I have had a recurring problem with hives or rashes over the past 20 years. They show up like clockwork every 2 years. They last anywhere between 6 to 9 months and then they disappear for another 18 months or so. I haven't been able to figure out the cause so all I've done is throw antihistamines at the problem with few or no results. I'm due for another round later this year, so I'll keep an eye on my diet and other systems to see if these annoying things can be prevented. Thanks!

I read Ultramatabolism last year and have changed the way I eat. I've lost over fifty pounds and have felt pretty good. The last couple of months I started getting acne right before my period and I'm 47 years old. I have been under an extreme amount of stress though, going through a divorce. It was ironic that this article came out when it did. Only yesterday I was looking up natural ways to help with acne, never thinking it could be from stress.

I love the information, it reminds me of your book. I have found that daily products seem to correlate with the amount of acne on my face. Also, I have pimps in other areas on my body (back, chest, inner thighs and arms) what else can I do (now I exercise atleast 4 times and week and eat whole foods and drink soy milk) to help clear up this condition?

Good Morning....Just love all the valuable info.I'd like to know if there are any other specific treatments for eczema. My daughter has been dealing with this since she was 9 months and is now 19years young.She has been a vegetarian for 3years and this has helped tremendously.She has been allergy tested and candida tested. Few allergies to certain foods and no candida.The topical steroids help when there is a flair up, but we know thats not the answer.Thank you for all you do and any info would be greatly appreciated.

Dear Dr. Hyman,
Do you know why scientific tests have so far suggested that diet does not affect acne? I believe I know what variable they are not holding for, but I am curious if you have any ideas on what this may be.

Dr. Hyman I really enjoyed this and all the others blogs that I have had time to read. I have vision issues and have to copy and make the print larger to read so I don't always get to read them all. I too have developed acne vulgaris at 58! I'm sure it is due to some chronic issues which I am trying to minimize by starting the ultrametobolism regime. My dermatologist ran some test to see what was going on with the acne and some recent general hair loss and my DHEA test was low (I looked it up and the MD website said that it was Adrenal Stress. SO MY QUESTION IS Where in your book or this website do you talk about Adrenal Stress? I would appreciate anyone who might be reading this and could direct me to Dr. Hyman's answer. Thank You

Dr. Hyman I really enjoyed this and all the others blogs that I have had time to read. I have vision issues and have to copy and make the print larger to read so I don't always get to read them all. I too have developed acne vulgaris at 58! I'm sure it is due to some chronic issues which I am trying to minimize by starting the ultrametobolism regime. My dermatologist ran some test to see what was going on with the acne and some recent general hair loss and my DHEA test was low (I looked it up and the MD website said that it was Adrenal Stress. SO MY QUESTION IS Where in your book or this website do you talk about Adrenal Stress? I would appreciate anyone who might be reading this and could direct me to Dr. Hyman's answer. Thank You

I 110% agree with everything in todays blog...from my own personal experience. At about age 18 I developed severe ulcerative colitis (it took until age 19 before they could give me that diagnoses) and I suffered until about the age of 30 while on conventional medication to keep it somewhat "under control". At age 31 I became pregnant w/my first child and all symptoms disapeared...only to return a month after my daughter was born. About 6 mos later I was fed up....and had read an article about probiotics and decided to give it a try. Within two weeks my symptoms had vanished. I called my doctor to tell him about this miracle cure...only to have him say "oh ya, that works for some people, but I didn't mention it because it is over the counter and insurance wouldn't cover it". I was shocked. How could he not even give me the option? After reading your blog and looking at my own situation it all matches up. I had perfect skin in my teens when all the other kids were going to the dermatologist. Then, at about age 20 the acne started and didn't stop until I was on the probiotics for about 6 mos. Now I am mostly acne free and colitis free....thanks to a little research on my part and wonderful wonderful probiotics!!!

I never had much skin problems but at one point when I was a lot younger I had a big zit on my cheek next to my mouth. Doctors tried, I tried over the counter stuff, nothing worked. I went to a Shaklee meeting and they recommended some stuff made from Apricot seeds, I applied it, the zit went away never to return. They said it was caused by a nutritional deficiency of something in the seeds. I munch on those seeds all the time nowadays, have to be careful about how many you eat, FDA says up to 2 per hour, I do half that at most.

Thank you very much for the blog on skin care. A skin problem my sister & I are plagued with is Rosacea. Both of us have visited our local Dermatologists and have been prescribed topical treatments that only suppress/mask the red inflamed skin. My sister has changed her diet but has not seem much improvement. I am working to clean up my diet but my case is not as severe as hers. Can your next article on skin problems address this issue as I know of several other friends who experience this problem as we both do. Thank you.

Since participating in the ultra simple diet and continuing to follow the protocols (May 15th 2007) I have lost 10 pounds and my skin is much improved ,previously it was dry and on the arms and legs wrinkled it is 100% better, my facial skin has also improved.Definately I can see we are what we eat.

How do you see diet affecting similar skin problems/viruses such as HPV.

While I would agree that diet plays the most important role in adult acne, aren't overactive hormones the main culprit for teens? The three components of a pimple are excess sebaceous secretion, dead skin cells and bacteria. Since the oil production is excessive due to hormonal changes in the teen years, I'm not sure how that could be controlled by diet alone. Perhaps dietary changes could help to some extent but I don't think it's the direct cause of teenage acne. Otherwise, why do they outgrow it and have clear skin later, despite the same bad dietary habits?

I développed mild acne in my late twenties but by my late thirties it had gotten much worst. Over the counter products were not working so I finally decided to see a dermatalogist. He looked at my face for 30 seconds and prescribe "minocyclin" (that caused side effects), a cleanser and an ointment. My condition did improve but I still had mild acne and within a week of finishing the minocyclin I broke out. On my next visit he precribed "retin A" which did help control the breakouts but caused severe drying and flaking. After a few months I stopped using it and decided to try a natural approach. I started with a 3 day apple diet with enemas (to cleanse) and then changed my eating habits (cut sugar, fatty foods,white flour etc). I now eat more fish, vegetables, fruit and whole grains and try to include spinach, turmeric, cayenne, ginger, rosemary and olive oil in almost all of meals. I also started to drink green tea and take salmon oil supplements as well as vitamins A,E & D. What a difference, I am now free of breakouts and as an added bonus, I feel healthy and look much younger !! As far as externally, I only moisturize at night with castor oil, exfoliate with a micro-fibre cloth and apply vitamin A. No more presciptions for me, natural all the way !!

While I would agree that diet plays the most important role in adult acne, aren't overactive hormones the main culprit for teens? The three components of a pimple are excess sebaceous secretion, dead skin cells and bacteria. Since the oil production is excessive due to hormonal changes in the teen years, I'm not sure how that could be controlled by diet alone. Perhaps dietary changes could help to some extent but I don't think it's the direct cause of teenage acne. Otherwise, why do they outgrow it and have clear skin later, despite the same bad dietary habits?

I am just starting to read the UltraSimple Diet book, but have been monitoring the blogs for the last few days. Everything said correlates strongly to my personal experience. Over the past two years I was plagued with chronic acne. No facial cleansing routine I tried really helped much. About four months ago I visited my Doctor regarding my mild depression. She had put me on Welbutrin about 2 years ago, but I didn't think it was really helping. She switched me to Efixer, which helped my mood a great deal, but I quickly developed an allergic reaction to it. Same thing with the next medication we tried. We decided to try going drug-free for awhile. For the most part my depression is gone or managable, but the big change is that my acne completely cleared up. Other than an occasional breakout around my menstral cycle, my skin has been clear.

I've had acne problems for MANY years, and have tried many things . It has still never gone away. My problem is that I have cystic acne, which I rarely see mentioned. I have always felt that cystic acne has its own separate problems, perhaps in the gut area, and you've confirmed my suspicions. I still wish there was someone to talk to about this. How do I find someone in my area who can talk sensibly about these issues. Dermatologists want to always send me home with antibotics or something topical.

Thats great to hear Elfe. I am 26 and I suffer from acne more as an adult than a teen. I have tried lots of OTC drugs, antibiotics, proactive, clyndamiacin and others with seemingly improving results but my skin never clears up completely. I am now using retin-A, with proactive while awaiting my approval for accutane. My skin is extremely oily and I break out in the summer worse than ever. I love your approach to fighting your acne naturally. I will try your regimen and hope for great results. Thanks

Your body is designed to rid itself of toxins and bacteria and one of the ways it does this is through the skin. When your pores are clogged these toxins and bacteria are trapped under the skin and acne is formed.
Topical solutions may help unclogg your pores but they also dry out your skin causing your body to react and produce even more sebum. Antibiotics may help to control the bacteria temporarally, but they also weaken your bodies natural ability to fight against these and other bacteria in the futur, so in the long run your acne and cysts get worst...
Perhaps you should see your familly doctor or a dietetician and inquire about ways to help rid your your body of excess yeast. Also, not only changing your diet but your skin care methods as well (see my previous post) may rid you of the need for harmful and often ineffective presciptions.

I've tried many things topical, from all natural (making my own oil/cleanser mixtures) to the typical benzoyl peroxide. None of it worked. That has led me to think that it is may be internal. I tried being vegetarian for a year. That didn't help. I've tried various diets, and that hasn't helped. I tried going to a naturopath. That hasn't helped. I'm tired and worn out on trying things. I want a solution. I am inclined to think that what Dr. Hyman wrote about cystic acne (the leaky gut and parasites link) may be something worthwhile. But for now, I want to talk face-to-face with somebody who knows what they are actually talking about, and who can actually look at what my specific issues are for my body. I did look at the IFM database, and there is no one in my area, which means I need to fly to another island (I live in Hawaii) in order to see someone that may know something. Oh, and the last time I talked to my family doctor, she prescribed an antibiotic, so I really can't go that route.

Please do yourself a favor and DO NOT DO ACCUTANE!!!

I (used to) breakout more in the summer too. Because the sun tends to dry the surface of the skin, your body panics and pumps more oil to the rescue, sun exposure also temporarally tightens your pores so the excess oil gets trapped under your skin and you breakout.
Try steaming your face at night (if you don't have a steamer, taking a hot bath or simply placing a face-cloth soaked in hot water over your face will do the job). Now that your pores are opened, pat your skin dry and massage castor oil all over your face and leave it on over night. This not only tricks your body onto producing less sebum but aslo helps heal your pimples and softens your skin.

I never had much of an acne problem as a teenager, but when I turned 22 or 23, boom! it hit me, and I wasn't able to control it. It was only moderately bad until I got pregnant, at which point it got very severe, mostly cystic acne that ended up scarring. Even after my pregnancy, it continued. I tried everything topical, and even some supplements and dietary changes! Certain things worked to some degree, and I enjoyed some skin clearness.

But when I got pregnant again about 2 years later, it returned, though not as severe. I had made some permanent dietary changes, such as 100% avoiding soda pop, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and other such poisons, and eating mostly whole, fresh foods at home, rather than out all the time. But I couldn't beat it until I read that chlorella helped with skin issues. Chlorella detoxifies heavy metals, so I gave it a try even though I was pregnant.

The most amazing thing happened, and I've never looked back. My skin starting clearing up that very same night I took just 1 capsule. I woke up, and every last blemish was dried up and beginning to heal, just like that. That was like a miracle. I built up my dosage slowly, and I now take 10 capsules per day faithfully, and enjoy almost 100% clear skin all the time. I believe that I must have had a lot of poisons in my body that were coming out through my skin.

Not saying it will work for everyone, but I am so very, very happy that it worked for me. Now it doesn't matter what I put on my skin, I don't break out. I used to think that certain cosmetics or the wrong kind of facial care products would make my acne worse. I can use any products now, and it doesn't make any difference. I, for one, am a chlorella believer. I hope that helps someone.

If you ask your doctor to help you with your acne, of course he will prescibe antibiotics. Doctors are trained to prescribe drugs!! If you simply change your diet without cleansing beforehand, two things will happen. First, your digestive system will not be able to absorbe the nutrients or substances that you need to heal and secondly what was causing the problem to begin with will still be in your body (kind of like trying to paint over a moldy wall.. to eliminate the problem you first have to remove the mold, or else it will just reappear though the paint)

I think that because you have probably taken many antibiotics in the past, your system is now filled with yeast and bad bacteria and your body (which is simply trying to survive and maintain itself) is trying to expel it through your skin. This is why I suggested that you enquire about ways to eliminate the yeast from your body(which is probably causing your cysts to begin with)either through a cleansing (flush diet) or colonics or both and then replace it with normal levels of yeast and good bacteria through diet and supplements.

As far as talking face to face with an expert in your area, good luck !! I have never found anyone (or even any website) that covers the subject completly or is knowledgable in all the aspects of controling (curing) acne. It is only after years of research (from various sources)and from a combination of various methods that I was able to control mine.

Great information! Yes I absolutely have seen how my eating affects my skin. I "knew" that chocolate and fried greasy foods were not good for my acne but I never dreamed that other things weren't as well. The less sugar/carbs the better my skin looks. Cutting out milk specifically has also not only improved my skin but I've stopped having the cronic sinus infections and headaches that I've suffered from for years!

Thanks!

Great Site BUT I find the yellow orange color used for links and topic selection VERY Hard to READ.
Any one else out there agree?

I would suggest a redo of the site.

I had some acne when I was in my teens, but it went away in my early 20's. I was always aware that certain foods, especially sweets and fats made it worse.
I am now 60 and recently was diagnosed with Rosacea (a form of acne I am told.) I was using antibiotic topically and internally with little relief. Recently I have turned again to diet and have gone to a mostly organic, lower fat diet. I also use an infra-red sauna and apply oxygen peroxide to my skin. The problem has improved dramatically.

I've done cleansers too, even for yeast. The problem is that there are too many products out there on the market. How does one know if something will really work? I could try a dozen products, and maybe one will sort of work. Everyone has their opinion on how to make everything better, but with profit as a motivation, how can you trust anyone?

A few years ago, I had absolutely uncontrollable acne. It wasn't cystic or even severe, but it was persistant and totally appearance-ruining! I discovered the Clear Skin Prescription by Dr. Perricone. Everyone's book recommends things that are little bit different. But I am eternally grateful to that book because it introduced me to the world of anti-inflammation nutrition and controlling my blood sugar.

I was so desperate at that point that I was willing to do anything - including cut out sugar!!! It was hard, but I was determined, and, boy, did it make a difference! I ate frequently, always eating protein first to slow down the blood sugar spike, ate lots of healthy fats, and almost no sugar. If I ever took a break and went out to dinner with my husband for Chinese or Mexican food, to my dismay, I would break out the next day! A few times I had hot dogs, and that was the worst of all! But incredibly, if I ate salmon for dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day, my skin would look clear and beautiful.

I couldn't believe that all those years I had been told that food made no difference to your skin. What a cruel, misguided lie!
And what really kept me going was that I started losing about a pound every day (until I was pretty close to my ideal weight, and then it slowed a bit).

So now I know what is only logical - what you put into your body actually builds your body. So you had better use good materials!

Thanks to Dr. Hyman for showing me better every day just how to do that.

That's one of the reasons that I turned to a natural approach based on non-profit oriented health information. Drugs, prescription ointments and "gimic" treatments are expensive and at best, only treat symptoms.

Here is a breakdown of the cost of treating my acne (most people already have these things in their home and most importantly, there are no side effets, no chemicals, no risks).

3 day Internal cleanse: 15 apples (8$), grape juice (3$), olive oil (4$), baking soda (1$), enema bag( already had)
10 day Skin cleanse: castor oil (3$), steam (free)
Skin maintenance: micro-fibre cloth 2$, castor oil vitamin A capsules (already had).
Total (21$)

Genaral maintenance: Changing my diet, and adding healthful herbes and spices to natural foods actually cost less than eating prépackaged, refined and artificially flavored proccessed foods. Vitamins and salmon oil supplements are inexpensive and easily available.

Annette, I sympathise entirely. I've struggled with acne for more than 25 years. I've tried everything - antibiotics, accutane, retin A, peels, facials, an endless array of topical lotions and potions - all help temporarily but the acne comes back and the side effects are not worth it.

For the last six years I've focused on healthly diet with mixed results. I now experience 4-6 week periods of relatively clear skin and sometimes I even think the acne might finally be gone for good, but then I'll suffer a massive flare up. I now eat extremely well, exercise often and do cleansing diets once or twice a year which no doubt helps, but I still have intermittent breakouts. It's difficult to pinpoint which foods might be problematic because there are other factors such as menstrual cycle and job stress that also influence my skin condition. I'm now eliminating all dairy (already kicked all wheat and refined white flour/sugar a long time ago) to see if that helps.

I've never tried castor oil, and some one else mentioned that they got relief from chlorella supplements - so I suppose that's worth a try!

I have atopic dermatitis since I was a little baby. I want to know how can I help my skin to look as best as it can?

I have 20 year old son that suffers from cystic acne, we have tried many treatments for him,even very harmful prescriptions, but I never heard of something so simple as changing his eating havits might work, we are going to give it a try..

Thanks,
L.DelValle

Hello Doctor,

Thanks for your informative comments.

Although I practice most of what you recommend, I find that personal hygiene plays an important role for me.

I work out( cardio, resistance, and yoga classes or stretches) at least six days per week and don't always shower after the workouts, but if I wash my face at the appropriate times my breakouts are minimized.

I have been diagnosed with mild rosacea and sometimes put a dash of metrogel onto my
nasal and immediate surrounding area. Of course, I enjoy spicy foods and have two lite beers per day.

Thank you, Sharon, for your comments. I really appreciate your sympathy. I just want people to realize that it's not always a simple thing in trying to find a solution that works. For some of us, it takes TIME, which inevitably means it takes MONEY (especially if you live in a place like Hawaii, which is expensive). Some of the remedies have helped, but it never entirely gets rid of the problem. I have read quite a bit on the subject of natural health, and could probably write a dissertation on everything I know. Dr. Hyman's comments on this blog have proved interesting, and have given me another path to pursue. YET, it may take me years to figure out a particular solution that may work for me. Everyone has their own opinions on what may work; however, every person and every body is different, and a solution for one may not work for another. Only someone trained in the areas that Dr. Hyman is trained in can truly make a recommendation on particular treatments. For all who read this blog, please think on this.

Please read my response to Sharon below.

In addition, things are never as cheap as you state. Vitamins and supplements can add up, and are NOT inexpensive, especially if you want to get good vitamins.

Annette,

I stated the actual costs of what I payed for the foods and products I used. ( I live in Canada, maybe things in your area are more expensive...)

As far as vitamins and supplements, I find them quite inexpensive compared to precription drugs, lotions, creams, professional peels, laser treatments etc etc. Just to give you an example of costs (in my city) Salmon oil is 12.99$ for one month supply and vitamins E,A,D are all under 10$.

I am sorry to hear that things are so expensive in your area... but please do not accuse me of lying !!
I was only trying to help you (you are not obligated to try any of the things I suggested) so I don't see why you are being so argumentative ?? when a simple "thanks but no thanks, I think I have special needs and your methods would not work me so I will keep looking for inexpensive miracle cure from a professional"

PS: This will be my last reply to you as you are obviously looking more for sympathy and referals to medical professionals than advice or information from other acne sufferers.

PPS: to all others, feel free to ask any questions and keep sharing your valuable tips :)

Did you read my first entry? I NEVER asked for advice on what products to use. ALL I asked was if anyone knew of a good way to try and find someone knowledgeable in their area. That was ALL I asked for. I am sorry that I let you get me side-tracked from my real question. What I am angry about is that I felt you didn't even read my question, and I received a mini-lecture instead. I really still would like to know if anyone has ever successfully found a professional who helped them. That is ALL I really wanted to know. I am sorry if anyone reading these series of blogs is offended by my tone, but I've been fighting my battle with acne for over 20 years, and have rarely found a professional that understood my problem and tried to explain to me the fundamentals of what is happening. I like Dr. Hyman's blogs, as I feel that maybe he does understand. I just would like to talk one-on-one to someone similar to him. Has ANYONE had any success in finding a professional? I would really appreciate that story. Thank you.

sgun la fase para desentoxicar el sistema ,vivo en colombia y hay productos que no se como se encuentran aqui ejemplo amaranta.anacardo entre otras por la información gracias .tambien lo felicito por el libro muy interesante y quiero seguirlo paso a paso

I saw the Ultra Wellness Diet in First for Women Magazine, I read the checklist for leaky gut, and had just about every symptom.
I have been 150 pounds overweight for last 10 years. Tried diets, failed and gained more weight. I have liver damage from being overweight, diagnosed with fatty liver this year. Through hard work and getting a personal trainer I have lost 60 pounds on my own from Jan 07. I was stuck, it did not seem that I could lose anymore. I did know from food journaling and weight journaling, if I ate bread or potatoes I would gain at least 1-3 pounds overnight!
I tried the ultrametabolism diet, on Monday July 9, I have lost 8 pounds, in five days. It is astounding to me! I have never lost that much weight in 5 days. I feel better to boot. I am going off the diet for my birthday, then right back on, for hopefully additional weight loss. I have 100 more pounds to lose and I know this will work for me. Thank you Dr. Hyman

Thank you Dr. Hyman for all your valuable advice!

I began to experience terrible problems with my complexion at age 36 right
around the birth of my youngest son. My OB/GYN said it was roseacea and
explained that it would go away when the baby was born; it was hormonal. So I
suffered through the last trimester of my pregnancy with the sunburn-like pain
and cystic acne. It was horrible, ugly and very painful. Well, I'm now 42 and
the "baby" is 7 1/2 and I'm still altering my lifestyle because of my breakouts.
I have spent thousands of dollars on different treatments both OTC and
prescription that either aggravated the situation or only helped moderately and
temporarily. And then there was all the additional products to cover-up the
problem with just about every make-up on the market!!

OK, so I finally realized that working from the outside-in was not doing the
trick so I began trying other things. I briefly sought the advice of a
naturopathic doctor and she set me on the right direction for self-care and
treatment. (Isn't that what a doctor should do? Set you on the right path and
help you along? But that's another post!) Anyway, once I figured out the food
connection, I began experimenting with supplements and specific food
eliminations. I have had the most success with elimination of flour, sugar,
dairy and corn. The more I eat whole foods, high Omegas, high fiber (keep my
insides moving!), and the least amount of processed foods the better my face is.
I also try to add high ORAC value foods to my diet which also seems to help
immensely.

Overall, the one factor that seems to influence the condition of my face is the
condition of my gut; if I am not having regular trips to the bathroom, I'm
breaking out and getting red patches. You can't tell me that the condition of
my gut hasn't affected my face! I agree with you wholeheartedly!

Thank you so much for such valuable advice. You have offered me and my husband
a very practical, natural, level-headed way to take an active role in our
present and future health and the health of our kids! Keep up the great work!

Thanks for the information, I have suffered from blackhead, whiteheads, pimples, and cyst like pimples for quite a few years now. I started getting pimples when I was 15 and I am now 48, so I have had them for a long time. I have had brief periods of clearer skin, in particluar when I was following the Protein Power Plan. My skin is very oily, especially in the T-zone area. I have always believed that diet directly effects how my skin appears. As you say healthy skin from within.
So, thanks once again for the valuable info.

June

You never mentioned HOW you "fixed your gut".
HOW do we find out if we have a parasite? WHAT do we need to do if we suspect that we do indeed have one?

Its sounds to me like we have to buy the book for the answers.

I have had skin issues most of my life, but acne only recently as an adult. I think I may have leaky gut or some kind of intestinal infection. how can I start healing this.

Hello
I am 32 and have suffered with acne since I was 12years old. I have tried everything on the market and it works for a while but I get immune to it and it stops working. I have always believed that it was something wrong with me inside but all the doctors and studies showed that foood has nothing to do with it. I am tired of looking for new products and spending alot of money so I have stopped using anything but a mild cleanser. I mainly break out on my face , neck, and my scalp and in my mouth. They are white bumps and some sore red bumps. I occasionally get acne on my body as well along with face and neck hair growth. If anyone know solutions I am open to hearing them I do not know what else to do. I read the book but I do not know exactly what I can and cannot eat?

How do I know what the root cause is that is causing my acne? I've had it since I was 12 and it is no better or worse than it was when it started. Food makes no difference, excercise makes no difference. I take the vitamins listed and I eat lots of fruit and vegetables, salads and such daily. I don't drink much dairy and when I do, I buy the kind without the hormones. I do use organic plain yogurt for a berry yogurt shake in the am. How do I determine the REAL cause, so I can cure it?

I was extremely delighted to see you address the problem of acne. With so many people suffering from acne, and with the incidence rising at alarming rates, it's time to start looking at its treatment and cure from its root cause.

The acne skin care industry is a multi Million dollar industry, that is growing by the day. Unfortunately, acne sufferes are fooled into believing that acne cannot be cured so, they continue to pour money into acne skin care products that only provide temporary fixes.

Kudos for the article!

The same thing happened to me!! I got botox in March and a few weeks later, I noticed small bumps on my forehead!! Not putting two and two together, I got botox again in June, and this time, I broke out all over my forehead in cyst-like acne bumps. It has been nearly two months, and the bumps are still there, they are not going away, and they really hurt! Has this happened to anyone else?? Any suggestions!! I need help bc this is so stressful and awful!!! Please post soon!

My face is red mostly all the time.and everyday i wake up with bumbs on the side of the face and around .im tired of looking like this .what should i do .please let me know..

I have been living with pimples for 9 years since I was 19. I do not have a lot of pimples all over my face like others. I only have 1-2 every 3-4 months. However, all of my pimples are big and hard like rock. They can be noticeable from a distance because they are so big. Alot of them has no open mouth and there is no way i can pick them to push out all the pus so that they can get healed faster. They just stay there on my skin for more than half a year no matter what topical cream I put on. Some of them vanish eventually. 1 year ago, my Mom told me that my acnes might be caused by some internal problem of my body, not just from the outside. She meant my diet as you said. My Mom had the same exact type of acnes like me when she was young. So I think I inherited that somehow from her. She took alot of Aloe Vera supplement, Vitamin E and Fish Oil . She drinks fresh fruit juice, artichoke tea, green tea, plain yogurt every day. She can afford to do all these because she has a house servant who makes all those food available for her everyday. She does not have menstrual any more since she is 53 now. Now, she does not have even one pimple. Since healthy diet works for my Mom, I believe what you suggest will work for a lot of people. My Mom looks very young compared to others at her age too.

I am trying to do what she told me now. It has been tough on me since I do not have a house keeper as my Mom does. I still have rocky acnes on my face.

Thanks for your information. It is very helpful. You mentioned something about Zinc. Probably that is what I should take too. My acnes are always big and inflamed badly with alot of pus and blood. I hope Zinc can help reduce the inflamation. My Mom told me that when I was a kid, any wound on my legs is always big and deep with long core and pus. I think my body does not have the right nutrition to fight inflamation. Zinc is probably a way to go.

Thanks again for your information.

Being 19 i guess it's not uncommon to have problems with acne. But for me, who has had clear skin my whole life, it was pretty strange that just recently in my first year of college my my face and neck were speckled in blemishes. after reading ultrametabolism (a gift from my aunt) i decided to try and cut down sugar and proccesed foods as well as seek out natural astringents (like witch hazel) and organic soaps. A year later, i still have a few pimples but it's not nearly as bad as it was before.

Hi Doc.
I've had Acne for the last 4 years. It's all started when I shot myself with the expired testasteron shot cople of times. But as soon as I realized what I did I stoped the injections and quit exercising at all. Since then I've tried evrything Dermotalogists have to offer. And there is one thin taht does help to control my Acne that is:Doxycycline Monohydrate150 MG and Ziana Gel 30GM
Howevere I always believed in the idea that It's not the way to trea acne.
For instance when I went to Russia a few weeks ago I run out of my medication and guess what i didn't have acne problem for another 3 weeks until I got back to USA

I wish I knew exactly which foods cause my acne, but I do know that it is something I am eating. Two years ago a friend of mine convinced me to do a 7 day fast with him. For 7 days, I drank nothing but apple juice and took pills that basically had a laxative effect. By day four my skin was flawless. I couldn't even remember the last time my skin looked like that. It wasn't greasy (as it normally is), my normally large pores became nearly invisible and there was not a pimple in sight. I was so happy and I was hoping that the improvement would be permanent. No luck. My first meal of hummus and pita bread, which I thought was healthy, brought on a breakout quickly. To this day, my skin has never looked as good as it did during the second half of my fast.

What do you think could cause "phantom itching" on upper arms? There are no bites, hives, welts or symptoms other than itching (usually attacks in the evenings)that feels like there are invisible spines that begin stinging with incredible itching. I feel it is stress/nerves. I have tried 10 days of zyrtek (allergy med), steroid cream, and now benadryl at night (Dr.'s advise). Do you have any suggestions?

>While I would agree that diet plays the most >important role in adult acne, aren't >overactive hormones the main culprit for >teens?

Yes, and overactive hormones are caused in teens by bad diet, bad lifestyle, bad sleeping patterns and stress. It's just not true that puberty causes overactive hormones. We don't need overactive hormones, we need at whatever age balanced hormones. The teens of Kitavans or other healthy populations have slow and steady growth which results in them growing and maturing without any sort of "hormonal overactivity". In the past it was thought that the best nutrition is the one that makes a child grow fast. It is known nowadays that fast growth is pathological and correlated with osteoporosis, tumors and cancers. Growth spurts are not natural, it's the way we unhealthy individuals and bad eaters of the modern-world grow not the way we're supposed to grow. We've all hormones (including testosterone) active in our body since we're infants. Hormonal activity and synthesis is proportional to body mass and growth. So there's absolutely no physiological or organical reason to have hormones that suddenly at a certain age become crazy and unbalanced leading to all sort of problems and triggering potentially deadly diseases. No! hormonal activity and synthesis is supposed to increase proportionally with body growth slowly and remains always balanced. Unless your diet is playing havoc with this (especially the extra IGF levels observed in kids in industrial countries but not elsewhere) not to mention all the deficiencies, the insulin resistance or high insulin levels, the unbalanced blood sugar, the leaky gut, the toxic liver ... all things that influence hormones and their activity totally and chronically.

The proof is in the pudding. Take an average sick teen with crazy out of balance hormones as seen in the blood works and have him/her following an healthy diet with no refined/processed foods, no additives, colorants, refined sugars and lot of veggies, greens and fruits. Have him/her following an healthy sleeping pattern and exercize daily.
After three months the blood works will show that whatever hormonals unbalance has been reversed in spite of him/her being a teenager and all the rest.

Ayurveda the ancient medical system is based on principle of treating the whole body and mind while treating a disease. Ayurveda emphasises on rectifying diet habits and lifestyle while treating. Poor diet and poor digestion are main causes for skin problems.

A nice blog

Dr.Savitha Suri
http://www.ayurhelp.com

I saw you on "You Tube" today talking about acne because I'm desperate to find a cure. My acne was cured in 2005 for 9 months after doing 2 months of the colon cleanser "Colonix" from Dr. Natura.com BUT when I did it again this year in 2007, my acne didn't budge. It's seriously in rebellion now and I need HELP!!! In 2005, I probably drank more water per day and did the Colonix tea which I didn't do as much this year when I did Colonix but still, my bowels weren't moving like they did in 2005 and the acne wasn't even getting a little better. I need to totally change my diet and get the right minerals. Can you tell me exactly what to do? Send me recipes and give advice? Can I send you somehow PICTURES of my face so you can see what I'm dealing with??? It's cystic acne. I don't get little pimples. It's horrible!!! Please help me. Does anyone else that is reading this fight with cystic acne? I'm 32 years old and a mother of two girls ages 8 and 11 and I've had cystic acne since I was 12!!!! Can't get rid of it!

hey Elfe...can you email me so we can talk about acne? I want to see if you have any recipes so I can cook healthier for my skin and see what regimen you do for your face morning and night if you still are acne free. Drop me a line if you will at Peacetousa@yahoo.com. Thanks a lot!! Again, my name is Laura and I'm 32 and suffer with cystic acne.

I have suffered from acne since I was a young teenager. I started drinking alcohol at age 14. I went on alot of antibiotics for different things. I also had a poor diet consisting mainly of sugar.I am now 28 and still suffer. I have been on accutane, antibiotics and it keeps coming back. What I have suspected over the years is that when I would eat certain foods I would get new pimples. I have monitored my reaction to these foods for years now but people thought I was mad, it was all in my head. I believe I have food sensitivities. These foods are things like tomatoes, citric fruits, strawberries, all dried fruits, grapes, berries, apricots, wine, chocolate, ice cream, honey, jams, capsicum etc. I did some research and it seems I have a problem with high salicylate foods among other things. I recently came off some antibiotics which Id been on for six months. I ate some dried apricots and not too long after got alot of excess gas then later on spewed up. The next day on my face appeared some big itchy saw lumpy pimples. Anyway I decided to go on a strict diet avoiding all of the suspect foods and my face has never been so clear. I have been on this diet for about 3 weeks now so am hopeful. Also I use flaxseed oil every day and a probiotic with all of the b vitamins etc. I have also cut down on gluten foods. 

Dr Hyman,  I recently contracted genital herpes from my girlfriend who didn`t tell me she had . How do I get rid of this problem so I can get married one day and have a family. I need your help please.

how to get  rid of acne cause im suffering with acne too i just want to ask is moisturiser help acne get rid and how to rebalance the hormones.. tnx i hope you read this

Orange juice had been a part of my daily diet since I was a kid. When I started to get "teenage acne" I put it down to just being a teenager. After a few years of not being a teenager any more I tried all sorts of things to clear up my skin - none of which worked (apart from a course of antibiotics which only worked while I was taking them - once I stopped, so did the effect).

It was only when I moved abroad and could not get fresh orange juice easily that I stopped drinking it. Within a couple of weeks my acne was gone completely. I didn't put two and two together until I came back for a weekend, drank a fair amount of juice and within two days the acne had returned.

It's amazing how just ONE food, that you think is good for you, can do you no good at all, causing so much pain and misery. Particularly ironic is the fact that I would drink more OJ if my acne was bad because "it's good for me and has lots of vitamin c"!

After 6 years I still avoid orange juice but can tolerate a glass every now and then. Any more than that and I go back to being a teenager again...

It may not be oranges for you but it may just be one thing - and that one thing maybe something that's regarded as being "good for you"!

I am 43 years old and a few years ago I started having worse break outs of acne.  Around Oct. , along my jaw line and chin area it seemed more like a reddened rash and some acne.  My husband complaigned alot(made me feel like a ugly teenager, with a problem way worse than I ever had as a teen). I have used many things for skin care in the last 20 years or so.  I have used a system called Serious Skin Care, then a seaweed type soap I had got from The Herb Stop, Then some sray on stuff I do not remember the name of, then I went to Proactive for a few years.  I have also been told I have IBS-irritable bowel syndrome, which I saw mentioned in the blog.  I've always  been under the understanding that you had to treat acne outside,  but in the last 4-5 years I have started listening too, and talking to people who are herbalists who say it needs to be treated from the inside (they were thinkging--liver).  When I broke out with the red rash along the jaw they mentioned thyroid or hormonal. When I read your blog on hyperthyroid(SP)no mention of acne or rash was there, but I do have the dry skin (I just thought it was because I live in dry NM), along with many other symtoms you named.  I do not have the money to have alot of blood tests and doctor visits. I do need help.I do not like feeling and looking as I do. Doctor you are right about the fact the symtoms for thyroid could be contributed to age or whatever.  The acne my husband just says he would go to a dermatologist but compaigns we have no $$, so I can not.  I really think the help I need will not come from a dermatologist. I did my bit with doctors a medication before when I had some grand mal seizures and ended up on carbemzmine(SP)( thiswas the generic form of tegritol) for around 14 years, during that time I ended up with IBS.  I have been off the medication for around 7 years now . I would like to jnow what Dr. Hyman thinksof this. I hope it all makes sense cause I am helping my son with his math while writing this.  Please help I'm confused.

Ive known for quite some time now that its all in your diet i just needed details and you provided them thanks alot

I appreciate you a lot on writing this article as you have descried the history of acne treatment many relevant things that would be very advantageous for those who are not finding this type of information. Yes, it is correct that average age of acne sufferer is between 20 to 25 years and most of the adults are having this problem these days.

http://www.treatmentsforacne.net/

hi,

I never had acne in my early teens but due stress & bad diet I hv started getting pimples all over my face and strange rashes whenever I ate certain foods.

I even developed itchy red patches on different parts of my body. my skin color has changed, feels as if my body is inflammed.

plz tell me wt steps u took to heal your gut & got rid of acne, I m so desperate that i can do anything to get rid of them. plz plz tell me all the steps you took.

thanks

This is a wonderful article because you have spoken vastly about so many things from good food good diet and other things. Anyone reading this article will find all things said useful. Really nice article.

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Thanks for tha good informatision http://www.acne-reviews.org/

Thanks for the good informatision http://www.acne-reviews.org/

Acne is mainly caused due to overproduction of sebum in sebaceous glands of the body. Diet containing much oil must be avoided to prevent from acne. Balanced nutritious diet should be taken.

Hey I just got through with the pages, I should say Pretty nice work done there.
Thanks,
Acne treatment

Medical researchers have identified a relationship between diet and skin health. Eating foods high in antioxidants can considerably slow the aging process.  Antioxidants help cells resist free radicals so cells stay healthy.  It would be nice if skin could stay as young looking on the face and other exposed areas as it is in places on the body that never see daylight.  But eventually the aging process will catch up with even healthy skin and wrinkles, sun spots, and discoloration become apparent.  People will even grow hair due to hormone imbalances which is why the laser hair removal machine gets more and more popular all the time.   But laser skin treatments aren’t just used on the aging.  In fact they are used on people of all ages including the young adults who have blemishes and other skin problems.

Given that acne is by far the most common disease in the world, I’m constantly surprised at the amount of misinformation there is about acne treatments. There are so many commonly held believes regarding treatments, which have no scientific or medical validity, but continue to be passed on from individual to individual.

Not so here. There is a wealth of good information on how to cure acne problems.

I've struggled with acne for the past 3 years, starting at age 43.  It came on and got very, very bad.  I've tried everything I could think of to clear it - master cleanse, juice fasting, healthy eating, took birth control, topical sulfur, anti-biotics for a year, stopped all sorts of different foods, clothes detergent, new pillows, etc.  After stopping the sulfur and anti-biotics the acne came right back.  I have to get healthy!! 

I am worthy and valuable! ~NAN~

This is very good blog on Health & Fitness.
For more information on health diseases, Beauty Care & for their Natural Treatment
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http://www.herbal-supplements-for-you.com/beauty-makeup-tips/oily-skin-care-tips-oily-skin-care-routine.html

When it comes to any skin problems, a good balanced diet is better than taking any antibiotics or using any lotions. Actually it is the best to have a healthy body & avoid any health problems. We must give importance to what we eat on a daily basis.

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