Adult Acne. What The Hell Is Wrong With People Like Me?

[Peata]

So I had a couple of cysts pop up, right jawline, right neck, and under chin. Little congestion on forehead (tiny acne). Still have comdeones on chin (think they're called that), blackheads on nose, clogged pores on cheeks by nose, clogged pores around lips.

I recently also had cyst on my jawline, on both sides, in the same exact spots.

I don't have oily skin, more on the dry side. I don't get it.

I just want so bad to fix this and I am getting so obsessed with trying to find a solution.

Do you notice the bad skin more at certain times of month?

 

[seano]

Keep in mind that what we identify as acne can be all sorts of things, not necessarily Acne Vulgaris.

I get sudden deep cysts on my neck which can disappear as fast as they appear. This then affects my social life & mental state especially in summer when it can't be covered at all.

I've correlated the cause completely to digestion. 1 day of slowed digestion (i.e. not clearing out well in the morning) will result in cysts the next morning. Guaranteed. Lack of sleep typically aggravates it further.

What has helped the most is:
- Daily & often movement. Along with good posture.
- Reduction of fiber. Dropped all cruciferous vegetables. Primarily use spinach, zucchini, tomatoes, ...
- Carrot salad. Normally mid morning.
- Not eating too late unless it's a no fiber meal (mmm ice cream).
- Favoring potatoes over other starches (boiled then mashed or pureed). And sometimes masa harina (in the form of tortillas for tacos).
- Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.
- Vitamin A & Zinc+Copper. (liver regularly, oysters weekly and some extra vitamin a from time to time)
- I've always eaten primarily gelatinous meat, but I assume that helps.

Oddly, I had very clear skin on a recent 3 week work trip. More clear than for years. And yet I was eating crap food. I suspect it was due to the poor food quality causing even faster digestion. And that I was more physically active which likely moved digestion along.

 

[seano]

By the way the biggest help to reduce/dry cysts has been milk of magnesia. Apply topically, let dry and leave on overnight.

And then lavender oil for reducing redness & scar healing (only in extreme cases since it *may* have an estrogenic effect)

 

[bohogirl]

Do you notice the bad skin more at certain times of month?

I haven't correlated that yet... Trying now to pay more attention to when they occur. I recently ate white potato and corn, of which I haven't ate in a long time. I also used acv topically and don't know if that brought out anything.

 

[James IV]

I've correlated the cause completely to digestion. 1 day of slowed digestion (i.e. not clearing out well in the morning) will result in cysts the next morning. Guaranteed. Lack of sleep typically aggravates it further.

What has helped the most is:
- Daily & often movement. Along with good posture.
- Reduction of fiber. Dropped all cruciferous vegetables. Primarily use spinach, zucchini, tomatoes, ...
- Carrot salad. Normally mid morning.
- Not eating too late unless it's a no fiber meal (mmm ice cream).
- Favoring potatoes over other starches (boiled then mashed or pureed). And sometimes masa harina (in the form of tortillas for tacos).
- Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.
- Vitamin A & Zinc+Copper. (liver regularly, oysters weekly and some extra vitamin a from time to time)
- I've always eaten primarily gelatinous meat, but I assume that helps.

Oddly, I had very clear skin on a recent 3 week work trip. More clear than for years. And yet I was eating crap food. I suspect it was due to the poor food quality causing even faster digestion. And that I was more physically active which likely moved digestion along.

This^
IMO adult acne is most cases is the result of poor digestion (or artificial hormone manipulation). Poor digestion can obviously be the result of many things, but the main ones I have found are insuffieicnt macros/calories, and/or eating difficult to digest foods and/or at inappropriate times that don't allow efficient digestion.

 

[lindsay]

I don't know that I can be of much help, as I have never suffered acne and tend to freak out if I get a zit - popping it immediately and cleaning it out. This defies all logic to me, because I have had horrible digestive issues since I was in college (so like ten + years). I eat dairy and meat and sugar. I am also incredibly irritated if I don't go to the bathroom and try to make sure I have some sort of bowel movement every day. Maybe that is why I do not get zits, but I think part of it is genetics.

However, I had horrible eczema as a child and it peaked when I was in college eating tons of Gluten & PUFA. Do you eat gluten or starch? The last major eczema outbreak I got was when I had appendicitis - really bad itchy dry patches on my eyelids. I was eating a lot of starch at the time. Starch has given me bad digestive problems for many years and I've avoided it as best I can, eating it in small doses.

I would remove possibly offensive foods and maybe try some sort of antibiotic foods & supplements if you can, such as carrot, oregano oil, charcoal, cascara, etc. The all fruit diet for a week might not be a bad idea. Or perhaps pureeing your foods to make them easier to digest would be an option? Have you tried eating gelatin at all? If you have gut issues, gelatin CAN be beneficial - if it's pure and you don't have an underlying endotoxin issue already. I've had really horrible reactions to gelatin and really positive ones.

Finally, you mentioned you have dry skin, but acne...... are you sure it isn't eczema? When my face broke out in college, it was super dry but the breakouts looked like acne - except smaller zits. I still have dryish skin and take great lengths to keep it moisturized. The reason I ask about eczema is because I stopped mine using petroleum jelly - I still apply bag balm to my eyelids, mouth and hands every night before I go to bed.

One other thing that may help is cleaning your skin thoroughly (but I'm sure you already do this). I always use witch hazel, as it is natural and gentle. And I wash my face with all natural soap. Also, for what it's worth, I've heard snail mucus creams are good for acne scarring - snails have the ability to self heal themselves when injured and the healing compounds are in their mucus. I've read good things about snail mucus creams for acne scars, and they are quite cheap in comparison to expensive treatments. Could be worth considering. I have pet snails and have thought about letting them crawl on my face - LOL :) They are actually opening spas for this now.

 

[bohogirl]

Keep in mind that what we identify as acne can be all sorts of things, not necessarily Acne Vulgaris.

I get sudden deep cysts on my neck which can disappear as fast as they appear. This then affects my social life & mental state especially in summer when it can't be covered at all.

I've correlated the cause completely to digestion. 1 day of slowed digestion (i.e. not clearing out well in the morning) will result in cysts the next morning. Guaranteed. Lack of sleep typically aggravates it further.

What has helped the most is:
- Daily & often movement. Along with good posture.
- Reduction of fiber. Dropped all cruciferous vegetables. Primarily use spinach, zucchini, tomatoes, ...
- Carrot salad. Normally mid morning.
- Not eating too late unless it's a no fiber meal (mmm ice cream).
- Favoring potatoes over other starches (boiled then mashed or pureed). And sometimes masa harina (in the form of tortillas for tacos).
- Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.
- Vitamin A & Zinc+Copper. (liver regularly, oysters weekly and some extra vitamin a from time to time)
- I've always eaten primarily gelatinous meat, but I assume that helps.

Oddly, I had very clear skin on a recent 3 week work trip. More clear than for years. And yet I was eating crap food. I suspect it was due to the poor food quality causing even faster digestion. And that I was more physically active which likely moved digestion along.

How often do you eat liver?
I need to add in oysters but need to find how to stomach them.

I did have a point where I ate horrible (fast food, ice cream) and didn't break out. Truly odd.

I've had horrible sleep for years, just starting to improve as I improve my breathing from mouth to nose. (Excess coconut oil also seems to be causing me insomnia)

When I worked out, my skin seemed much better.

Haven't tried carrot salad yet.

I don't eat very late, try to quit before 9. Last summer I did IF, I ate basically from 12-8 sometimes 1-9. Seemed overall to contribute to better skin.

 

[bohogirl]

This^
IMO adult acne is most cases is the result of poor digestion (or artificial hormone manipulation). Poor digestion can obviously be the result of many things, but the main ones I have found are insuffieicnt macros/calories, and/or eating difficult to digest foods and/or at inappropriate times that don't allow efficient digestion.

I'm getting a lot of bloating and gas now but I don't have an increase in acne.

I've tried IF, eating in an 8 hour window, and I may go back to it to see if it improves anything. I have clogged pores almost everywhere. Only had clear skin up to junior year of high school. Since then I've been suffering with all types of skin problems. Acne/clogged pores/blackheads on face and acne on back and rarely on chest.

 

[bohogirl]

By the way the biggest help to reduce/dry cysts has been milk of magnesia. Apply topically, let dry and leave on overnight.

And then lavender oil for reducing redness & scar healing (only in extreme cases since it *may* have an estrogenic effect)

Still looking for the magic topical cure, will have to try it.

 

[bohogirl]

I don't know that I can be of much help, as I have never suffered acne and tend to freak out if I get a zit - popping it immediately and cleaning it out. This defies all logic to me, because I have had horrible digestive issues since I was in college (so like ten + years). I eat dairy and meat and sugar. I am also incredibly irritated if I don't go to the bathroom and try to make sure I have some sort of bowel movement every day. Maybe that is why I do not get zits, but I think part of it is genetics.

However, I had horrible eczema as a child and it peaked when I was in college eating tons of Gluten & PUFA. Do you eat gluten or starch? The last major eczema outbreak I got was when I had appendicitis - really bad itchy dry patches on my eyelids. I was eating a lot of starch at the time. Starch has given me bad digestive problems for many years and I've avoided it as best I can, eating it in small doses.

I would remove possibly offensive foods and maybe try some sort of antibiotic foods & supplements if you can, such as carrot, oregano oil, charcoal, cascara, etc. The all fruit diet for a week might not be a bad idea. Or perhaps pureeing your foods to make them easier to digest would be an option? Have you tried eating gelatin at all? If you have gut issues, gelatin CAN be beneficial - if it's pure and you don't have an underlying endotoxin issue already. I've had really horrible reactions to gelatin and really positive ones.

Finally, you mentioned you have dry skin, but acne...... are you sure it isn't eczema? When my face broke out in college, it was super dry but the breakouts looked like acne - except smaller zits. I still have dryish skin and take great lengths to keep it moisturized. The reason I ask about eczema is because I stopped mine using petroleum jelly - I still apply bag balm to my eyelids, mouth and hands every night before I go to bed.

One other thing that may help is cleaning your skin thoroughly (but I'm sure you already do this). I always use witch hazel, as it is natural and gentle. And I wash my face with all natural soap. Also, for what it's worth, I've heard snail mucus creams are good for acne scarring - snails have the ability to self heal themselves when injured and the healing compounds are in their mucus. I've read good things about snail mucus creams for acne scars, and they are quite cheap in comparison to expensive treatments. Could be worth considering. I have pet snails and have thought about letting them crawl on my face - LOL :) They are actually opening spas for this now.

For bowel movements, I was regular. More than twice a day. Just up til recently it's been less and not sure what is causing it. Might be stress. Even when I had regular bowel movements, I still had acne.

Starch, no. My last starch was a white potato, which I believe caused me some cysts. But other than that one time none. No rice, no breads, nothing.

My skin isn't oily, it's not dry, but it's also not normal. Not eczema.

I don't use witch hazel, sometimes tea tree. Honestly so overwhelmed with what to try I just gave up. When I do get cysts I freak and spot treat with a bunch of things hoping something will help. I don't wash my face at all. Just kinda got to the point where I was fed up with my skin and fed up with so many things to try.

 

[bohogirl]

I posted in one of my other threads, but I have elevated bilirubin levels, and have had a yellow tint to my skin for awhile (so ugly, hate it). Not exactly sure how it correlates but weak liver function for sure. Have to get retested. They call it Gilbert's syndrome, they say it's genertic and harmless, I disagree, not normal.

Lots of people with Gilbert's think there is a thyroid link. And that's how I sort of ended up here.

 

[bohogirl]

I'm going to try to add spinach back into my diet via a green smoothie and eat a daily salad with mixed greens. That always helped me to stay regular because this bloating feeling is really making me sick.

I also used to make a smoothie with kefir and add in some flax oil. I know supposedly flax is bad but honestly I don't know what to think anymore.

This diet stuff is driving me crazy. Finding the "right" one along with having a life with no freedom with food sucks all while dealing with shitty skin. As a health conscious person, I know the value and importance of eating healthy. But boy do I want to indulge in things from time to time.

If I could just find the fix to perfect skin, this diet wouldn't seem so bad.

 

[seano]

For bowel movements, I was regular. More than twice a day. Just up til recently it's been less and not sure what is causing it. Might be stress. Even when I had regular bowel movements, I still had acne.

What's important is transit time (how long the food/waste is in you). You could still be "regular" but be backed up. Eat something that you can tell when it comes out to figure out the timing. Charcoal, beets, ...

 

[FD8]

So I had a couple of cysts pop up, right jawline, right neck, and under chin. Little congestion on forehead (tiny acne). Still have comdeones on chin (think they're called that), blackheads on nose, clogged pores on cheeks by nose, clogged pores around lips.

I recently also had cyst on my jawline, on both sides, in the same exact spots.

I don't have oily skin, more on the dry side. I don't get it.

I just want so bad to fix this and I am getting so obsessed with trying to find a solution.

Benzoyl Peroxyde would be a quick fix, 2x a day

 

[lindsay]

For bowel movements, I was regular. More than twice a day. Just up til recently it's been less and not sure what is causing it. Might be stress. Even when I had regular bowel movements, I still had acne.

Starch, no. My last starch was a white potato, which I believe caused me some cysts. But other than that one time none. No rice, no breads, nothing.

My skin isn't oily, it's not dry, but it's also not normal. Not eczema.

I don't use witch hazel, sometimes tea tree. Honestly so overwhelmed with what to try I just gave up. When I do get cysts I freak and spot treat with a bunch of things hoping something will help. I don't wash my face at all. Just kinda got to the point where I was fed up with my skin and fed up with so many things to try.

If you are having trouble with regularity currently, I would work on that. Have you ever tried antibiotics? My eczema flair ups stopped after my appendicitis when I was taking Minocycline & Doxycycline. If you can get tetracycline, that may help with clearing the acne (I think it's recommended for acne), but you would want to establish good bowel frequency. For that, you could try carrot fiber, oranges and cascara sagrada bark. I have IBS issues - specifically constipation, but it yo-yo's sometimes. I've tried very hard to find what works and carrots, oranges and cascara are great for keeping the bowels clean. Ox Bile is helpful too, but I don't have a gallbladder, so that's why I take that. Oranges lower endotoxin and inflammation and tend to move through the digestive tract quickly. Carrots help provide a little extra bulk.

Anyhow, if you do not wash your face, I would definitely suggest doing that. I wash mine at least once per day with all natural soap - we buy stuff made with animal lard and essential oils and it's wonderful. But any good soap should help - maybe even a mild scrub? Then I would try an astringent and something topical. For what it's worth, my sister-in-law sometimes gets break-outs and she said Frankincense oil works incredibly well to eliminate them - it is a potent antibiotic. It's really pricey, but if it works, it would be worth it.

I hope you will find what works for you!! Skin troubles are such a nuisance and so psychologically debilitating. I was a wreck the last time my eczema broke out, what with the itching and redness. I would definitely start with focusing on the bowels and see maybe about getting an antibiotic. I am not pro taking antibiotics for everything, but there is a time and place sometimes.

 

[Rand56]

Extra zinc is good and it has helped whenever I get some breakouts, and "still" get some on occasion even at my age..totally annoying. Oysters are great for the extra zinc, but they are hit and miss for me, just like any other shellfish. Sometimes I can either eat shrimp or oysters and not get some breakouts, and other times I do. I think it has more to do with having slower bowel transit time when I get the breakouts. For some reason, crab is the worst for me.

I know biotin is a biggie supplement on here, but I can't take any more than 1mg per day or else the breakouts come.

I had pretty bad acne back in my teens and into my 20's, and I was obsessed with constantly washing my face, until at some point I wasn't so obsessed with it. When I wasn't so obsessed with it my skin looked better. I think people can get in trouble with washing their face "too" much, because when you do, you can strip off the good bacteria.

 

[Richiebogie]

Fresh oysters with lemon juice are delicious. Check that they come from a clean non-industrial cove away from any big rivers that carry down pollutants.

I tried some smoked, tinned oysters and they were revolting.

 

[SarahBeara]

I have yet to see acne NOT cleared up or at least drastically improved with retinyl palmitate. It's a serious cure.

 

[seano]

Vitamin A (as retinyl) helps a ton. Seems I have to dose high though (at least 25,000. Sometimes more). Still wondering if the lack of a gallbladder gives me a much higher requirement for Vitamin A.

 

[ilovethesea]

I am not taking A but eating liver. And I actually don't know how much liver I should be eating. How much is too much? I will eat more if I have to.

Sometimes I like the taste of liver, sometimes I don't. But if it cures my acne, I will eat as much as I need to.

My cysts are mainly on my right jawline/neck area, and I am highly sensitive to dairy/sugar. Not sure what this correlates to.

I just want so bad to be rid of this problem so I can start looking at scar revisions.

I want to get blood tests done but not sure what to test for.

It's totally individual how much liver/A you need. Personally I think it would be easiest to just get a bottle of retinyl palmitate and experiment with doses. That way you can at least confirm if vitamin A deficiency is your issue. Some people need 50 or 100 000 IU (or more) which would be hard to get from liver alone.

I don't think blood tests are that useful, except for TSH maybe.

The dairy/sugar is probably making you break out because they raise your metabolism and you are low in A.