Another acne thread...are there any true success stories?

[AliceMurph]

I'm so sorry you're going through this ! I know how frustrating and depressing it can be.
I also struggle with acne ( have for years).When I was about 17 I started getting really bad acne and lasted for several years. I linked it in part to heavy stress and poor sleep/diet. For me stress of any kind and poor sleep contribute MAJORLY (probably because of being in an estrogenic state). Though its drastically improved since my younger years (for reference I am now 24) I don't really have perfectly clear skin all the time but I don't have deep painful cyststic acne like I used to. I have phases where its nearly clear and usually breakout a bit around my luteal phase since progesterone drops that time of the month. I've done lots of trial and error and these are things I've noticed...

Things that trigger break outs: poor sleep, not getting enough sun/vitamin d ( I notice in the summer my skin improves greatly but is worse when winter rolls around), too much caffeine (especially if I'm in a stressed state), emotional stress
Things that help: Progesterone! estrogen is a major acne player (I take 3-4 drops from ovulation to menses 2x daily ), thyroid ( i take desiccated bovine from the life giving store ), carrot salad ( though like you I stopped noticing its effects as strongly), pregnenolone daily, Vitamin d, getting enough protein to support liver function

I haven't yet tried zinc but am interested, I've heard lots of people have success with it. Also apparently applying beef tallow is a great moisturizer and can help heal the skin though I haven't tried that yet either.
I know you've tried a lot of this but I hope this helps somehow. You aren't alone and the best thing you can do is be kind to yourself and remember it really does take time but it will get better!

 

[Peachy]

I'm so sorry you're going through this ! I know how frustrating and depressing it can be.
I also struggle with acne ( have for years).When I was about 17 I started getting really bad acne and lasted for several years. I linked it in part to heavy stress and poor sleep/diet. For me stress of any kind and poor sleep contribute MAJORLY (probably because of being in an estrogenic state). Though its drastically improved since my younger years (for reference I am now 24) I don't really have perfectly clear skin all the time but I don't have deep painful cyststic acne like I used to. I have phases where its nearly clear and usually breakout a bit around my luteal phase since progesterone drops that time of the month. I've done lots of trial and error and these are things I've noticed...

Things that trigger break outs: poor sleep, not getting enough sun/vitamin d ( I notice in the summer my skin improves greatly but is worse when winter rolls around), too much caffeine (especially if I'm in a stressed state), emotional stress
Things that help: Progesterone! estrogen is a major acne player (I take 3-4 drops from ovulation to menses 2x daily ), thyroid ( i take desiccated bovine from the life giving store ), carrot salad ( though like you I stopped noticing its effects as strongly), pregnenolone daily, Vitamin d, getting enough protein to support liver function

I haven't yet tried zinc but am interested, I've heard lots of people have success with it. Also apparently applying beef tallow is a great moisturizer and can help heal the skin though I haven't tried that yet either.
I know you've tried a lot of this but I hope this helps somehow. You aren't alone and the best thing you can do is be kind to yourself and remember it really does take time but it will get better!

Great info and success story! So, you feel the dessicated thyroid is effective for you? For acne and in other ways?

 

[curious_anthro]

I'm so sorry you're going through this ! I know how frustrating and depressing it can be.
I also struggle with acne ( have for years).When I was about 17 I started getting really bad acne and lasted for several years. I linked it in part to heavy stress and poor sleep/diet. For me stress of any kind and poor sleep contribute MAJORLY (probably because of being in an estrogenic state). Though its drastically improved since my younger years (for reference I am now 24) I don't really have perfectly clear skin all the time but I don't have deep painful cyststic acne like I used to. I have phases where its nearly clear and usually breakout a bit around my luteal phase since progesterone drops that time of the month. I've done lots of trial and error and these are things I've noticed...

Things that trigger break outs: poor sleep, not getting enough sun/vitamin d ( I notice in the summer my skin improves greatly but is worse when winter rolls around), too much caffeine (especially if I'm in a stressed state), emotional stress
Things that help: Progesterone! estrogen is a major acne player (I take 3-4 drops from ovulation to menses 2x daily ), thyroid ( i take desiccated bovine from the life giving store ), carrot salad ( though like you I stopped noticing its effects as strongly), pregnenolone daily, Vitamin d, getting enough protein to support liver function

I haven't yet tried zinc but am interested, I've heard lots of people have success with it. Also apparently applying beef tallow is a great moisturizer and can help heal the skin though I haven't tried that yet either.
I know you've tried a lot of this but I hope this helps somehow. You aren't alone and the best thing you can do is be kind to yourself and remember it really does take time but it will get better!

Your words are so kind thank you! Your triggers sound exactly like mine although progesterone for some reason does not help my acne much.

Also had a weird experience with vitamin D. Oral dose made me feel horrific (nausea, headache) and topical also gave me super weird symptoms (smelling smoke when it wasn’t there, fatigue, dizzy). But the sun definitely helps in the summer.

I have been pondering trying both pregnenolone and thyroid so I would love to hear more about your experience with that. How much do you take of both and how often?

 

[S.Holmes]

I began restricting fluoride for other reasons, but this book is amazing. Hidden souces of fluoride are ubiquitous. The Hidden Cause of Acne Is Fluoride

 

[curious_anthro]

I began restricting fluoride for other reasons, but this book is amazing. Hidden souces of fluoride are ubiquitous. The Hidden Cause of Acne Is Fluoride

Hm interesting but if it was fluoride then why do only certain people get acne?

 

[S.Holmes]

Hm interesting but if it was fluoride then why do only certain people get acne?

I think others may be able to clear it better, OR they store it in other parts of their bodies. Believe it or not, and speaking as a homeopath, people who clear toxins through their skin (or store them in fat) are actually often healthier than many who are thin and have flawless complexions. Not everyone who consumes fluoride, pufas, iron, gluten, etc. will develop the same conditions.

 

[crazypatriot]

My wife struggles with acne. We've seen great results from 50mg of oral Zinc from Zinc Orotate / Glycinate. She also uses a bar soap with Pyrithione Zinc like this https://a.co/d/2kzEQPZ on her face daily.

Pyrithione acts as a zinc ionophore, so it increases local absorption.

From my research, acne has some root cause from funguses or bacteria that exist on the face and in pores.
Zinc is both antifungal and antibacterial.

"After 12 weeks of treatment, the mean acne score had decreased from 100% to 15%"

Effects of Oral Zinc and Vitamin A in Acne

• The effects of oral zinc sulfate (corresponding to 135 mg of zinc daily) alone and in combination with vitamin A (300,000 international units) daily on acne lesions have been compared with those of vitamin A alone and of a placebo. The number of comedones, papules, pustules, and infiltrates...

jamanetwork.com

"The results of our study suggest that lower serum zinc levels may be related to the severity and type of acne lesions in some patients with acne vulgaris."

Correlation between the Severity and Type of Acne Lesions with Serum Zinc Levels in Patients with Acne Vulgaris

Acne vulgaris is the most common cutaneous disorder affecting adolescents and young adults. Some studies have reported an association between serum zinc levels and acne vulgaris. We aimed to evaluate the serum zinc level in patients with acne vulgaris and compare it with healthy controls. One...

www.hindawi.com

"The observed condition of low levels of zinc and vitamin A in the serum of patients with severe acne may provide a rationale for the clinically good effect of oral zinc treatment."

Serum zinc and retinol-binding protein in acne - PubMed

The serum levels of zinc and retinol-binding protein (RBP) have been determined in 173 patients with acne and compared with those of a control group. The RBP is a specific transport protein and its level in plasma reflects the amount of vitamin A available to the tissues. Patients with severe...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[S.Holmes]

My wife struggles with acne. We've seen great results from 50mg of oral Zinc from Zinc Orotate / Glycinate. She also uses a bar soap with Pyrithione Zinc like this https://a.co/d/2kzEQPZ on her face daily.

Pyrithione acts as a zinc ionophore, so it increases local absorption.

From my research, acne has some root cause from funguses or bacteria that exist on the face and in pores.
Zinc is both antifungal and antibacterial.

"After 12 weeks of treatment, the mean acne score had decreased from 100% to 15%"

Effects of Oral Zinc and Vitamin A in Acne

• The effects of oral zinc sulfate (corresponding to 135 mg of zinc daily) alone and in combination with vitamin A (300,000 international units) daily on acne lesions have been compared with those of vitamin A alone and of a placebo. The number of comedones, papules, pustules, and infiltrates...

jamanetwork.com

"The results of our study suggest that lower serum zinc levels may be related to the severity and type of acne lesions in some patients with acne vulgaris."

Correlation between the Severity and Type of Acne Lesions with Serum Zinc Levels in Patients with Acne Vulgaris

Acne vulgaris is the most common cutaneous disorder affecting adolescents and young adults. Some studies have reported an association between serum zinc levels and acne vulgaris. We aimed to evaluate the serum zinc level in patients with acne vulgaris and compare it with healthy controls. One...

www.hindawi.com

"The observed condition of low levels of zinc and vitamin A in the serum of patients with severe acne may provide a rationale for the clinically good effect of oral zinc treatment."

Serum zinc and retinol-binding protein in acne - PubMed

The serum levels of zinc and retinol-binding protein (RBP) have been determined in 173 patients with acne and compared with those of a control group. The RBP is a specific transport protein and its level in plasma reflects the amount of vitamin A available to the tissues. Patients with severe...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I'm just curious...does she make an effort to avoid all fluoride? It's literally everywhere...from the local water supplies to wine produced in California. (Imported is usually safe since fluoride is banned in many countries).

 

[S.Holmes]

I'm just curious...does she make an effort to avoid all fluoride? It's literally everywhere...from the local water supplies to wine produced in California. (Imported is usually safe since fluoride is banned in many countries).

This may be helpful.
CDC - MWF - My Water's Fluoride Home

 

[crazypatriot]

I'm just curious...does she make an effort to avoid all fluoride? It's literally everywhere...from the local water supplies to wine produced in California. (Imported is usually safe since fluoride is banned in many countries).

We only drink bottled water and use fluoride free toothpaste. Also we take lots of iodine, but not sure if that helps decrease the fluoride burden.

We unfortunately have fluoridated tap water, so we shower in it.

I also tried to get her to stop drinking soda / tea, but she still partakes. It seems impossible to avoid it.

 

[S.Holmes]

We only drink bottled water and use fluoride free toothpaste. Also we take lots of iodine, but not sure if that helps decrease the fluoride burden.

We unfortunately have fluoridated tap water, so we shower in it.

I also tried to get her to stop drinking soda / tea, but she still partakes. It seems impossible to avoid it.

Does she have Hashimotos? How much iodine does she take? What kind is it? I wasnt doing well on iodine and found that I needed sodium iodide symporters which have helped. Will be happy to share that info if you want it

I'm also taking T3 and T4 from Idealabs and it seems to be helping quite a bit.

Georgi (Haidut) posted a study showing that taking a gram or more of taurine will help with fluoride exposure.

 

[crazypatriot]

Does she have Hashimotos? How much iodine does she take? What kind is it? I wasnt doing well on iodine and found that I needed sodium iodide symporters which have helped. Will be happy to share that info if you want it

I'm also taking T3 and T4 from Idealabs and it seems to be helping quite a bit.

Georgi (Haidut) posted a study showing that taking a gram or more of taurine will help with fluoride exposure.

No hashimotos.

We've been taking 12.5mg of iodine for a few years as Iodine Sublime from Relentless Improvement : https://a.co/d/iFJPQKz

Sodium iodide symporters? Not familiar with that, can you explain?

I previously had her on Taurine during pregnancy for the oxytocin benefits, I'll definitely look into the fluoride interaction, thank you.

 

[S.Holmes]

No hashimotos.

We've been taking 12.5mg of iodine for a few years as Iodine Sublime from Relentless Improvement : https://a.co/d/iFJPQKz

Sodium iodide symporters? Not familiar with that, can you explain?

I previously had her on Taurine during pregnancy for the oxytocin benefits, I'll definitely look into the fluoride interaction, thank you.

Sodium Iodide Symporters

Sodium/Iodide Symporters - Thyroid Health

 

[S.Holmes]

Sodium Iodide Symporters

Sodium/Iodide Symporters - Thyroid Health

To simplify, in a video presentation given by Dr Flechas he recommends high doses of vitamin C, Vitamin B1 (600 to 700 mg daily) and B2 (100 mg daily) to assist sodium/iodide transport.

I also added B3 (500 mg 2x daily) and B6 (5 mg 2x daily).

Also, when taking iodine we MUST HAVE at least 200 mcg of selenium daily.

 

[LizLemon]

I (29F) struggled with acne through high school until I got on the pill. Quit the pill at 27 and acne returned to some degree, although not as horrendous as previously (I credit reducing PUFA, improving diet).

I tried many things with various degrees of success (none lasted long), but the greatest and most consistent has been adding T4/T3 combo thyroid. T3 only does not have the same effect, not sure why.

Maybe 1x a month I’ll have a single small cystic-like pimple, but that’s it.

 

[ThazMYchocolate]

SO I have been struggling with Rosacea for years (which is a form of adult acne) and I have recently turned to Spearmint Tea to block testosterone from turning into DHT (which is a horrendous hormone for a woman). My rosacea wasn't why I was taking the tea, it is a happy side effect. Before this I used a small bottle of Target brand benzoyl peroxide spot treatment, thinly over all affected areas, and that works wonderfully (although it may bleach your clothes). (other forms of benzoyl peroxide burned my skin, for some reason this was perfectly gentle and effective)

I drink the spearmint tea twice a day and have started rubbing the cooled tea bags on my face and now my face looks like a baby's bottom.

 

[BrianF]

Liver has all but eliminated acne for me. I'd imagine aspirin also helped but liver was the key.

 

[curious_anthro]

My wife struggles with acne. We've seen great results from 50mg of oral Zinc from Zinc Orotate / Glycinate. She also uses a bar soap with Pyrithione Zinc like this https://a.co/d/2kzEQPZ on her face daily.

Pyrithione acts as a zinc ionophore, so it increases local absorption.

From my research, acne has some root cause from funguses or bacteria that exist on the face and in pores.
Zinc is both antifungal and antibacterial.

"After 12 weeks of treatment, the mean acne score had decreased from 100% to 15%"

Effects of Oral Zinc and Vitamin A in Acne

• The effects of oral zinc sulfate (corresponding to 135 mg of zinc daily) alone and in combination with vitamin A (300,000 international units) daily on acne lesions have been compared with those of vitamin A alone and of a placebo. The number of comedones, papules, pustules, and infiltrates...

jamanetwork.com

"The results of our study suggest that lower serum zinc levels may be related to the severity and type of acne lesions in some patients with acne vulgaris."

Correlation between the Severity and Type of Acne Lesions with Serum Zinc Levels in Patients with Acne Vulgaris

Acne vulgaris is the most common cutaneous disorder affecting adolescents and young adults. Some studies have reported an association between serum zinc levels and acne vulgaris. We aimed to evaluate the serum zinc level in patients with acne vulgaris and compare it with healthy controls. One...

www.hindawi.com

"The observed condition of low levels of zinc and vitamin A in the serum of patients with severe acne may provide a rationale for the clinically good effect of oral zinc treatment."

Serum zinc and retinol-binding protein in acne - PubMed

The serum levels of zinc and retinol-binding protein (RBP) have been determined in 173 patients with acne and compared with those of a control group. The RBP is a specific transport protein and its level in plasma reflects the amount of vitamin A available to the tissues. Patients with severe...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

I tried zinc at 50mg per day with no luck sadly! Never tried vitamin A and zinc together though. Vitamin A on its own made my temps drop super low and haven’t been able to figure out why.

 

[curious_anthro]

I (29F) struggled with acne through high school until I got on the pill. Quit the pill at 27 and acne returned to some degree, although not as horrendous as previously (I credit reducing PUFA, improving diet).

I tried many things with various degrees of success (none lasted long), but the greatest and most consistent has been adding T4/T3 combo thyroid. T3 only does not have the same effect, not sure why.

Maybe 1x a month I’ll have a single small cystic-like pimple, but that’s it.

Thanks for chiming in! That sounds quite a bit like my experience except I never really had that bad of acne before the pill… I only realized that after I got off the pill because my skin is the worst it has ever been- I didn’t even know how bad it could get!! I look back at my younger years and realize my skin was pretty good although I didn’t think so at the time. Hind sight and all…

I want to try thyroid at some point but from everything I’ve read if you have poor adrenal health (which I do) it can make things worse. What thyroid supp do you use (i.e., cynoplus)? How did you dose?

 

[curious_anthro]

Liver has all but eliminated acne for me. I'd imagine aspirin also helped but liver was the key.

Liver makes my acne worse Tried it a few times.