4 ms·

Maybe. But severe/cystic acne and the like are rarely solved so simply by dietary intervention. If the acne was so bad as to warrant an Accutane prescription, t

by jmt_ 4y ago

Maybe. But severe/cystic acne and the like are rarely solved so simply by dietary intervention. If the acne was so bad as to warrant an Accutane prescription, then my guess is that diet would not have helped much. Accutane can take a large toll on the body but is often one of the most effective tools in eradicating acne long term for those so strongly impacted.

orangepurple 4y ago
Cystic acne is often, but not always, caused by a reaction to a dietary ingredient. Fasting a full day between meals can also often resolve cases. I will not reach for drugs until I have done everything I can in good faith with food and meal timing (24 hours between meals).
- jmt_ 4y ago
  > I will not reach for drugs until I have done everything I can in good faith with food and meal timing This is a great approach and I don't want to discourage it, but there's a spectrum of cystic acne. Honestly, I'm basing my comments more off personal experience (different people close to me have used Accutane), but I'm not sure how often diet is the cause of (non-simple) cystic acne, although, granted, I'm by default thinking of the more extreme cases. I had a single cyst under my cheek for a semester that dissolved on it's own - never considered Accutane for such a mild cyst. On the other hand, a close associate of mine developed severe cystic acne after being prescribed and using different birth control medicines. The symptoms not only continued, but got worse, well after ceasing these medications. No diet change was going to fix this - Accutane changed this persons life. After going to a few doctors seeking treatment, they were hesitant to prescribe Accutane to this person unless there were no other options. From what I've read online and stories I've heard from this person, this seems to be the norm - if you get prescribed Accutane (withholding doctors who jump straight to medication), you likely have a non-trivial case of acne that won't be reduced by say eating less chocolate. It's like treating depression - some people are able to solve other issues in their life that improve the depression tremendously, and other people have certain brain chemistry imbalances that make this process impossible _until_ they're treated with anti-depressants.
- jannyfer 4y ago
  That sounds like what Steve Jobs said about his cancer. As another anecdote - I got rid of my acne when I discovered benzoyl peroxide creams via an XKCD comic.
  - Hellbanevil 4y ago
    Mine cured up with: Glycerine soap 2x daily, benzoyl peroxide 2x daily, and sometimes erythromycin 300 mg daily, along with erythromycin alcohol wash, and sometime nitrogen facial sprays. I didn't have severe cystic acne though. Diet has nothing to do with acne.
- Smaug123 4y ago
  All very well, but my (moderate) acne was caused by… carbs. I would much rather have both acne and carbs, than neither. Accutane, of course, nuked it and it never came back.
- smohare 4y ago
- cvccvroomvroom 4y ago
  Ah, no. It's typically a hormone-mediated process. Accutane works but it's also not without side-effects.

by jmt_ 4y ago

orangepurple 4y ago

Cystic acne is often, but not always, caused by a reaction to a dietary ingredient. Fasting a full day between meals can also often resolve cases. I will not reach for drugs until I have done everything I can in good faith with food and meal timing (24 hours between meals).

jmt_ 4y ago
> I will not reach for drugs until I have done everything I can in good faith with food and meal timing This is a great approach and I don't want to discourage it, but there's a spectrum of cystic acne. Honestly, I'm basing my comments more off personal experience (different people close to me have used Accutane), but I'm not sure how often diet is the cause of (non-simple) cystic acne, although, granted, I'm by default thinking of the more extreme cases. I had a single cyst under my cheek for a semester that dissolved on it's own - never considered Accutane for such a mild cyst. On the other hand, a close associate of mine developed severe cystic acne after being prescribed and using different birth control medicines. The symptoms not only continued, but got worse, well after ceasing these medications. No diet change was going to fix this - Accutane changed this persons life. After going to a few doctors seeking treatment, they were hesitant to prescribe Accutane to this person unless there were no other options. From what I've read online and stories I've heard from this person, this seems to be the norm - if you get prescribed Accutane (withholding doctors who jump straight to medication), you likely have a non-trivial case of acne that won't be reduced by say eating less chocolate. It's like treating depression - some people are able to solve other issues in their life that improve the depression tremendously, and other people have certain brain chemistry imbalances that make this process impossible _until_ they're treated with anti-depressants.
jannyfer 4y ago
That sounds like what Steve Jobs said about his cancer. As another anecdote - I got rid of my acne when I discovered benzoyl peroxide creams via an XKCD comic.
- Hellbanevil 4y ago
  Mine cured up with: Glycerine soap 2x daily, benzoyl peroxide 2x daily, and sometimes erythromycin 300 mg daily, along with erythromycin alcohol wash, and sometime nitrogen facial sprays. I didn't have severe cystic acne though. Diet has nothing to do with acne.
Smaug123 4y ago
All very well, but my (moderate) acne was caused by… carbs. I would much rather have both acne and carbs, than neither. Accutane, of course, nuked it and it never came back.
smohare 4y ago
cvccvroomvroom 4y ago
Ah, no. It's typically a hormone-mediated process. Accutane works but it's also not without side-effects.