QUESTION: Has anyone developed acne starting Keto?

newbies
#21

My homeopath says that the body detoxes by pushing things out through your skin to protect your organs.

(Jaidann) #22

@WhoAteMyPsyche went where I was thinking. I believe the Keto Talk podcast covered this in one of their episodes. A listeners acne was getting worse instead of better. I am straining to remember the details but Dr. Nally mentioned how impurities come out of the skin and something about Keratin? (spell check). Might want to give that particular episode a listen. I think it was this one, Keto Talk Episode 52.

Hope it helps!

(Jen ) #23

Hi @prueslove!

Iā€™m 3.5 weeks into Keto and my cystic acne is worse than itā€™s ever been in my life. :confused:

Acne history: on antibiotics and topical gel from 15-19- came off for 2 pregnancies. Never restarted prescription meds specifically for acne- although I was on oral birth control until I was 30; which helped a lot.

Present: my face is exploding, ha. I donā€™t get a period anymore due to an IUD. My face just always hurtsā€¦ Iā€™m using a prescription strength Benzoyl Peroxide acne wash. (Allergic to salicylic acid.) I have always had terrible blackheads but thereā€™s no change there, just the giant cysts popping up (mainly on my nose & chin/jawline).

I know this thread is old but Iā€™m wondering if your acne resolves itself or if you sought treatment. Iā€™d be grateful if you could share your story.

Macros: <20g/carbs/day. Dairy intake about the same since before I started Keto- I am eating more cheese than previously but nothing new or worth noting. I am eating way more FAT than I ever have in my life.

Help, please!

(Monica) #24

Iā€™m no expert so obviously take my comments with a grain of salt, but here is my experience with Cystic acne.
It started just after I turned 30 and not eating keto but counting calories, working out a lot, and losing weight, it was almost always on my chin, and I would get 4 or 5 at once, not counting those that hadnā€™t healed. I was in SO MUCH PAIN! I finally broke down and went to see a dermatologist. Got a long term prescription for a strong antibiotic, an expensive 3 step face cleaning regimen and regular visit for draining, treatments and peels. The antibiotics healed the existing cysts (which likely also had something to do with the professional draining), the face wash was a pain in the butt (long process 2 times a day) and I didnā€™t see a real difference in any of the other skin issues I had (dry skin, blackheads, and a bit of rosacea). And I had HORRIBLE reactions to the chemical peels, burning,redness, and dragon scale like peeling skin for weeks. So of course I took matters into my own hands, I actually completely stopped washing my face, switched to a Mineral based powder foundation that I tried not to use every day. After the end of my antibiotics, and not seeing the derm anymore, the cystic acne stopped.
I canā€™t explain any of the above, but my guess is only that I had some underlying bacterial infection and a hormonal change due to my age and losing weight (since it was mostly on my chin, a hormonal region. I have read that excess estrogen can be stored in fat)
Fast forward to 2017, I had been eating mostly keto for almost a year, no change in my skin due to diet change or weight loss during this year (go figure), Stopped eating Keto in June, and bam, cystic acne back in full force! WTF?! All over again, trying everything (except changing my diet) gaining weight, more types of acne showing up, dry skin, just a mess, and frustrated at 33 years old and suffering from acne! Spending a TON on face washes, masks, toners, spot treatments, blah blah blah to no avail.
So now Iā€™m back on keto, 2 weeks in, making sure I get adequate healthy fats, taking a zinc supplement, drinking more water, aaaaaannnddā€¦
Iā€™ve read a lot recently about the natural oil barrier our skin create, washing with soaps can destroy this barrier and mess with the natural PH balance of our skin.
So since FAT is doing such wonderful things INSIDE my body, perhaps it can do the same for the outside. Iā€™ve researched OCM, Oil Cleansing Method, and have settled on washing my face with an Organic Virgin Pumpkin Seed Oil, Steam washing this off with very warm water and a microfiber cloth, and applying a Rose Hip OIl as a moisturizer. So far, my skin look absolutely AMAZING! Slowly healing 2 cysts that are still around from before but so far, no more.
In conclusion, lol,

  1. I believe the cystic acne is DIRECTLY related to hormones, Estrogen dominance in particular, which is naturally adjusted in Keto- That being said, I also eliminated ALL DAIRY AND SOY from my diet, as they both can affect estrogen.
  2. Oil Cleansing, done right, is definitely something worth looking into. It has helped me though I am not 100% certain that it has directly affected the cystic acne.
    WOW, that was long winded, but I know what an awful experience this can be and wanted to help as much as I could!!
#25

I get zits every time I eat dairy, without fail. I think for me the dairy, combined with the fact that Iā€™m post-menopausal, causes the zits. On the flip side, my skin overall is smoother and glowing.

(Consensus is Politics) #26

Just a thought, and maybe its been talked about already. Is it possible that eating more animal fats and proteins could cause acne, ifā€¦ If the animals being eaten were given steroidal hormones to get them ā€˜beefedā€™ up? I understand the desire for some to go with grass fed beef, or free range chickens, just to avoid such situations. But can those hormones affect them that eat it? Free range or organic anything is nothing Iā€™ve ever worried about before.

#27

I didnā€™t have cystic acne, but acne and eczema and psoriasis was brutal when I first went keto, and got worse with the rashes.

Long story short, this didnā€™t clear up until I 90% cut out SPLENDA. I kid you notā€¦ detoxing from that crap almost zapped everything I had. Itā€™s hard to get away from it totally, but short of it being hidden, Iā€™d say Iā€™m at least 95% clear of the stuff.

#28

I wonder about that also.

(VLC.MD) #29

It could be a factor.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/868156

Only use full fat milk.

(Jen ) #31

Thank you so much for your reply!!

Iā€™m allergic to 97% of acne meds on the market, either prescription or OTC.

I actually implemented oil cleansing myself a couple of weeks ago. I still have a ton of blackheads (Iā€™ll probably have them forever- they donā€™t hurt so whatever!) and occasional zits, but the cystic acne flares have decreased significantly. I have 3 (healing) cysts at the moment, when a month ago I had 10+!

I also switched up my skincare to the brand Boscia- I use their moisturizer and I stopped wearing foundation and started using their BB Cream instead. I feel like my face is ā€œbreathingā€ now instead of slathered under primer, concealer, foundation, and powder.

I HAVE noticed that my acne flares when my daughters have their period (I donā€™t get one); I believe there is definitely a hormonal aspect as well.

Thanks again for the reply!
Jen

(Jen ) #32

Do you think that ā€œlots of dairyā€ could cause acne flares even if you consumed ā€œlots of dairyā€ before beginning Keto?

I eat a lot of cheese, butter, sour cream, & HWC. Prior to Keto I ate all of the above (except HWC) daily, plus cowā€™s milk three times a day. I now only drink almond/cashew milk (unsweetened of course).

My opinion on my dairy intake is that it is the same or less than it was before this WOE.

I hope this doesnā€™t sound rude, Iā€™m truly interested in your thoughts! :blush:
Jen

(VLC.MD) #33

Hard to know for sure but it could.
Try a month no dairy if the acne is important to you.

(Ashley Sarmany) #34

I get a big ol zit every time I eat ANY Keto sweetsā€¦ doesnā€™t seem to matter the sweetener I use either. I had a Keto cookie 3 days ago, and boom! A mother of a zit popped up on my upper lip. Do you eat lots of Keto sweets?

(Jen ) #35

Hi Ashley,
I do have whipped cream from HWC in place of ice cream a few times a week. I sweeten it with Splenda (the only sweetener I can tolerate) but I havenā€™t noticed any correlation between Keto sweets & acne.

(Ashley Sarmany) #36

Yeah, then maybe thatā€™s not it. Wish it didnā€™t happen to me.

(Frances Reyna) #37

Can someone pls help me? Im into 4 weeks of this diet. But the red bumps on my face, behind my ears, nose and forehead arenā€™t going away. Iā€™ve lowered my dairy intake. The most i probably do on some days is 2 tbsp of sour cream. I do spot treatments of tea tree oil and do the acv and water toner. But theyā€™re not going away! I take birth control pills. My face has been clear but when I did this diet I got all these stuffs on my face. And they can be itchy too. image

#38

Try cutting out all dairy for two weeks. Every time I eat dairy, even just a tablespoon of HWC, I get zits on my nose and cheeks that last about a week.

(Stephen Alan Malysa) #39

Thank you for posting and all the responses. I am in day 5 of my keto diet and have been breaking out in acne and was wondering if it was a sign the diet was working. I notice a new white head every day now, sometimes two.

(Laura Danielle) #40

Iā€™m 7 days in to the diet and also am noticing significant acne. Iā€™m hoping it is the hormone adjustments and toxins leaving my body. :pray:t2::pray:t2:

(Kate) #41

My first month I had terrible acne. I havenā€™t had acne like that since my early 20ā€™s. I find now I have to do a glycolic acid peel every 2 weeks to keep my skin clear and put salicylic acid on any spots. Iā€™m not sure what my hormones are doing. 2 years ago I got diagnosed with breast cancer. I had to do chemotherapy and was told it would likely put me in menopause. I didnā€™t have any signs of menopause prior to chemo but now 2 years later and I have yet to have a real period. Iā€™m still making estradiol somehow because my doctor checks the levels. But any estrogen Iā€™m taking is getting blocked by the tamoxifen pills I have to take. I just assumed the acne was caused by my abdominal fat releasing estrogen as itā€™s being converted to ketone bodies and heat. Abdominal fat in peri/post menopausal women contains a lot of estrogen. I swear Iā€™m ovulating every month since starting this diet. I could always tell when I was before my body was forced into early ovarian failure. I might stop taking my tamoxifen for a couple of months and see if I get a cycle.
At any rate Iā€™m happy to be losing weight. I gained 20 pounds after cancer treatment and it was all in my midsection. Everyone said thatā€™s a byproduct of menopause and thatā€™s just the way it goes. I refuse to accept that and that it will never go away. Iā€™ve already lost 4 inches off my waist and I no longer have that apple shape that is so difficult To get rid of.