This is likely a long-awaited post.

I will share with you my firm stance on the issue of food and acne as an innovator in the field and a lifetime sufferer.

Let’s review first why there is such a controversy to begin with:

-For several decades, Board Certified Tenured Dermatologists have held an adamant stance that “diet is not related to acne” based on multiple studies that have failed to prove any correlation.

Aside from possibly Milk and Iodine, you will very rarely hear from a dermatologist or Family Practitioner that food and acne are related.

On the other side,

-you will hear from a huge group of acne patients that some foods trigger worse episodes than others. You will also hear from some sufferers that mild or extreme dietary changes lessoned or even stopped their breakouts.

So it seems we have a problem here??

Either the most credentialed skin care specialists on the planet are completely incorrect or patients are completely deluding themselves??

Dermatologists, who mostly have not had decades of active acne are saying “No” and lifetime sufferers are saying “Yes”

FAQ:

“So Dr. Neal, what’s the real story with Diet and Acne??”

Many people have asked me this question and I believe now is a good time to end this confusion once and for all.

As an innovator of this field, I present to you:

Dr. Neal’s Clinically Derived, Non-Theoretical, Firm Stance on Diet and Acne:

Before getting into this very emotional topic, allow me to first preface by saying I always try to eat very well and recommend conscious eating and living to everyone around me.
Today we are going to be talking about the common mistake of living life with “fears of certain foods”

Here’s the situation:
Many people come into my office scared of eating pizza, chocolate, caffeine, salt, citrus, breads, chinese food, gluten, soy, greasy food, french fries, hamburgers, and many more specific foods. When I ask, they tell me that these foods make them breakout worse than when they avoid them.

(should I believe them??)

Since female acne patients can accurately describe worsening of their condition before menstruation, why wouldn’t they be able to accurately describe worsening with other changes in life???
This is one reason i trust the story of my patients who speak of breakouts with specific foods.

The other reason is because I already know that when my own skin is already out of control, dietary changes affect my oiliness and skin activity as well.

Note** the key detail in the above statement is “when already out of control”

To understand chronic conditions on the next level, It’s important to first teach the difference between an “Aggravating Factor” and a “Cause”

This is a very important distinction:


“Aggravating factors” aggravate existing conditions.
“Causes” bring on a afflicton that would not have occurred otherwise.

If an aggravating factor is strong enough, it can bring an asymptomatic person to a state of symptoms. However, these factors are still not considered “causes” when dealing with common chronic conditions of life. All Chronic conditions have no real root cause as they are a part of a spectrum of humanity. We are all predisposed to them at varying levels on the bell curve of predisposition.

(i.e. aggravating factors can only be the straw that breaks the camel’s back in the case of chronic human conditions)

I’ll use an example to illustrate an “Aggravating Factor”:

” Billy usually has no problem eating spicy foods. However, since his stomach has been acting up lately…, he decided to skip on the hot sauce today.”

In this example, the hot sauce is a known aggravating factor that only plays a significant role when there is already an irritation or inflammation present.

The same is true for Acne:

If there are foods in your life that you are avoiding because you know they will worsen your acne, you may be making a wise decision to avoid this loaded aggravating factor. However, here’s the part of the story you have yet to experience….

If you were to “Totally Inactivate” the skin at a much higher level, you would be able to eat any individual food without fear or consequence to your skin.

How am I so sure of this??

Because the majority of patients you see in the videos let me know they were scared of certain foods before entering the program. When completed, I ask them if they are still scared of “greasy foods” for example, and they tell me, “I can eat whatever I want without fear.”

(similar to the upset stomach conversation. When Billy’s stomach feels resilient and strong again, he can eat spicy foods without fear or consequence.)

I’ll bullet point some facts from the office to help summarize the reality here:

–Food can act as an “Aggravating Factor” of any active inflammatory situation including acne.

–Doctors who say Food has absolutely nothing to do with acne most likely have never had 10 years of acne. (they are quoting studies)

–Holistic practitioners and enthusiasts who hype up dietary changes as the “Cure” for acne are hurting many people by creating confusion, false hope, and needless scarring from wasted Time.
(improper focus on aggravating factors alone)

–Eating consciously does affect every system of the body including the skin.
(think aggravation and allieveiation rather than “Cause” and “Cure”)

–In contrast, eating unconsciously can have a cumulative negative effect on the look and behavior of the skin.

–When “Totally Inactivated”, you can eat whatever you want without immediate fear or consequence to your skin.

–If food still “breaks you out”, your skin is not in great control at this moment.

–All cases can be totally inactivated and freed up from fears of living and eating.

–And of course, no case is special. (acne is clearly a self-victimizing condition)

Bottom Line:

**Although foods may aggravate your current skin situation, they are neither the cause nor the cure regarding the chronic human condition of acne.

**Healthy eating is always recommended for countless reasons. (primary being energy, mood, and wellness consciousness)
However, when the skin is “Totally Inactivated”, you can eat any individual food without immediate fear or consequence.

**If you are still scared of foods, your overall chronic condition is not in great control.






hope this helps,
-Dr. Neal






©2010 “Food and Acne: (the biggest controversy since sliced bread…)”
by Dr. Neal Schwartz