Miranda posted this comment yesterday:
Hi Seppo…
I am completely baffled. I have eaten no processed foods, just fresh fruits, veggies, raw nuts, and basic staples like rice. However, every morning I wake up to find more and more acne. It doesn’t make any sense. I am not on any medications or things. Is there hope? What is my problem?
Thanks…hope you can help.
I’m sure many other people are in a similar situation, so I decided to answer this in a bit more detail.
First, don’t worry, most likely there’s nothing wrong. There can be a million and one explanation to why your acne is not getting better.
First, please understand that acne is a chronic condition. In Acne 101 I explained that acne is a result of blood sugar metabolism problems and chronic inflammation. It took years, possibly even decades, for these conditions to develop to a point where you got acne. They are not going to go away immediately, not even next week. Even if you eat perfect diet and live the healthiest life possible.
You can get blood sugar issues under control pretty quickly, but inflammation takes more time to cool down.
To put things into perspective, please read this article: How long does it take to cure acne?
Next, getting clear is far more than just diet. In Clear for Life I explain the six elements of health, and how they together help your body to rebuild your health and clear your skin.
Most acne victims just focus on diet and forget about the other elements of health. That’s a dangerous path that can lead to frustration. As you’ll see from this article: Why anti-acne diets don’t work.
From the little you told me, your diet looks ok. You have to be careful with nuts, because they contain so much fat. Too much fat, leads to blood sugar issues and acne - especially if you eat lots of fruits.
Food allergies is one possible explanation. Maybe you eat something you are allergic to. Allergens activate the immune system, which leads to more inflammation and possibly more acne.
Maybe you are just going through a detox and that breaks you out. As toxins and poisons leave your body they increase inflammation and can lead to breakouts. The breakouts will get less intense over time and eventually stop altogether.
According to Randall Fitzgerald, the author of ‘The Hundred-Year Lie: How Food and Medicine Are Destroying Your Health’, we all carry a body burden of 700 synthetic chemicals. We know that almost all chemicals increase inflammation and many cause blood sugar issues. See this article at Natural News: Chemical Causes of Diabetes: Overeating Is Not the Only Problem.
It’s going to take some time for the body to clear the chemicals from your tissues.
One more thing.
It sounds to me that you are very obsessed over your skin. I maybe wrong, but that’s the feeling I got from your comment.
I know you want to cure your acne, but staring at it everyday just gets your frustrated and depressed. And it’s just going to extend your suffering.
Here’s a radical idea.
Stop trying to cure acne and start building your health. That puts your focus on where it serves you. I know it’s not easy, but in earlier post Zen of clear skin I explained why you should do it.
So instead of looking at your skin for signs of progress, focus on how you are feeling otherwise. Do you have more energy? Do you sleep better? Are you happier and more optimistic? All these and many other are signs that your health is getting better, and that means your acne is on its way out.
So just relax, ride out the healing process and watch your health improve.
And while you are at it, grab a copy of Clear for Life, it shows how to turbo-charge your progress and get clear faster, plus you’ll make me happy : )