probiotic in the near future if my skin continues to improve from it). You could also try different carbohydrate sources. I would avoid grains to start - wheat (including pancakes, pasta, bread, etc), oats, barley, rye, and possibly even rice. I would then avoid legumes (beans, lentils, hummus, peanut butter, etc), which are also mostly carbohydrates, and tend to be antigenic.

Primitive tribes have better lives in some regards, and worse lives in others. I don't think anyone is making the claim that an entirely primitive way of living is superior; however, we can still take bits and pieces of primitive lifestyles that are beneficial, while leaving the parts that are detrimental. For example, we can eat a whole-foods paleo-style diet, while becoming vaccinated against disease. The basis for this is the idea that a total departure from the environment and lifestyle that

Ketones are produced using enzymes that are not involved in the conversion of isotretinoin to retinoid derivatives. Also, people generally enter ketosis every night while sleeping. You should be just fine.

I've tried raw honey, didn't do much for me. It slightly improved skin texture, but did not affect acne.

Paleo isn't really low carb. That's just what people who want to lose weight do. Plenty of starchy root vegetables, fruits, honey, are all great.

I am actually a scientist earning my PhD in immunotherapy. I'm just curious what everyone thinks since most have tested themselves and have come to their own unique conclusions. I've experimented a lot over the past few years and come to a few conclusions. The primary conclusion is that acne, in many cases, is a symptom of immune dysregulation. That is, acne is the outcome of a hyperactive (probably Th1 or Th17) immune response against commensal bacteria - sort of like an autoimmune disorde

I am actually a scientist earning my PhD in immunotherapy. I'm just curious what everyone thinks since most have tested themselves and have come to their own unique conclusions. I've experimented a lot over the past few years and come to a few conclusions. The primary conclusion is that acne, in many cases, is a symptom of immune dysregulation. That is, acne is the outcome of a hyperactive (probably Th1 or Th17) immune response against commensal bacteria - sort of like an autoimmune disord