It’s really hard to avoid something that is staring you right in the face. It doesn’t matter if its picture day at school, your birthday, or your wedding day- acne will flare up when and where it wants to. Treating acne is extremely multifaceted and it can be difficult to achieve long lasting clear skin depending on who you are. I am one of the many people who struggle with acne vulgaris on a daily basis. I’ve invested a lot of time and money towards trying to figure out what works for me and I hope that some of this may be relatable to you. Below is a quick overview of several subjects including diet, pharmaceuticals, and mental health. Feel free to scroll down and explore my journey, tips, and of course some good old scientific research.
1. Diet
Without delving too deep into all the dieting fads and faux pas of acne I wanted to share a quick run through of what foods you may want to try avoiding. Milk and dairy products for one have been linked to acne likely because of the content of hormones produced by cows during pregnancy. The key hormone, IGF-1, leads to the development of sebum/oil and acne lesions. In addition, when you consume foods with carbohydrates (sugars and starches) that are refined i.e. your white pasta, white bread, etc. your blood sugar spikes. This stimulates the release of insulin (the same IGF-1) which again leads to an increased production of sebum as well as inflammation. In a study conducted by Smith et al. 43 male subjects were divided into 2 groups, one which consumed a diet with a high glycemic load vs one with a low glycemic load. 10 weeks later, the group who consumed a low glycemic load was found to have better insulin sensitivity, a lower BMI, and fewer acne lesions! So essentially, to NO ONES surprise, eating healthy will also make your skin healthy. The consumption of products that are deep fried, very sweet (chocolate), or packaged likely won’t do you much good. Personally, I am in the middle of trying a diet that consists of only low-glycemic foods (with the exception of a few cheat days of course). If you want to learn more about my journey and the foods I make click here to learn more.
2. Environment
These are all pretty self-explanatory tips but if you aren’t already doing them, I suggest you start. Truly, I guarantee you it will not hurt to try. One of the first tips I’d give to anyone who struggles with acne (especially along the jawline, cheeks, and/or forehead) is to change your pillowcases regularly. If your someone who sweats a lot at night or tends to wear lots of hair products, change them even more frequently (every night if you can). Next, limit the amount of time you spend in front of the mirror. I know, strange right? If your anything like me it is very easy to spend way too much time in the mirror picking at zits and obsessing over every lump and scar on your face. So, if you tend to do the same I suggest you limit your mirror-time and DON’T PICK AT YOUR SKIN. Picking can cause scars, increase inflammation, and allow new bacteria to enter your skin. Let it do its job, no picking or touching!
3. Mental Health
Whether you are interested primarily in your health or your appearance (or both), acne is likely to take a toll on your mental health. There have been countless times where I have been told I have acne because I don’t wash my face (not true), I eat like s*$@t (not true), or I don’t take care of myself (you guessed it- not true). Then again, people tend to make assumptions on pretty much anything and everything these days regardless of how hard you have struggled to achieve clear skin or really any health goal. One book I was referred to by my naturopathic doctor that I suggest everyone read is called Skin Deep by Ted Grossbart which is essentially a mind/body program for healthy skin. Best part is that it’s totally free- check out this link to learn more http://grossbart.com/SkinDeep.pdf.
4. Supplements
Before I delve any further, I must disclose that my use of supplements in the past were mostly driven by Yahoo threads. I know- learn from my mistakes. Young Angelica assumed that she could continue to eat whatever she wanted, put whatever she wanted on her skin, and that a supplement would fix all her problems. Big mistake. Without actually conferring with any health care practitioners I started to take daily multivitamins, then vitamin D supplements, and then random herbal supplements blends that were far too big to swallow. Needless to say, I spent a lot of money and had absolutely no change in my acne (shocker right). If there is anything I learned from that experience it’s to actually seek help from a health care practitioner before you start popping supplements. Just because a comment on Cindy’s mommy blog said Vitamin D supplements helped her acne means absolutely nothing- your skin is distinct and unique. In addition, it’s important that you first make changes to your diet before trying any supplements- the key to healthy skin, for me, was eating right!
5. Makeup and Cleansers
Acne and makeup work in a very meticulous yet vicious cycle. If you suffer from acne you have probably been told to stop wearing makeup because its clogging your pores and making your skin worse. Although this may be true, a lot of people depend on makeup to hide their acne from those around them and even from themselves. I suggest wearing makeup, if you need to, as little as possible especially if you are having a “good skin” day. When choosing makeup be sure to check that your makeup is within the expiry date and that the product is NON-COMEDOGENIC aka it doesn’t clog your pores. Some brands will not explicitly state this on the label so it is extremely important that you do some research before you head over to Sephora. In addition, if you choose to wear makeup ensure that ALL of it is removed before you get in bed. Since foundations and concealers are oil based, a simple foaming cleanser will not take everything off-DO NOT be fooled. Even though I have oily skin I use a basic CeraVe moisturizer to remove my makeup because oils stick to oils and that’s truly the only way you are going to get all the product off of your face.
As for cleansers, I personally believe that a lot of “acne-fighting” face washes on the market are a bunch of mumbo jumbo. My dermatologists have always recommended me CeraVe and Cetaphil’s product lines to use both morning and night but as research states, “extra washing, [the] use of antibacterial soaps and scrubbing confer no added benefit.” Although I have tried plenty of products that made my skin “feel” clean, you need to be careful not to over-do it. Using multiple products on your skin can disrupt its pH balance and can exacerbate your acne without you even knowing it. Needless to say, if you have tried multiple skin products and have not seen any significant benefit then your acne is probably coming from an internal disruption, not external.
6. Pharmaceuticals
Over 20% of the Canadian population suffers from acne and so do I. When I first visited my family doctor, then a dermatologist, then another dermatologist, and then ANOTHER dermatologist I soon learned that maybe the healthcare system doesn’t have acne all figured out. It seems as if we have a pill and lotion for almost everything, but they don’t work for everyone and they surely didn’t work for me. I was first prescribed Tactuo which is essentially a benzoyl peroxide gel (kind of like the Benzagel cream I mentioned earlier) but stronger. This didn’t work but I also had no adverse side effects other than some dry skin. My dermatologist then recommended I try the good old birth control pill which exacerbated my acne and started to make me extremely emotional and depressed. After coming off of the pill, I was then told I should try an oral antibiotic called Tetracycline that should be able to eliminate any acne-causing bacteria that inhabits my body. If you are prescribed this antibiotic I recommend that you ask to take it with a probiotic and that you eat plenty before consuming it. I, unfortunately, was not given this information and had several bouts of nausea and vomiting after taking the pill but was assured that “it gets worse before it gets better”. Needless to say, I stuck through the nausea for months only to watch my skin get worse and worse (and then that my dermatologist couldn’t see me till her next opening 4 months later). I then made the move to another dermatologist (lucky #3) where I was prescribed TactuPump Forte (a stronger version of the Tactuo gel) which worked wonders. But, like any pharmaceutical comes side effects. A few include: dermatitis (dry skin), swollen/puffy eyes, skin bleaching, sun sensitivity, and burning sensations if used improperly. Remember that although certain medications worked/did not work for me doesn’t mean the same applies to you. Always speak with a licensed health care provider to see what works for you!
7. New Avenues
One unique treatment for acne that you may not have tried or heard of before is blue light therapy. Ever wonder why your skin is a lot clearer in the summertime vs the winter? It’s the sun, it has anti-inflammatory effects! Similarly, blue light therapy has anti-inflammatory effects by using its unique wavelength to target and kill the bacteria P.acnes on the skin. In addition, its non-invasive, painless, drug-free, appropriate for the whole body, doesn’t cause scarring, and you don’t need to avoid the sun after treatment. After doing some further research, it sounds like a few studies have been done to support blue light therapy but the studies include very small groups. For instance, a study of 33 people with mild-moderate facial acne used blue light therapy twice daily for 8 weeks and over 90% of participants reported improvements. So what stopped me from trying it you may ask? Well my dermatologist quoted me $500 for 4 treatments (expensive) and I needed to come in multiple times over the course of a few weeks to complete treatment (not very convenient). In addition, blue light therapy tends to be a short-term solution and you would need to go for follow-up sessions to maintain clear skin. So, essentially, unless you have the money and the time it might not be a great solution for you. Mind you, at home blue light therapy kits are now available on the market for you to try though its efficacy is questionable and inevitably up to your own discretion.
So you may be wondering, what about exercise? Fish oils? Hormones? Is Roaccutane a good choice for me? Stay tuned for more content regarding skin care and acne vulgaris. We’ve just gotten started!
Reference List
Acne. (2019, November 08). Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://dermatology.ca/public- patients/skin/acne/
Blue light therapy for acne: Benefits, side effects, and costs. (n.d.). Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319254
Keri, J., By, Keri, J., & Last full review/revision Jul 2020| Content last modified Jul 2020. (n.d.). Acne Vulgaris - Dermatologic Disorders. Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/dermatologic-disorders/acne-and-related-disorders/acne-vulgaris
Kucharshka, A. (2016). Significance of Diet in Treated and Untreated Acne Vulgaris. Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/
Shop for Acne Gel by Benzagel: Shoppers Drug Mart. (n.d.). Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca/Beauty/Categories/Skin-Care/Acne/Acne-Gel/p/BB_851722000751?utm_campaign=P13_12132019_ACQ-Shopping-CatchAll-BB-AO-EN
Smith, R., Mann, N., Braue, A., Mäkeläinen, H., & Varigos, G. (2007, July 01). Low-glycemic-load diet improves symptoms in acne vulgaris patients: A randomized controlled trial. Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/86/1/107/4633089
TactuPump FORTE - Uses, Side Effects, Interactions. (n.d.). Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://www.medbroadcast.com/drug/getdrug/tactupump-forte
University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. (n.d.). Acne and Your Diet: How the Glycemic Index Affects Your Skin. Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://www.uwhealth.org/news/acne-diet-glycemic-index/46499
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