Four Dietary Changes that Can Help Reduce Acne

You don’t have to put up with acne and acne scarring.

Often people are told ‘you’ll grow out of it’, only to find their acne and the scars it has caused last long into adulthood.

Acne and acne scarring can have a significant negative impact on self-confidence that reaches into every aspect of a person’s life. It can discourage us from applying for job interviews, affect our self-confidence in the dating world and keep us from putting ourselves forward for amazing opportunities.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

While there is no immediate cure, active acne and acne scarring can both be treated with scientifically proven methods such as medical-grade peels, medical micro needling or fractional laser to restore smooth, blemish-free skin and self-confidence.

On top of this, many little things we do from day to day can help to reduce break-outs, especially when it comes to making some simple dietary changes.

1. Reducing Carbs

Modern research has shown that a low carbohydrate diet is beneficial for acne-prone skin. This means it is important to reduce your refined carbohydrate intake if you are prone to acne.  Some of the main carbohydrate offenders include bread, pasta, cereals and potato. Minimising your intake of these can help clear up your skin quickly.

2. Replacing sugary snacks

Replacing high sugary foods such as chocolate, lollies, biscuits, cakes and other refined carbohydrate like packeted chips with more nutritional snacks such as a handful of strawberries, a delicious apple, or carrot sticks can significantly reduce acne in a few short weeks.

3. Swapping out sugary drinks
Sweet or fizzy drinks like soft drinks and fruit drinks, as well as adding sugar to your tea and coffee can make acne worse. Try skipping the sugar in your coffee, drinking herbal teas instead, or simply sticking to water. If you find you really need a burst of flavour, a squeeze of lemon or lime can be a refreshing twist.

4. Reducing or cutting out dairy products

While we don’t know the exact reason, researchers agree that cows’ milk can contribute to acne break-outs. It may be the hormones in milk, or the naturally occuring lactose that contributes to break-outs. If you consume a lot of milk, cheese, yoghurt and other dairy products and experience acne, finding dairy-free alternatives could help clear up your skin within a few weeks. There are many dairy-free products available in supermarkets and health stores including almond milk, coconut milk, coconut yoghurt (often called coyo) and even dairy free chocolate.

Overcoming stubborn acne
If you’ve tried dietary changes and over-the-counter acne cleansers, but your acne persists, a visit to a medical doctor with an interest in acne treatment may be helpful as they can prescribe more effective medical treatments tailored to your needs.

At Skinovation, we recommend a range of Doctor-only treatments for stubborn active acne, including:

• Medicated cleansers and scrubs
• Therapeutic chemical peels
• Transdermal infusions
• Blue light therapy

If you’re ready to stop acne and acne scarring once and for all, we can design a custom treatment plan for you. To book, call our clinic on (07) 4775 5664.