cystic acne and raw

[delerium]

Well everyone insists that eating raw will clear up your face. Ive only been raw a week and 5 days w/o smoking... I went to the dermatologist and like any doctor the first thing they wanna do is give you pills. So now im faced with the dillema...do i continue raw w/o antibiotics for my face and trust it will eventually go away by itself? Or should I take the pills....this friday i have another appt. to have my hormone levels checked because sometimes that can be a cause to acne. Im so confused. Ive had this cystic acne crap on my face for about 2 years and the scarring is bad. I cant take anymore!

[Jewels]

Here's a website I found recently that you may find helpful. It has instructions for a skincare routine using just face soap, moisturizer and benzoyl peroxide 2.5% twice daily. I will try it when I get ahold of some bp for the acne on my chin.

http://www.acne.org/

[rawpriestess]

Oh, I am so sorry to hear about the acne.

First, don't own it, allow it to be what it is a detox (even before you were raw).

Second, I would stop using any kind of antibiotic on your skin or in your body, it is soooooo bad for your body and digestion.

Third, you could wash your face with honey, it is a natural antiviral, antibacterial and humectant, which means it will kill virus, bacteria and moisturize your face all at once.

If you need an astringent, you can use crushed up strawberries, one of the best astringents on the planet.

And Witch Hazel is an excellen toner.

But I would just use the honey first, for at least 3 days, and see how you like the effects of it.

But, please, really think about your body before you take antibiotics. Doctors are trying to help you, but the side affects are tremendous, and stay with you for years.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

OH, also wheat grass just dab on your skin, (hopefully, it won't turn it too green) and it should also help with the acne, but try the honey first.

[askcassyfirst]

I understand dealing with acne: have been there myself, as has my sis. If you are willing to continue raw, and haven't seen her site aready, I encourage you to check out the the website called www.freeacnebook.com It is a raw diet, and one of the first I tried when I discovered this path in '03. Wai (also has a website called waisays.com, ) offers TONS of scientific backup for why diet and skin issues are connected.

IN the big scheme of things, the skin is a channel of elimination, and when your first line (the liver) is bogged down, you will see it in your skin. Acne can be caused by detox. IT can also be related to hormones, and other chemical processes in the body, but they all go back to sebum, and the pores themselves. Wai's book explains that it has to do with being dehydrated. When the skin is dehydrated, the cells hold water, which pinches the sebum canals, which then blocks the pores, and allows things to fester. Ie, it isn't the oil, or the bacteria, it is the fact that they can't escape.

Honestly, her diet worked for me. Now, even if I cheat a bit, I don't see the kind of breakouts I did before I went raw. It means a strict diet, not using soaps on your face, and washing with special mineral water for a two week trial. I encourage you to check it out. What is 2 weeks in the big picture.

I also encourage you to consider the antibiotics before you go that route. I did, and they REALLY messed up my digestive tract. My sis tried acutane, which managed to put her in the hospital with ulcerative colitis, (unknown preexisting condition agrivated by the meds).

Feel free to read my journal, I did outline my story about acne in it, somewhere back in February I think...

GOod luck.

Cassy:)

[delerium]

thanks so much for all your input everyone.... a couple things i dont quite understand- the honey treatment.... I see how this would treat reg. acne but since cystic acne is beneath the skin and are like boils they never come to a head. So would the honey be able to penetrate into the cyst some how?

and as for the dehydration causing skin to hold water and pinches the canals and blocks the pores. well ive been raw and drinking lots of water long enough for dehydration to not be a problem.

I will check out those mentioned sites and the acne outline in the journal.

It is irritating trying to find the cause. I smoked alot of tobacco and THC for about 4 years and even the first 2 years of this never had a problem. I know smoking definately does not help but isnt the main cause either. Im eager to have my hormone levels checked. My mother and her side of the family the females have all kinds of crazy hormone and thyroid imbalances.

Thanks again for everyones help!

[starry-eyed-doe]

also besides diet, try tea tree oil (melaleuca alternifolia-- i think thats how its spelled) (100%) (you can dab it neat on your spots) and aloe vera... the miracle plant!!! dont buy the crap aloe from the store it has all sorts of junk chemicals and stuff in it-- even plastic!!!

you can buy aloe juice or aloe gel 100% from your health foods store. but i have to say, honestly, that breaking off a piece of the plant is the best. i saw some significant changes w/tea tree and 100% aloe juice from whole foods; BUT when i got my own aloe plant; the results were ridiculously better.

lavender EO also helps with skin regeneration, but aloe is #1! sometimes i mix the two to heal the red marks that are left after a breakout.

good luck, you can also take zinc and b complex to help with your skin; and make sure you are well hydrated!

[delerium]

Ive tried tea tree oil before. It was a little irritating but it seemed to make the cysts a little smaller... about the acne sample diet. It says i must follow the strict ruels and the first rule is to consume 2 egg yolks... This makes me very nervous...DId you do this part? and if i followed all the rules except eating the egg will it still work?


and it says take no supplements...does this mean i cant take gaba or acidophilus?

[Texicalian]

I had adult onset acne, so a bit different. And I tried everything, including antibiotics, and like Cassy, they did not work for me. Antibiotics will just treat the symptoms (the acne) without getting to the root of the problem - and will mess up the delicate system of the body to boot! The root of my problem was hormonal - the adrenals. When I started taking supplements to nourish my adrenals, the acne went away.

Is there a holistic doctor in your area that you could consult? That might be of help. Nourishing food, water and exercise will provide a foundation for healing. But please don't expect overnight results. If your body has been dehydrated, malnourished, and been given toxins for years, it will take time for healing to occur. Don't stress about it - that'll just release more hormones!!

[askcassyfirst]

YOu can do Wai's acne diet VEGAN.

The egg yolk or sashimi is not mandatory. If you read in her Q&A she explains that you can do it using brazilnuts, which is what I did when I did the sample diet. There is also a link to an archived message board on her site, and she details more on that there.

Hope that helps.


Cassy :)

[city]

I was on tetracycline for many months. Even with IBS, I personally had no stomach problems and I never go in the sun anyway. It cleared up my face (which was never bad and no scarring) but it didn't do much for the cystic backne which is more resisitant. I eventually went back to a very low dose birth control pill. Adult CYSTIC acne is usually due to hormonal imbalance and the extra little bit of estrogen just cleared everything up like magic. I feel great and I eat well and it takes care of my borderline polycystic ovary thing. Ask you derm about it. ;)

[dragonfist70]

how can you ask her to get medication? anyways i found when i ate more green leafy veggies my acne cleared up this was before raw aswell. now i have begun raw im getting outbreaks but im fine with it your body has to do what it has to do.

still if i eat dandelion leaves spinach kale celery romain chard and chicory my skin gets better also something a lot of people don't do is chew their food properly. It can make you feel sluggish and stressed giving you more problems. If you don't want to chew your greens make soup or smoothies with nice fruit :D but honest you have to throw in lots to get benefited.

oh and exercise is important get yourself in a sweat as much as you can.

[Pailani]

Tetracycline is a broad-spectrum antibiotic. Using it (or birth control) can set you up for candida. If you can get rid of the acne with diet, t'd be a lot healthier.

Delerium, you've only been raw for about a week. I wouldn't expect serious acne to clear up quite that quickly. It seems like it took a couple weeks before I really noticed my skin changing. You may just need to be patient before you know how much effect a raw diet is going to have on your skin. At that point, you can decide what steps to take next, if you need to do more.

[city]

I didn't ask her to take medication! I just told her to talk to her dermatologist. BTW, I've been on birth control pills for most of my adult life and I've had no problems with candida or anything else - like an unwanted pregnancy, for instance. And unlike tetracycline, BC pills don't increase the risk of sunburn. So, having said that, it is the right thing for ME and it may not be the right thing for someone else. But I'm throwing it out there as an option.

[delerium]

Ok so I went to the derm like i said in my last post I believe and they mentioned hormone levels. So the derm gave me RXs for topical and oral medicines and RX for some cleansing cloth. I took the RX and saved them but figured I would give other things a chance first...Went to my other reg. Dr to get hormone levels tested cuz I think that could very well play a major role. I need to find a new Dr cuz this isnt the first time the 2 Drs i see at this place dont know what theyre talking about and it is sad when the patient knows more than the Dr. So anyways the Dr tells me that acne is always becuase of hormones and we cant test my hormone levels becuase its innacurate or some BS like that!!!!!!!!! So I said fine w/e give me a RX for drysol (cuz i needed that couple years ago and it comes back from time to time). So since i got the drysol the trip wasnt a complete waste but my mom was hella pissed until she found out I got something out of it (drysol) and said we would just go back to the derm and let them test my levels since they suggested it anyways.
and I live 45 minutes away from this shit head dr office.

[truthseeker]

Delerium,

Askcassyfirst is right. You have several organs of elimination. When the liver is burdened it passes as much of the elimination job that it can to the skin, another organ of elimination. IMO your liver is screaming for help from your skin. Harmones do have to be balanced and this is something that the raw food diet can help you with.

I would suggust you do a liver flush and see if you don't see results in your acne.

http://curezone.com/cleanse/liver/huldas_recipe.asp

BTW, if your family has a history of harmone imbalances (or history of any prob. really) I would say this speaks volumes of learned eating habits. I believe that with every generation bodies can either be degraded or enhanced depending on what these peoples parents ate (and how they lived). It's like the renewal of a cell, every 5-7 years every cell in your body is new. However the new cells will only be as "good" as the cell from which it was created. If the original cell was degenerated or degrated in anyway, then with every regeneration of new cells they will be of lesser and lesser quality. The way to reverse your family history is to feed your living cells living foods.

So what is my advice?

Do a liver cleans/flush

Stay away from antibiotics! You will only burden your liver even more. And yes it WILL on some level or another create an intestinal imbalance for you.
If you really want anitbacterial/antiviral/antimicrobal search away, there are tons of natural oils (tea tree being one of the best) that are superior to lab made RX stuff....... (you can't beat mother nature!)


AND STAY RAW!!!

Just my 2 cents, all my best to you I hope you find your truth ;)

[city]

Delerium, they tested my hormone levels. The doctor may have told you that testing hormone levels at a given point in time does not give you an accurate picture as hormone levels change throughout the day. So, at any moment in time they may either be completely in line or way off. Thus, the more appropriate (but less feesable) way of testing hormones is at intervals over a period of time. But that would require you to be hospitalized (essentially) for a while.

The thing about those hormones is that they correct when you give birth. They don't understand why exactly but they do. The trouble is that my grandmothers and my mother started menstruating around 15 years of age and then gave birth before 21 years of age. I've never been pregnant and I'm 35. So, they never had problems and I do. Take a look at your family history and ask your doctors about this. This particular hormone imabalance is not uncommon.

Certainly what you eat impacts your overall health and by extension your skin. However, sometimes we need a little extra help. Unless, of course, you're trying to get pregnant right now! Good luck