How to Get Rid of Acne, Pimples, and Other Skin Problems

"Patients are deluded into thinking that their health can somehow be mysteriously harmed by something in their diet."

This is a quote from an article published in 1971 in American Family Physician.

That's not all.

The major textbook of dermatology for acne published in 1975 claimed that parents and doctors used the threat of depriving teens of "tempting delights" like candy and junk food only as a way to "keep these imminent sinners in check," not because diet had any connection to acne.

In fact, most of us tend to believe that pimples are for kids!

Not true.

The average age of acne patients has now increased from 20 to 26 years old.

Millions of adults are experiencing acne for the first time.

And acne rates are rising -- contradicting the belief that this condition is caused by genes.

Eight million people see the dermatologist every year for acne and millions more rely on infomercial products hawked by celebrities or over-the-counter products that total $100 million in sales every year.

And healthcare costs for prescription acne treatment exceed $1 billion a year.

Clearly, this problem, like so many chronic diseases in the 21st century, is increasing.

Why?

Let me tell you about a book that I just finished reading.

It's called The Clear Skin Diet. It's written by renowned dermatologist Val Trelor, MD and Alan Logan, ND, a naturopath.

This book gives us real answers to why pimples are popping up all over!

For the first time, this book links many of the imbalances in the underlying keys to health to the real causes of acne -- including your nutritional status, stress, toxicity, inflammation, and hormonal and gut imbalances.

If you've been reading my blogs, you know by now what I'm going to say next.

No matter what condition, disease, or health problem you face, the root causes can be traced back to the same underlying factors, because the body is one whole integrated system.

This includes your skin.

The key to healthy skin isn't just dealing with the symptoms -- like lathering on potions and lotions, popping and pricking pimples, or taking antibiotics or strong liver-damaging medication.

There's a better way.

Good Skin Comes from the Inside Out, Not the Outside In!

Before I explain these connections in more detail, and what you can do about it, I want to tell you my own experience with acne.

I never had it.

That is, until I got sick with chronic fatigue syndrome.

This is a disease of toxicity, gut damage, inflammation, hormonal imbalances and stress, among other things.

I have told the story of my illness and recovery many times, but I don't usually talk about the skin problems I had.

The trigger that tipped me over the edge -- on a load of mercury and stress -- was a severe intestinal infection.

Right away, my skin changed.

My skin color turned gray and I developed dark circles under my eyes.

I started getting pimples all over my face (a new adventure for me at age 36), and strange rashes around my eyes whenever I ate certain foods.

I even developed itchy red patches on different parts of my body.

The skin symptoms completely correlated with a worsening of my gut symptoms and the irritable bowel syndrome that I had developed.

So what did I do?

Well, I didn't need creams, gels, or lotions such as benzoyl peroxide, retinoid acid, salicylic acid, glycolic acid peels, or topical antibiotics (all of which might have helped symptoms a little bit).

I certainly didn't need oral antibiotics (which can cause long-term gut complications, immune problems, and yeast overgrowth), or Accutane (which can cause liver damage and increase the risk of depression and suicide), or oral contraceptives (which I would have been offered had I been a woman).

These are the tools of modern dermatology -- but they overlook the role of overall health in the health of your skin.

I didn't need any of these things.

Instead, what I needed was to heal my leaky gut, correct my food allergies and nutritional deficiencies, detoxify from mercury, reduce inflammation, and rebalance my stress hormones.

That's just what I did.

And my pimples vanished, my eyes cleared up, and my rashes went away (along with my chronic diarrhea, disabling fatigue, brain fog, mouth sores, muscle pain, and more).

A miracle? Hardly!

I have seen this happen in so many of my patients.

Beauty and vibrant, clear, healthy skin come from the inside out, not from the outside in.

The only partial exceptions to this are wrinkles and skin cancers, which come from sun damage. But even these, too, are worsened by internal inflammation and oxidative stress caused by things like smoking and poor diet.

Now let's look a little at the problem of acne (many other skin problems also respond to this approach, which I will cover in later blogs).

Here are some things that I have learned over the years and that have been very well reviewed and summarized in The Clear Skin Diet:

A Poor Diet is Bad for Your Skin

• Skin health, and acne in particular, are tied strongly to diet.

• Acne is caused by inflammation and oxidative stress (two keys of UltraWellness).

• Traditional indigenous cultures have little acne, but as soon as they adopt a Western diet or SAD (standard American diet), they see increasing levels of acne.

• Sugar raises insulin levels, which promotes the production of testosterone in women, and inflammation in general, causing acne.

• Saturated and processed fats increase arachidonic acid levels and compete with omega-3 fats in the body, leading to more inflammation and acne.

• Milk and dairy consumption is closely linked with acne (and many other skin and health problems) in part because of the hormones (including growth hormone) in dairy and because of the saturated fats.

• High-sugar milk chocolate can increase acne by increasing inflammation, but dark chocolate does the opposite.

Nutritional Deficiencies Promote Acne

• Widespread nutritional deficiencies of zinc, omega-3 fats, and some anti-inflammatory omega-6 fats like evening-primrose oil promote acne, while supplementing with them can help boost immunity and reduce inflammation and acne.

• A topical form of vitamin B3 (nicotinamide) can reduce inflammation and help acne.

• Antioxidant levels are low in acne patients -- especially vitamins A and E, which are critical for skin health.

• People who eat more fruits and vegetables (containing more antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds) have less acne.

• Certain foods have been linked to improvements in many of the underlying causes of acne and can help correct it, including fish oil, turmeric, ginger, green tea, nuts, dark purple and red foods such as berries, green foods like dark green leafy vegetables, and eggs.

Hormonal Imbalances Cause Skin Problems

• Hormonal imbalances trigger acne -- and diet influences hormones like testosterone, IGF-1 (insulin-like growth hormone), and insulin, which promote acne.

• The biggest factor affecting your hormones is the glycemic load of your diet (how quickly the food increases your blood sugar and insulin levels).

• Eating omega-3 fats and fiber (to reduce testosterone in women), cutting out sugar (to reduce insulin), and using soy foods (to reduce toxic testosterone levels) help balance hormones. Exercise also helps improve insulin function.

Leaky Gut and Food Allergies Cause Acne

• Delayed food allergies are among the most common causes of acne. Foods like gluten, dairy, yeast, and eggs can be problems if you have a leaky gut.

• Taking probiotics (such as lactobacillus) can improve acne.

• Good bacteria from probiotics also take up residence on the skin, helping with acne.

• I have seen serious cystic acne resulting from gut imbalances and parasites that resolve when the gut is fixed.

Your Brain Can Cause Acne

• Stress causes acne flare-ups.

• Stress does this by causing increased inflammation and oxidative stress, raising cortisol, and depleting zinc, magnesium, and selenium, which help control acne.

• Stress causes poor dietary choices.

• You can manage stress through meditation, yoga, saunas, massage, biofeedback, aromatherapy, and more.

So getting healthy skin and clearing up acne truly depend on the optimal function of many of the core systems of the body -- your nutritional status, your immune system, your gut, your hormones and your mind-body health.

I may seem like a broken record, but it's true -- Biology is biology.

I hope you've learned more today about how getting to the roots of illness via the 7 Key to UltraWellness can help you uncover the source of your health problem, wherever you may find it -- even in a pimple on your nose!!

Now I'd like to hear from you...

Do you suffer from acne?

Have you noticed if your skin looks better or worse when you eat certain foods?

What steps have you taken to keep your skin healthy?

Please let me know your thoughts by adding a comment below.

To your good health,

Mark Hyman, M.D.

Mark Hyman, M.D. practicing physician and founder of The UltraWellness Center is a pioneer in functional medicine. Dr. Hyman is now sharing the 7 ways to tap into your body's natural ability to heal itself. You can follow him on Twitter, connect with him on LinkedIn, watch his videos on Youtube and become a fan on Facebook.

Follow Mark Hyman, MD on Twitter: www.twitter.com/markhymanmd

Comments

[marijam]

I had rosacea for years. From the age of about 34 until just recently. What I think got rid of it? I had my mineral levels tested and found that I was vitamin D and iodine deficient. I bought a really good quality vitamin d supplement and I bought a bottle of iodine. You make a circle of iodine somewhere on your body and wait to see if your body absorbs it in less than 12 hours. If your body does, keep reapplying until it takes 12 hours for your body to absorb it. It took about 6 months, but I'm acne free now and no more rosacea.

[BosMomE]

I am a woman who has had acne since I was a teenager (I'm 30 now). It has been mostly the dreaded bacne and chestne with some minor acne in the hormonal area of my face (sides of mouth). My physician's answer has always been the birth control pill.

I tend to believe what you say because my condition is definitely hormonal but I think diet can play a role in equalizing or controlling the condition. There are only 3 times in the past 15 or so years that I have not had acne. 1. When I was on an oral contraceptives. 2. When I was pregnant or nursing 3. When I was on the South Beach Diet.

Messing with hormones scares me. Perhaps I have an imbalance but I would rather treat my acne with dietary improvements than pills and creams.

[makeuplover]

I love Dr. Hyman! He is sooo right about acne and hormones and diet. I always have problem skin when I get my period or indulge a little too much. And i found this great new product which has all the vitamins and minerals I need to stabilize my system when that happens. Called Frutels and they are chocolates with vitamins so you don't have to swallow pills. I read about them in Better Nutrition and they totally follow Dr. Hyman's ideas. Plus you get to eat chocolate - sugar-free of course. Yum. (you can find them here www.frutels.com)

[RachelMc]

yup all of us folks who have acne just have horrible eating habits. its funny how u can live with others who eat the same exact way or probably worse and who is clinically unhealthier than u, yet they have great skin. smh..

[hoodie]

Right on! The whole family takes probiotics on a regular basis and we eat raw, live food whenever possible. Pastuerized milk is the biggest offender in this house. When either of my kids load up on the chocolate milk at school (vs. the raw milk at home), I can tell in a day! They honestly think I have a spy in the lunch room. Eat as natural as possible (butter is natural!) and get as many live foods in your body as possible!

[Fraisebalm]

everything you say is right. it's hard work too.
I used to have pretty bad acne, i tried products and creams and pills and nothing worked enough. Products would dry my skin out, or make it more oily. I noticed a dramatic change in my skin when i gave up coffee and replaced it with tea. eating healthy, fruits and veggies, fish, and soy, just like you stated, plus excersize, not only does my skin glow, but over all, my mood is better too. In los angeles it's very hard to have healthy diet habits, because of all the fad dieting or quick fixes. On the occasion i get a break out (pms yikes!), I will dab sycylic acid gel on my pimples, that does the trick. But now, at least I know why i'm breaking out if I do! Intestesting how the standard american diet spells out SAD, because it sure is!

[Rajneesh Ojha]

The most common forms of acne are believed to be caused by clogged skin pores. Some swear that certain foods can cause outbreaks. If you've searched the web you've likely found much conflicting information, my advice to you is to read it all and use the information to safely guide yourself through some personal lifestyle experiments. Better see this youtube video is has usefull info
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCcnH992X2Y

[PresidentRobertBooth]

Wash your face several times a day with water.

Drink plenty of water (keep sipping throughout the day).

Avoid greasy foods.

Relax.

[Clovie]

If it were that easy, no one would have acne.

[epiclife]

Very interesting article.

One thing that stuck out to me was the part on milk chocolate causing acne and dark chocolate helping. I know lot of people that have been eating a certain brand of healthy dark chocolate that doesn't have the fillers waxes, processed sugars, milk, etc and their skin has improved in huge ways.

Several have had their acne disappear, roughness and dry skin patches have gone, skin seems to be thicker and healthier in appearance. Even hair and nails have improved. It seems to be pretty incredible!

I have done some research on dark chocolate and skin and have found that certain types of dark chocolates are loaded with antioxidants and help thicken the skin, improve hydration and protect against UV damage.

I am sold! This chocolate is not avaliable in the stores but can only be purchased on line or through distributors. If you want to learn more you can go to this website wade.choco­latevitami­ns.net

[hooklefty2]

Sir, you are 100% right.
I struggled with adult onset acne in my 30's and early 40's. It wasn't until I was diagnosed with multiple chemical sensitivity that I began to detox and my skin cleared right up.
In fact, I learned about leaky gut and started a strict diet, quit smoking and LOST 20 pounds.
Also the hormones in non organic dairy were causing cysts on my face, sometimes immediately after.

[anniebuddy]

Excellent! I'd love to hear more doctors promoting a healthy diet ... a rnatural emedy that can actually cure ailments ... rather than recommending pill popping that all too commonly only masks symptoms.

[Martampa]

Does this work for psoriasis? I do know that after my doctor had me stop using Lisinopril for high blood pressure that my psoriasis was GREATLY improved.

[Anne Richards]

Is there not a progestero­ne/estroge­n imbalance with acne? My impression is that there's not enough progesterone . . . and that this also results in menstrual cramps. A nice solution is progesterone cream rubbed into the belly or elsewhere -- Progest is a good brand. I think an overage of estrogen is a large cause of many health problems we have. Eating lots of vegetables helps balance this.

[marijam]

Magnesium, actually, helps get rid of the menstrual cramps. Crave chocolate? Take a magnesium supplement instead.

[brooklyncitizen]

Went from vegetarian to vegan when I noticed that cheese was causing me to breakout. Had given up all dairy but cheese seems to be the substitute when you don't eat meat/fish etc....before I knew it I had increased my consumption...once I went to vegan all fell back in place.

[IvanandLucy]

Overall I really like this article! My daughter went on Acutane last year - her face cleared up really nicely, and she tolerated the drug well - no mood swings & good blood tests. Well, less than 8 weeks after finishing she was breaking out ALL OVER AGAIN!! I pictured two thousand dollars flying away on cartoon wings! Anyway, before taking her back for round two, we decided to try a "natural" cure. She started taking Vit. A, Vit. E, Vit. D, 1/2 of a Zinc tab (tummy upset), Fish Oil, Alpha Lipoic Acid, & Ester C with the evening meal. After two weeks her face was clear again. She also exfoliates daily in the shower, and uses salycilic acid pads by Noxema twice a day. I wish I had tried this to begin with!! As for "Leaky Gut" syndrome? Hmmm.....don't like the sound of that one!! :)