After years of employing topical solutions in an earnest endeavor to address my persistent acne issues, a realization gradually dawned upon me- the root cause may be internal rather than external. Despite experimenting with various topicals, none seemed efficacious. I knew that maybe, just maybe it was something that I was or was not putting into my body.
My first dermatologist, Dr. Love put me on an antibiotic called Minocycline and a topical. This was the first time I had ever taken an oral medication to treat acne-which I harbored the belief that this would work! Improvements surfaced within the initial month: witnessing the gradual subsidence of both active acne and hyperpigmentation. But after about three months the acne came back… and with a vengeance. The ensuring emotional toll manifested itself in the specter of depression, looming ominously within arm’s reach.
Suffering from severe active acne, I did hours upon hours of research, and I was given a lot of advice. I do appreciate those that tried to help but a lot of times your advice was unwanted because 9 times out of 10, I had already tried it-But thanks for reminding me of the very thing I am trying not think about while going out in public.
Thing’s I was told;
-Avoid Dairy Products
-Avoid Sugar
-Avoid Soda Pop
-Avoid All Alcohol
-Avoid Processed Foods
-Avoid Fried Foods
-Avoid Greasy Foods
-Avoid CHOCOLATE (Punches wall)
-Avoid Fruity Drinks
I avoided all those things…. And still had severe acne.
I’ve tried A LOT of things! Below I will speak on medications and diets that I saw beneficial.
Isotretinoin (Accutane): This is to treat severe acne. I was on Accutane for about three months. It dried my skin out like a raisin, but it worked! I finally had clear skin after three months. No acne, no scarring, just clear skin, and no-depression. While on Accutane, I remember being so depressed-I cried a lot and I did not want to live. After about five months (post Accutane) of acne/blemish free skin, I started breaking out again. Yes, Accutane temporarily worked but it was not worth the depression and even more depression when the acne came back. This is probably the closest to an acne cure you can get by an oral medication- but in most cases, it’s just temporary. (I do not have many photos pre-Accutane but I have photos while on Accutane and post Accutane).
Laxatives/The Cleaner (Women’s Formula): When I got back to the United States from S. Korea, I was told that I had a parasite. Yes, a parasite! After doing research, I found that detoxing helps get rid of parasites. I used “The Cleaner” and went on a five-day cleanse, only clean eating. My skin went from severe to mild acne in a matter of three days. I knew that it was something I was eating! When I went back to my regular diet, I started breaking out again. To this day, every month, I give my body a reset by detoxing for a few days. Although this may not clear you up completely, I believe that body cleansing is beneficial for your skin and your overall health.
Juicing: Juicing goes hand in hand with detoxing and body cleansing. Juicing is the liquid content of extracted fruits and vegetables. I found out about juicing when I moved to Charlottee, North Carolina and heard that it was great for your skin. Just like laxatives and colon cleansing my skin cleared up after a few days. The texture of my skin changed as well. Again, this may not clear you up completely, but I believe that juicing is beneficial for your skin and overall health.
Avoiding Soy: I will keep this short because I've written about soy in its own individual blog post. But avoiding soy at all costs has kept my skin clear for the last two years.
There are eight common allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish, and shellfish. They’re allergens for a reason! After trying every topical, birth controls, harsh pills and more, soy was the culprit! Maybe soy or one (or more) of the other allergens is the reason for your skin concerns.
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