Adult acne and diet

hbunting86

Hi

Just thought I'd try adding this on here as I'm pretty sure diet relates to skin conditions and could use some advice.

Basically, I'm 26 years old and throughout my teens never ever had an issue with acne - I'd get the very occasional lone ranger of a pimple but that's about it. Fast forward a decade and my skin has gone haywire. I get really sore blemishes on the lower part of my face (particularly my chin and nose area) which are red, inflamed and also crack and bleed sometimes.

Tried the usual off-the-shelf stuff but this is aimed at teen acne and I really am beginning to doubt that it should be treated the same.

I guess I'm asking if people have experienced this and what they've used treatment wise and also if anything diet-related has affected this. I'm so sick of going around in circles but it's getting me down each time I look in the mirror.

H

MrsInmon

I've always had acne, mostly because of my bad eating habits but also stress and not washing my face every night.

For the past 5 years I have been washing my face with Nuetrogena face soup, I use it on my thighs too so I don't break out. It's worked wonders. As soon as I forget to wash my face ONE night, I break out but if I do it every night I seem to be fine. I know the feeling of an acne face. I have used Proactiv and others but they just dry out my face and then I have other problems. I even took prescribed pills and that was giving me weird side effects. Nuetrogena seems to help, it also helps that I use Nuetrogena make up and make-up remover.

PulchritudinousLady

I HEART natural soaps like Aloe, Aloe, Aloe bar by Chagrin Valley Soap & Salve. http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/

AMAZING so long as I remember to wash my face every night.

hbunting86

Ah k

I was considering the ProActiv but they seem aimed at teen acne caused from hormonal oiliness - all salycylic acid does is dry things out. My skin is dry already and breaking out, so that will really just cause more problems as you've experienced.

What is the neutrogena stuff? I'm looking for things without harsh chemicals as you say it just creates problems!

Like now it's weekend so no make-up or anything (only wear it if I've got a meeting at work) but I can still feel my skin throb. Not really very nice

MoreBean13

I believe that acne is mostly hormonal, and a very small percentage, if any diet related. The exception being drinking enough water- hydration can be a significant factor in skin problems. I have read some articles that suggest antioxidants like vitamin C can benefit the skin, too.

Anyway, I have had great success using a 10% benzoyl peroxide bar soap, followed by a solution that I make of which hazel and a little bit of tea tree oil. The benzoyl peroxide can be harsh for people, but I highly recommend trying a toner of which hazel and tea tree oil- it's been like a miracle solution for my skin. Tea tree oil is not water soluble, so I keep them in a little bottle that I shake vigorously before applying. I buy the tea tree oil online (because it costs like 1/10 as much as in my local stores) and witch hazel you can buy anywhere.

xosmsox

Get on a birth control that treats acne. Works fabulously for me

rahrahrita

Have you tried going dairy free? I went dairy free for acne about 6 months ago, but that was also the time where I started to eat better overall, and my skin cleared up completely. Now I eat some dairy (only Greek yogurt and cheese, I switched to almond milk) and my acne still hasn't come back.

BarbWhite09

I've had acne since I was a teen (normally around 'that time') but my dad has adult acne (he's 72!) So I think I'm basically doomed with it...any changed Ive had in diet have never made a difference (neither have any of his changes thus far)...I don't believe mine is related to foods at all...its hormonal, and the 2 birth controls I've tried (that shiz makes me a nut case, eff that!) have never made any difference. I'm normally just prepared around "that time" that I'll make sure I can use my concealer really well...Lol

PunkyRachel

Oily skin and hair run in my family, I have struggled with acne since I was about 10-11 years old. My acne actually got worse now that I'm loosing weight. I don't think its because of diet and more from exercising and sweating and whatnot. I even drink mostly water now too. I've just accepted I'm always going to have acne issues. My mom, whom is in her 50's, is still fighting with her acne.

iwantahealthierme13

Fish oil supplements, it will make your skin and hair more oily at first but it levels out when you take it regularly.

& if you have the line "Simple Skincare" where you are, that works too! It's cheap and you can find it at Walmart if it is where you are. And drink more water.

sjmn

I don't know if this will help, but I've had acne mostly on my chin for as long as I can remember. I didn't even think anything of it because it has always been there and my make-up covered it up so it wasn't really an issue.

I decided to cut down on dairy over the past few months, and currently only eat dairy once in a blue moon, like if it's an ingredient in a baked good or something. My acne is now completely gone. A month or two ago I messed up and ate some dairy at a party (chocolate I think) and the next day my face was a mess. It took about 3-4 days for it to go away. Maybe try giving it up for 1 week and see what happens... what have you got to lose?

nixrun

I've been asking myself the same thing. I started getting pimples in my journey to lose weight and these weren't like the acne I experienced in high school. These are almost like boils and are very painful and embarrassing, especially when your body is changing and you want to show it off. I'm almost 30 years old. I have just been washing my face and putting on face masks daily. At night I put antibiotic ointment over them and hope for the best in the morning. Like I said it first started this year and I have been experiencing them in the same spots as you: nose, chin. and lower cheeks.

sarah3333

I had this problem, tried everything. I stopped drinking diet soda and drank nothing but water for a couple months and I think that's what finally made it clear up.

wackyfunster

Get tested for allergies (airborne and food). That is what triggers it for me.

kazala

I have hormonal acne and eczema that were cleared up by a combined oral contraceptive. I had to come off this as I got migraines and can't have a progesterone alternative due to horrible side effects. My skin got worse. I started taking soya isoflavones from my local health food shop, these are like natures oestrogen apparently. It helped quite a bit but not totally. I then discovered a skin care range called Avene Thermal. It's made from spring water in France and all I can say is OMG AMAZING. My skin has cleared up completely in 6 weeks of use. I would highly recommend though some of the range are a bit pricey! X

hbunting86

Maybe that's it... I was on the pill before and not now. Gah who knows! It's just so sore it is getting to me, and looks horrible and crusty

hbunting86

BUMP

ellie78

I had this problem a few years ago and my dermatologist recommended birth control pills. I've also had huge success switching to a sensitive skincare line that is free of dyes, perfumes, parabens, sulfates, etc. Personally I like First Aid Beauty, its relatively inexpensive and you can get it from Sephora. The Simple skincare line is also good, but I personally found the moisturizer too heavy. I think the best thing I realized during my bought of skin problems was that I needed just be nice to my skin and stop attacking it with all of those horrible chemicals. Once I stopped with all the treatments and just started using a natural product my skin cleared up almost immediately.

piratesaregrand

I went to the dr about mine, nothing would get rid of it. I got put on doxycycline, which is a low dose antibiotic. You can tell the second I stop taking it. It has worked wonders. And in nz I only pay $3 for a 3 month supply

SyntonicGarden

I don't know if this will help, but I've had acne mostly on my chin for as long as I can remember. I didn't even think anything of it because it has always been there and my make-up covered it up so it wasn't really an issue.

I decided to cut down on dairy over the past few months, and currently only eat dairy once in a blue moon, like if it's an ingredient in a baked good or something. My acne is now completely gone. A month or two ago I messed up and ate some dairy at a party (chocolate I think) and the next day my face was a mess. It took about 3-4 days for it to go away. Maybe try giving it up for 1 week and see what happens... what have you got to lose?

I was also gonna suggest dairy might be an issue. My skin seems to tolerate yogurt but if I have a glass of milk or eat cheese too many days in a row, within a day, my skin goes to heck and back in a painful hand basket and like the above poster, it takes 3 - 4 days to calm back down again.

Afterthought... Some of the other posters mentioned going on birth control pills. They may help however I can say from personal experience that even while on OC, the dairy was still very much a trigger for my bad skin. The OC helped a bit, but cutting out dairy and artificial sweeteners helped me too. Acesulfame K (in just about every 0 cal thing these days) is a surefire trigger for painful spots that take days to come to the surface and are painful as all heck.

glennstoudt

Ah k

I was considering the ProActiv but they seem aimed at teen acne caused from hormonal oiliness - all salycylic acid does is dry things out. My skin is dry already and breaking out, so that will really just cause more problems as you've experienced.

What is the neutrogena stuff? I'm looking for things without harsh chemicals as you say it just creates problems!

Like now it's weekend so no make-up or anything (only wear it if I've got a meeting at work) but I can still feel my skin throb. Not reall"

Go see a dermatologist. You might be a candidate for a quick fix with a mild steroid cream, or it could be systemic and diet related, hormonal. I am not qualified to say of course but he or she might be. Why continue to agonize, get a professional opinion.