A Major Breakout !!!

Okay  , yes I think it might be the excessive consumption of mangoes (which have been popularly linked to breakouts , not sure how far that is correct…it is sad because mango has skin lightening benefits ) , and if the ordered food was oily and spicy (ordered food can be healthy as well – like sandwiches , subway food ) then it can be a reason.

Do you think Fish oil helps curb breakouts? I`m thinking of taking it – does it cause weight gain ?

Hey, its quite strange & really  sad that you got acne in such a short span of 1 week.

Today , I have posted one question about my acne trouble & I have few people in my mind as the inspirational guys  like you & indu who have controlled their acne by taking supplements.As , I want to eradicate the underlying cause of acne.

And, anuja dont you think that your body is still defected & not immune of getting acne even after taking supplements because as soon as you withdraw these supplements , you got acne.

According to my opinion that any internal remedy like oral supplements should eradicate the problem completely from the root. And, if they are able to control acne as long as you take them then their is no big difference between topicals & oral ones because we cant continue these for a very long time otherwiey will show side effects on health.

You know doctors advice to take multivitamin maximum for 6 months.Even we cang uss

Even, we cant use antiacne topicals for a very long time because of the resistance & side effects.

Anuja we should findout a  remedy which can cure & inhibit our acne permanently .Aren, t you fed up by these pimples at this age.I too want to remove the underlying cause.Dermatologists & antiacne treatments can just give us a temporary cure but we should find out the ultimate cure.

Whats your opinion about fish oil?

I know @parul. I thought I had it under control but the breakout was really bad and made me wonder if i am among the highly acne prone people.  My skin was almost normal for quite some time, but suddenly this breakout changed my point of view. The problem with me is that if i get a few pimples, they keep maturing and the new ones keep coming next to each other – like an infection. Although, with regular use of BP and GA, the intensity of the pimples is way less than it used to be and they subside faster too – leaving lesser scars. I still need to purchase D3 as Fish oil is not making much of a difference. You are right – I am fed up of all this. I remember the time when i was taking regular chemical peels and my skin was quite good then. So i am thinking of re-starting that now – to gain back some normalcy. Also, my dermatologist had told me at that time that i will have to take care of my skin, regime and lifestyle forever – to keep the skin normal. So, it’s a lifelong thing and i guess, we cannot relax or neglect skin care even for a few days. @acnemantra – what are your view about this? Can we reach a stage where we don’t have to follow the regime or take supplements without worrying about acne???

@keepcalmandcureacne – i just had maximum of one or two mangoes (not excessive) – that too in a mango shake. But remembering the way my skin broke out last summer (read mango season) – i can assume that mangoes can be behind all this. I am not sure if fish oil prevents  pimples. You can try once to see how it works for you. It definitely doesn’t make you fat. I measure my weight EVERYDAY and it remains almost constant over a period of time.

Also, home delivered food for us means daal makhni and butter chicken or pizza!! Who orders healthy food??!! 😛

Hiya Anuja, yes, it is sad that acne strikes over and over and catches us off-guard in the prime of our lives. This is not a good situation. I agree, everyone should be able to live a carefree life and not have to constantly battle something that leaves its mark right on our faces. I’ve been there too, time and again.

As for a cure, @parul, to different people cures come in different ways. Many people simply outgrow it. But research is showing that in the modern day, acne bacteria are breeding new strains and also becoming more and more resistant. This is the reason waiting it out isn’t working for people. Then cure for some people means correction of hormonal imbalances within. For example ovarian cysts, thyroid problems etc. Many people find complete relief from acne once these conditions are addressed. Then for some other people addressing nutritional deficiencies cures acne.

How we define a cure is relative. You see, if by cure you mean that you should be able to apply any kind of product comedogenic or not and not get a breakout, eat any kind of food and not get a breakout, then that may not be possible. There’s a reason – body chemistry.

For example, someone with extremely dry skin wants a cure for their dry skin. The cure for them would mean that they should be able to go out in any kind of dry weather, use any kind of drying soap, eat any kind of dryness creating stuff like say Baidyanath Raktashodhak etc. and still not get drier skin. In that case, they would need to drastically change the way the body works, completely, at the genetic level. Genetic change would be the cure. Isotretinoin works along the same lines, changing the structure of the oil glands to stop acne. Even then, it is not a cure because acne comes back in many cases.

Closer home, what we can try is to help the body heal and yes, that will require some external help in the form of skincare, supplements and probably even medical intervention. It is easy to get disheartened when things are not going smoothly, and I’ve been there, but staying the course does help. There is really no ultimate cure that will work for everyone. The problem is that most people who have stubborn acne have inherited it in their genes. Or some kind of hormonal upheaval took place that completely knocked the hormones off their balance.

We don’t know where Anuja’s current vitamin D levels stand yet, and whether they are back to a level where the body can handle acne triggers. So assuming a lifelong dependency on vitamin D might be premature. She may not need vitamin D lifelong. Then again, some people have a problem converting vitamin D from the sun into a form body can use. In that case, it can become a necessary medicine rather than just a supplement.

Anuja, (@anujaaggarwal), yes, it is possible to reach a stage where we don’t have to be on our guard at all times about what we touched, what we applied, what we ate, and still have acne completely under control. I feel that in your case, you need to dig deeper. That starts by observing patterns.

Like you said, you broke out in the mango season last year too. It might not be mangoes but something else too. At this time, I think stop the fish oil until you resume vitamin D. Fish oil doesn’t work the same way for everyone, and increased oiliness might be a clue to that. It is possible that all of the Glyco A + fish oil regimen was working because you had vitamin D to keep a lid on things. I will post more. Let me think more about it.

Hi Sonal, the best buddy for our struggle with acne .Thanks for replying so much elaborately.

I know sonal that we cant change our genetic makeup but I want to let you know that we have 2 diferent forms of 1 single gene one is dominant & another one is recessive( but only either one of them is expressive in an individual).So, if a person inherit the acne tendency from his/ her family so generally he/ she should express it at the age of puberty but adult acne ( specifically those who are devoid of any acne at their teenage) really shows an modification in the expression of gene i.e. gene which is recessive is expressed now .So, something great alteration in our environment must have occur which alters the expression of our gene.Well, I know I am talking at the impossible aspect of this phenomena & Let it be on researchers to find a solution of it.

I am sk concerned about of this change because I have never face any acne issue in my teenage despite of excessively oily skin, eating lots of sweets regularly & no skin care at all.

So, by this post I want to convey every individuL facing adult acne to recheck what changes comes in their lifestyle before a sudden onset of acne in their life what I am doing now.

I want to share some different perspectives of different approaches:

1)Dermatologists view: I have read many articles that dermatologists blame only & only our hormones for acne.

Many good doctors have said no vitamin & minerals is goinv to stop acne because it is purely an hormonal issue.

So, I throw one question: If we cure our hormonal changes, are we able to combat acne completely.If so, then why this approach is not utilised?

2) Reducing Sebum: Everybody says excess sebum when mixed with dead skin cells can block the pore.

Everybody knows that rarely dry & normal skin people got acnd so why dont we overcome oiliness issus i.e. reducing sebjm by tamjng supplements

Contd……..

*reducing sebum by taking supplements .

I think antiinflammatory like omega $ supplements & topicals would be of no use if we banish the acne from their roots.

Sonal, their are so many such questions are arising in my mind but I cant write all becausd mg phone is hanging a lot.

Who orders healthy food? (Paneer chilly, pizza, pasta, garlic breadsticks, and lots more without any nutritional content in it! 😀 )

Btw, yes mangoes does cause me pimples. And I noticed this around 5 years ago. Mango increases body heat. And whatever pimples I had in my life were because of dandruff and body heat. So I limit mangoes in summer. Just 7-8 in these 2 months. Imagine my didi have 2-3 dozens (or more) in front of me! 😀 he he he!

@acnemantra – thanks for such a detailed answer – where would we be without you – you give so much hope to everybody.

@parul I’ve got my hormones tested two times and both the times the results were normal. I do get PMS acne though even when my skin is generally behaving normally.

The only upside to this breakout – although new ones are coming out, the healing time is way better than it was before AM, as I am using the right products. Also, the acne seems less angry and for the first time, it is subsiding within the skin itself – not forming a head and bursting (like it used to happen before) – I am happy with that progress.

Also, I’ve got so used to acne that I have stopped caring so much about it and adding unnecessary stress to my life. BTW – stress could be a factor in this breakout as I was quite anxious and worried about various things during the shifting.

But another thing that is very clear to me now – not to go in for expensive scar treatments as one breakout and all the money goes down the drain. However, I am really thinking of starting chem peels once again.

@akshaykshardul I know, Mangoes are my favourite and I hate not being able to eat them. I guess we are hot people!!

I have heard that drinking a glass of milk after having mangoes neutralizes the heat of mangoes.Even, I ate dozen of mangoes @akshaykshardul before 2 years but I suspect thaf it gaves me acne because all mangoes are artificiallg ripened now a days instead of natural process which generare much mord heat inside them.So, We have to be devoid of this delicious fruit because of acne issue 🙁

Well, @anujaaggarwal for the chemical peel session I want to inform you that in past 8 months I have gone through 3 peeling session for my acnd scarz because I want immediate result for the different weddings I have to attend but by the last peeling I havd decided not to go for peeling again because it renders result what we get after 1 week cont. lemon jiice and i thoughti ts just a wastage of money & gives a temporary relief from acne.Peels are good for acne because they create an acidic environment on skin surface where bacteria can not grow  ug ghis resulg soon goes withjn a wek or half .

Contd…

Peel generated acidic environment remains on our skin for maximum 1 & half week or two.

Agajn you have to face acne issue & acnd scars & agajn peel & agajn a layer ofskin is removed through peel.Result: Skjn become more sensitive & more acne prone.

So, You better think yourself that you should go for a peel or not because they ard kjnd od expensive skjn majntajnence procedures with dangerous sidd effects.

Omg!! so many spell mistakes.

Well My lemon juice point was that:

Topically applied lemon juice( regularly for one week) = 1 sitting of chemical peel

Hiya @parul, all good questions. I am not sure about the age at which dominant/ oppressed genes express themselves, but if this is true, it can’t be that the acne gene only gets activated at puberty. It’s possible some genes are ‘late bloomers’, eh? 🙂 Especially in a woman’s life, hormones are always in a flux, so genes or not, genetic mutations or not, acne can still come on. Even though we inherited our parents’ genes, we don’t always end up getting the same diseases as them, let alone at their exact age. So it depends.

Among hormonal treatments, birth control pills are the most common ones. They come with their own side effects but seem to control acne decently in most women. I used them for 3 years before I got tired of feeling dull and low all the time. It did help with acne, but wasn’t a permanent cure.

Among other hormonal treatments is Spironolactone, which is mainly for acne due to hormonal fluctuations. It does come with side effects, but if hormonal route is what you want to take, then seeing a dermatologist for this will be good. Then there are herbal supplements that people use like saw palmetto etc. but in effect they are also concentrated doses of stuff, so they are not entirely harmless unless used within safety limits.

Vitamin D helps with reducing sebum production as well. Then there’s multivitamins like Supradyn that some members are using with great results. It contains a slightly larger dose of vitamin A and D that both control oil and acne.

Then there’s Baidyanath Rakta Shodhak Bati that many people have tried for controlling excessive oiliness. There’s also Amla capsules popularized by @nerd, which totally brought his acne under control. Girl, there are so many helpful things to try yet, so many things that are helping people. You probably need to come here more often and read what’s already working for other people. 😉

Before considering genetic mutation, it would be wise to rule out basic things like thyroid problems, vitamin deficiencies (especially vitamin D), ovarian cysts and suchlike. I’m assuming you got all these tests done and everything is clear.

How about you look toward relief for now while you continue work toward finding the cure that is right for you? Borrowing from your other thread, are you using Faceclin A only on spots at night or all over acne prone areas? Celin taken every day can help curb acne too, I hope you are taking it daily.

It sounds like you are trying to cure many problems at once – excessive oiliness, large pores and whiteheads that won’t stop. Even though all of them are related to acne, the same things don’t treat all of these symptoms. Perhaps focus on relief from whiteheads first then treat pores and oiliness. If you still have the tube of Triacneal with you, give it a second shot. Unless you used it for a month, it is unlikely that you saw the pore-unclogging effects. Or try Faceclin A all over the acne prone areas as a thin layer.

This is pretty much all I can say on this subject. You should meet a good dermatologist who will listen to you patiently and help you. There are things you could try at home, like those mentioned above and things that have worked for others, but if skincare and supplements don’t cut it for you, then it’s best to see a dermat.

Sorry Anuja, we’ve hijacked your thread. 😳

Sorry for late reply sonal, was a little busy in evening…

And, yes @anujaaggarwal your thread is completely hijacked!!!!!!!!! 😉

Sonal, I regularly visit your blog every week & read every thread of my interest thatswhy I already know about amla capsules, vit D etc…….

Generally, I dont reply to some queries where I  urge  to response because I dont want to create negative feelings to other community members because I have the most acne prone skin type so my suggestion can be immaterial for too many.

Well, Sonal their is only some lucky duration when I have pimple free skin as one pimple subside another one grows so you yourself think that how can I focus on a single problem because my face have too many clogged pores+ active pus filled pustules which dont go even a week application of faceclin a + lot of acne scars.So, how can I focus on a single problem becausd every new whitehead becomes pustule which leaves new scar.Hope, you can understand my problem.

Sonal, I dont have hormonal acne according to the symptoms & not near my periods.

My oily skin also fluctuate , it sometimes looks dehydrated sometimes oily so cant take raktshodhak bati.

My question for you was that people who control their deficiencies & any other health issue should be able to recover from acne.What do you think in this regard?As like anuja who is extremely benefited by vit D supplement should be able to control her acne if her this deficiency normalises with proper skin care.

Can you suggest me any supplement for me so that my rate of skin cell shedding decreases after regular exfoliation by aha glow as Clogged pores are result of it.I think zinc is the right supplement for me but I dont find any supplement of pure zinc & I also want to try supradyn with it because it have both vit A & D but let me sure about its safety.

And, Sonal the more elaboration of genetic reason of acne : Actually, whole of the life only one gene type is expressed in an individual so if a person have the tendency of getting pimple i.e. acne gene is dominant so he must will got acne because dominant gene is acne causing but nowadays due to more aggressive environment changes ,non acne gene which was dominant before become repressive as what may be the cause of adult acne.Hope, you got it properly.Well, this problem is beyond our hands 🙂

Hey @parul one thing regarding supplements here. I have recently read a book called ‘Diets don’t work’ by Dr.Ross Walker. He gives a different picture to the fact that there is no or less data supporting supplements. He argues that the pharmaceutical industry has great power, money and political clout to showcase evidences against supplements. Many a times the target group on which the study was conducted was not the intended target group for the supplements. For ex – A supplement which will provide significant health benefits to a particular age group will be studied on a different age group. This will provide no improvements due to difference in age group.

Simply put, doctors, medicines etc will have lesser work if everyone understands their body type and make necessary changes to their lifestyle. Not degrading anyone, but there is other side to the story as well.

Hi guys, @acnemantra – I started vitamin D again and almost like magic – within 2 days my acne got almost flattened. No more paining pimples. They look much subdued and I feel like they are on their way out. So, the vitamin D theory got tested this time. I also noticed now that while I was on vitamin D – I did not get frequent nasal allergies – and when I shifted to this new house (low vit. d stage) – I got severe nasal allergy and sneezing for two days. This time I’ve bought powdered sachets again – one pack contains 60,000 IU. I am planning to take that dose for a month or two and then I will take 1/2 or 1/4 sachet per week to reduce the amount and see the change (this was not possible with the softgel version).

I also found one cool tablet cutter – am using it to cut Zinc Gluconate (100 mg tabs) into two or three parts so that I can easily mange my dosage without powdering it or breaking it into uneven pieces.