Acne Support Group

Hi! I'm new to this site, thought I'd share my experiences...

I too have been struggling with my skin for years, since the age of 11 and I'm now 23. When I was a teenager I did eat alot of junk food and my parents said this was why I had acne, although my doctor said I could eat what I wanted and it wouldn't make a difference. My acne didn't get much worse but it certainly didn't improve either.

For the past couple of months I've been on this health kick in a bid to help clear up my skin. I'm pretty much living on salad, fruit and veg. I get pretty regular breakouts and at present my current attempts don't really seem to be doing too much, but it may be too early to tell. From research I've done I've heard that Vitamin A and Zinc are supposed to help your skin, so perhaps trying to include more of these in your diet may help? If you want to do this by vitamin supplements it would probably be best to do some research into what dosage to take. I also read somewhere that there is a link between people who eat alot of poultry and acne...not quite sure how true that is though as I'm a vegetarian. One thing that has helped however is cutting alcohol and fizzy drinks out of my diet.

Hope that's helpful!

L x

I definentily believe so. I used to not eat as healthy and it can effect your whole body, inside and out. Cutting out things like pop, sugars, fast food and junk food are just a way to start. Think of your body like a car, would you want it to be running on really bad fuel or would you like to give it premium fuel? I personally drink almost a gallon of water every day, take vitamins and fish oil tablets, and try and eat fruit, vegetables, complex carbs (such as wheat pasta and whole grain breads) and have seen an change in my overall health, energy, and skin. Doing things like exercise will help you sleep better and be more confident also. Combine this with some good hygiene skills and your guaranteed to see some results and be more confident in yourself. Good luck!

I heard that was a myth. But a fact is that drinking water keeps your skin hydrated and not dry.

I have read there may be a link between iodine intake and acne. I am not sure. Because of this I refrained from eating sea fish for one year. However, I am back to eating fish now, and with the right acne treatment, I don't have any break outs.
There's also a connection between insulin and acne so it maybe advisable to reduce the refined sugars intake

No, no link has been found between your diet and acne. Of course if you are on a healthy diet, your whole body will benefit from it, so it is highly recommended that you do eat healthy. Also, drinking a lot of water helps! However there is no direct link between how much you breakout and the food you eat. For example, the fact that eating chocolate worsens your acne is a myth! Also, another advice: if your skin is very sensitive and it tends to get red easily, try to avoid extra-spicy food. These foods tend to especially worsen certain kinds of acne, such as rosacea.
So try to keep healthy habits and your skin will benefit, but don't obsess over it, because dermatologists haven't found a link between the 2. Ask your dermatologist for confirmation.. He'll tell you the same thing!

Margy is right. Chronic acne problems are largely hormonal. Stress, makeup, cleanliness, & food can exacerbate acne-prone skin.

food doesnt make a big diffrence to my skin really. I find if i eat greasy foods to much my skin will get oily. I usualy try to eat fruits and veg i just think my skin looks more glowing and healthy and i drink 2 litres of water a day which helps to keep it clear and looking good.

If i drink to much cider on a night out i break out in spots though!

You'd be surprised how much effect diet can have on you. It probably wouldn't effect acne much. It the long run though, it improves other things... can correct LOTS of health problems- not necessarily cure, but at least make them less severe.

Diet does play little role in acne (says the girl with a horrible diet) but it's really not a bad idea to have a good diet.

From what I have observed through a 10 year history of whiteheads, blackheads, reddish skin/ blemishes, and minor cysts, I have concluded that when I eat greasy foods such as: pizza, all fast food, deep fried anything (obviously), lots of peanut butter- I seem to breakout. While there maybe no scientific evidence to conclude diet directly effects acne, it does worsen it when our acne is vulnerable. Its like alchohol and violence. It doesn't make us more violent though we tend to be more offended more easily and behave stupidily.

Getting enough sleep I have realized helps a lot. I can physically feel my face a bit more "swollen" when I don't get enough rest. Also, I have discovered I sometimes sleep on the side of my face which might not have the pores remain unclogged.

But severe acne can only be helped so much. Those pesky hormones are rumbling through our teens and twenties. I'm 26 I can't seem to calm those pesky hormones. : ))))

Through it yall, I suggest you do the best you can with your acne but accept it for what it is----we live in such a what-meets-the-eye culture and we tend to ignore what good we have when we focus on our unclear skin.

Life is beautiful......in all ways....

I think there is. You can only do so many external treatments before you start thinking the problem is really internal. I smoke, eat a diet high in sugar and drink a ton of coffee and pop. Needless to say my face is broke out. For 3 days I gave up caffeine, sugar and cigs and my face started clearing up. I unfortunately didn't keep at it. I found sugar and cigs are really hard to get off of. I plan on doing it again and I'll post my results. I'd like to get a med first to help ease the process because it's hell.