Will my Skin Ever Clear Up?

[tttmom]

I have always had problem skin (moderate acne). I had helped it by avoiding dairy for a long time now. But... since I started LC'ing my skin is very rough looking and I have acne again. WTH? I am 33 years old, I should be over this by now. I am using proactive on it and it's helping the existing zits but it's not preventing more from coming up. HELP! Does anyone know if there's hope for my skin ever clearing up as long as I'm LC'ing? I do not take any supplements, so maybe I'm deficient in something? I just never know WHAT to take.
Any advice or hope would be appreciated. This is so embarrassing living like this and having to face co-workers, customers, etc every day.

[debkeversole]

LC and oil pulling!!!

[Ilpirata]

My skin is always better on LC. Maybe you need to cut out the dairy again? It isn't needed for succesful Low Carbing.

[thestreets]

I agree- cut out the dairy. My skin is always best when I drink enough water, eat no artificial sweeteners, and limit dairy.

I have read that nuts, dairy, Artificial sweetener, sugar, sodas, carbonated beverages, white carbs, sugary fruits, and trans/rancid fats can cause problems.

It could also be from the change in diets- your body is out of whack and detoxing from the sugar, so it should clear up.

Vitamins important for skin are A and all the Bs. You can supplement with a b vitamin since on a low carb diet we avoid grains (which are enriched with Bs). Probiotics are good too. I have read studies where the probiotic was applied topically and they had good results (you can break open the capsule and mix with a little bit of water and apply).

[tttmom]

Thanks for the replies. I am still off dairy for the most part, so nothing changed there. What is oil pulling? What is a good b vitamin to take? I have read so many times on here that most vits don't even get absorbed by your system, is there any good quality ones out there? Do you think CLO would work since it's packed with Vit A?

[Ilpirata]

How far into low carb are you?
During about the first month my skin was awful - I think it was part of the detox process.

[tttmom]

I'm in my 7th week of LC'ing full time. So still fairly recent, maybe that is it. How long did it take your skin to get better?

[PixieKGirl]

I've been LC for over 3 mos and my skin is still not clearing up & I'm 45!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I eat pretty clean - - - very little dairy, no nuts. My hormones are out of whack.

OTOH, my nails/hair look incredible!

[Sandi76]

My skin clears up only because I get diabetic acne. So, when my blood sugars are normal, my skin gets better.

I had to drop the Pro-Active. It didn't work for me, and made my skin sensitive to the sun. I've pieced together my own regime of Jason's tea tree oil wash, Hope in a Bottle acne moisturizer from Philosophy, glycolic pads from Avon from their Anew line, and Dr. Denese glycolic mask. All expensive, but all worth it and lasts a long time.

Oh! Also, when I have an bad case of acne, I use a $1 bottle of anti bacterial hand soap. A lot of times acne is caused by bacteria. That will clear it up after about a week, but it's too harsh to use regularly.

Good luck. I suffer from adult acne and although better on LC, it's still there and annoying. If I do my routine consistently it's gone, but I never do anything consistently.

[thestreets]

Originally Posted by tttmom

Thanks for the replies. I am still off dairy for the most part, so nothing changed there. What is oil pulling? What is a good b vitamin to take? I have read so many times on here that most vits don't even get absorbed by your system, is there any good quality ones out there? Do you think CLO would work since it's packed with Vit A?

I don't believe that you pee out all the vitamins- only the excess gets excreted. A good b vitamin complex is country life's coenzyme B - they don't go to the liver, but right away to work because they are co-enzymated and you take it on an empty stomach. Or, you can look for a whole foods B.

Cod liver oil is a good source- just be mindful of the dose- easy to overdose on A and D.

[Ilpirata]

Originally Posted by tttmom

I'm in my 7th week of LC'ing full time. So still fairly recent, maybe that is it. How long did it take your skin to get better?

Honestly it was several months! The detox process tends to "manifest" in our skin. Stay off the dairy follow your regimen and quite possibly it just needs some more time to purify itself.

[jem51]

if i were you, i'd try an elimination diet. get down to the basic meat and vegies then add one item at a time.
also check out what loren cordain has to say about acne. he's paleo and i'm sure says something about dairy but there's more to it. he may also give you a time frame.
you have not been at this for long but i know it must be frustrating.

[debkeversole]

http://www.lowcarbfriends.com/bbs/be...lling-try.html

[Mayberryfan]

Yeah. I feel you! I never had skin problems as a teen, but from my mid-thirties now to mid-forties...OMG. Anyway, in my own personal experience, using products like Proactive can sometimes lead to over-cleaning your face and you can get a fungal skin infection that looks just like acne. Try some OTC anti-fungal creams like clomatrizole or tolnaftate - both of which you can find in the athlete's foot section.

I know it sounds weird...but it works!

[LowCarbinChica]

dairy and red-meat cause congestion and breakouts on the skin.

Also, make sure you're using a good exfoliant with a little anti-bacterial properties to control the bacteria that cause the breakouts.

[astrl]

Man, the last few weeks I have been breaking out on my chin more than usual. I've been way too spoiled most of my life.

[fawn]

I highly recommend the clo. The body can take more vitamin A than we realize and you're probably not consuming much mammal liver right? Most vitamin A sources are water soluble. A therapeutic dosage can go 50,000-90,000 IU's and be safe.

Vitamin D deficiency is far greater than toxcicity.

I have 3 clients on CLO for acne.

just my .02

[Remykins]

I have noticed fantastic skin.. but not at first.
At first i was prone to the little ones, a few blackheads, and then a couple cysts a month, nothing to really claim 'bad' skin, but still.
Once i started low carb it got a bit worse, then all of a sudden after about 2 months, poof, good. Not to say i never get a stupid little pink dude square on my forehead, but with this they are less inflamed, less often and clear up faster when they do come. I would just keep steady, make sure to take your multivitamin. I think there is a detox process, and you detox often through your pores, i would make sure to wash my face a bit more often and get a few good sweats in during the week, that really seemed to help me... most importantly make sure to take a shower ASAP to get all of that stuff off of your skin, dont let it sit more than 30 minutes says my dermatologist.

[CurvyAFGirl]

I have found that applying Evening Primrose Oil to my face has cleared it up a lot. I think I learned that on the PG, actually.

[bmbshl]

About 2-3 weeks into low carbing, my skin revolted horribly with all kinds of break outs. I posted a question on here about it. Someone told me that estrogen can be stored in your fat cells, and as you burn some of that, the extra hormones can wreak havoc on your skin.

The GOOD news!!! It went away finally after 6 weeks or so, and my skin has been better than ever. I am 31, and also have had moderate acne most of my life. Pro-active made my worse (I gave it the full 6 weeks - in all fairness). Anyway, keep on going, it will get better!!!

[fawn]

ProActive is a nasty product. Remember folks, what goes on your skin enters the bloodstream. You're right bmbshl, the estrogen is a huge factor and don't forget, plastics, chemicals, etc. mimmick and store in the adipose tissue as estrogen.

[Naz]

Same thing happened to me!!!! I had huge undergrounder zits popping up every time I had a 10 pound loss- for months! They really hurt, too. Now, nothing. My skin is totally clear and I haven't had a breakout in.... well, I can't remember when! Hang in there!

[NewStartNow]

Originally Posted by ChubbyAFGirl

I have found that applying Evening Primrose Oil to my face has cleared it up a lot. I think I learned that on the PG, actually.

Hmm...I take EPO capsules...I'll have to try it on my face. I have jaw line acne and blemishes.

And now I think I'm getting patches of eczema (sp?).

[CurvyAFGirl]

Originally Posted by NewStartNow

Hmm...I take EPO capsules...I'll have to try it on my face. I have jaw line acne and blemishes.

And now I think I'm getting patches of eczema (sp?).

I just bite the end off one, put some oil on my finger and rub it in....then swallow the rest of the caplet. I dont wanna waste it.

[NewStartNow]

Originally Posted by ChubbyAFGirl

I just bite the end off one, put some oil on my finger and rub it in....then swallow the rest of the caplet. I dont wanna waste it.

I'm going to try that starting today. I hope it works for me. Thanks for sharing that info.

[lighterbeing]

I got acne for the first time 2 years ago, and I am 55 years old! Mine is hormonal, menopausal....and I have spent at least 3,000 trying to get rid of it! The acne.org is a great website, most of mine has improved but I am still getting one or two zits on my jawline all the time. Most people have reported improvement with a low carb diet, and I think mine is beginning to clear more than ever but I have only been on this WOE for a month. Someone mentioned the other day how good my skin looked. I think that eating low carb will gradually get my hormones in balance.

[LivinLoCarb]

Yes, low carb improved my moderate acne, but what really clears it up is taking 60 mg of Zinc Gluconate per day.

If you try this, be sure to take zinc with meals or it can upset your stomach.

I used to be under the care of a dermatologist. On one visit, I mentioned that my face had improved while taking zinc. He said, "Yes, we've known about zinc for years". I could not help but wonder why he had me on antibiotics if he knew about zinc. I still like the guy, but I no longer take his antibiotics.

I also take a multivitamin because high dose zinc can cause an imbalance of other minerals if taken for long periods of time.

Oh and, for the first 2 weeks of taking zinc, my face will get worse, but then it clears nicely.

Good luck!

[cjfern]

Jaw line acne? Do any of you work where you share a hand held phone receiver? I think I get bacteria from that and it causes my jawline acne. When I wipe the receiver with an antiseptic wipe it helps a lot. Or the wonder of Windex!!!

[LunaAshling]

Is it possible you are actually allergic to dairy and you are actually getting eczema instead of "rough" skin?



Alot of people also have problems with homogenized and pasturized dairy and find alot of things clear up when they switch to raw dairy (alot of misbeliefs out there about it... look into the "Nourishing Tradtions" book).



I also second the CLO (cod liver oil).






Alas I think it happens to alot of us and we just need to ride it out!

[NewStartNow]

Originally Posted by cjfern

Jaw line acne? Do any of you work where you share a hand held phone receiver? I think I get bacteria from that and it causes my jawline acne. When I wipe the receiver with an antiseptic wipe it helps a lot. Or the wonder of Windex!!!

I've had it for years, since I was a teen