Acne

Remember those post-puberty glory days and the change in facial terrain that followed?  Well, some guys find themselves observing the same phenomenon after Hormone Replacement Therapy!  Yes, that's always fun to explain to the wife and kids, eh? 

Of course, there are a lot of over-the-counter preparations that help with acne and they usually contain various combinations of salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. Clearasil's most potent formulation is 10% behzoyl peroxide: Clearasil Acne Control Vanishing Cream, 1 oz. Other Clearasil products contain salicylic acid, generally 2% in strength.  (I have not seen greater than that.)  Both of these ingredients are proven acne fighters, but sometimes you need to go with a bigger gun such as Accutane or the proven wrinkle-fighter Retin-A.

However, one thing most guys don't realize is that diet alone can help very significantly with acne. Below I outline some of the key dietary scientific findings, mostly from the last four years (as of this writing) that can help or even cure this issue.  I even through in a standard cosmetic treatment that may help as well:

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1. Low Glycemic Diet.  A couple of studies have shown significant decreases in acne through a diet based on low-glycemic carbohydrates, such as most whole grains, fruits and veges. [1]  One of these studies was based on fairly high protein (25%), medium carbohydrate (45%) and medium-high fat (30%). [2] Care should be taken to avoid saturated fat in order to avoid erectile issues, which means the protein would need to come probably mostly from egg whites.

2.  Fish Oil.  Multiple studies have indicated that increased consumption of fish and sea food, and thus most likely fish oil, is associated with decreased acne. [3]

3.  Red Light Therapy.  A recent study showed that red light therapy appears to be an excellent solution for acne.  Acne is primarily caused by bacteria that live within skin pores where red light therapy specializes in penetrating. [4] You may recall from my page on Skin and Eye Treatments that red light therapy is also very effective aginst the wrinkling that occurs around the eye, a difficult are to treat in general.

4.  Dairy.  Some people reports good results with acne simply by giving up dairy. [5] This is anecdotal but is easy and worth a try. I would recommend taking some supplemental calcium to make sure that you get enough.

5. Stress.  Watch your stress levels:  cortisol accelerates acne by altering hormone levels that jump start sebaceous gland oil production.  Read my link on How to Reduce Stress for research-backed ways to decrease cortisol levels.

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Notice that the above two are actually part of a Mediterrean Diet, although typically a Mediterrean Diet is not as high in protein as the above.  A Mediterrean Diet is also very pro-testosterone as well and has excellent erectile and heart outcomes as well.

Anecdotally, many have cleared up their acne on a Low Fat Diet as well, although there are no studies to prove it.  However, it makes sense considering that a Low Fat Diet is generally composed of low-glycemic foods as well.  Many of us will find your skin as "smooth as a baby's butt" again after going low fat.

NOTE:  Acne tends to flare up with anything that dries out the skin.  The reason?  If the protective layer of oil on the surface of skin is removed, many guys' sebaceous glands kick into overdrive pumping out more oil.  So cleaning your face with harsh shampoo, a dry, summer day - all of these can put trigger or exacerbate acne.

REFERENCES:

1) J Am Acad Dermatol, 2007 Aug, 57(2):247-56, "The effect of a high-protein, low glycemic-load diet versus a conventional, high glycemic-load diet on biochemical parameters associated with acne vulgaris: a randomized, investigator-masked, controlled trial"

2) Am J Clin Nutr, 2007 Jul, 86(1):107-15, "A low-glycemic-load diet improves symptoms in acne vulgaris patients: a randomized controlled trial"

3)  Arch Dermatol, 1961 Dec, 84:898-911, "Adolescent acne and dietary iodine"

4) Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, Published Online: 11 Sep 2008, 24(5):244-248, "Non-invasive diagnostic evaluation of phototherapeutic effects of red light phototherapy of acne vulgaris"

5) Prevention., April 2010, p.4.