Hi everyone,

I seem to break out with cystic acne on my face about 1 week before my period. I rarely had cystic acne when I was younger. In between, I have acne, but not the cystic kind. I'm 36 and wonder if anyone knows why this is happening and what I can do about it. I tend to be a bit hairy, so there are some androgens at work I, guess. Almonds also tend to give my cystic acne.

I'm not taking anything internally for BE. I just started with hypnosis, but that's it.

Hi Lillea

To hit those androgens on the head you have to cut out ALL sugar and refined foods from your diet. Androgens love them! Do you find you get extra sugar cravings about a week before your period? Do you find you crave white bread and cakes more at that time too?

Make sure you drink plenty of water. Also, take supplements of vit c, zinc....a good multi-vit wouldn't go amiss too.

Good luck!!

Love

=^_^= x

Hi faerycat,

I have a very low sugar diet. No refined sugars at all. Occassionally a small amount of raw honey. I sometimes have a small amount of fruit or a few ounces of sweet potato. I eat no grains at all (I'm gluten intolerant), not even rice or corn. And no dairy products because I'm casein intolerant. The only processed foods I eat is are the occassional can of tuna and water chestnuts. I take a multi-vitamin but no additional zinc. Yet, this still continues. :( It was the same when my carb level was higher.

When I was a vegetarian my health was pretty bad, even though I was eating a supposedly great diet. With my current diet (lamb, free range chicken, free range turkey, free range egg yolks, organic vegetables, extra-virgin olive oil, organic flax oil, grey sea salt) I feel much better, but this problem continues. :( I imagine that my zinc levels are pretty good with the amount of meat that I eat now, and vitamin C from the vegetables (some raw, some lightly cooked).

I'm getting them too. I take herbs though and massage. I was kinda hoping that this meant that I was recreating my puberty years although I never got pimples like these! I have figured out how to help them go away - witch hazel as an astringent and my regular face cream.

Jeez, I'm a hopeless case :-{

Ok, have you heard of AcnEase?

http://www.acnease.com/cystic_acne.asp

It is an all natural herbal treatment. Ingredients are -

Gardenia Fruit (Fructus Gardeniae) is a Chinese drug derived from the dried ripe fruit of Gardenia jasminoldes Ellis. Gardenia acts on the heart, lung and Three Jiao Meridians whose major effect is to alleviate blood heat, induce diuresis, and removal of toxins. Gardenia is one of the major ingredients present in AcnEase to reduce internal heat by cooling the blood and eliminating toxins.

Balsam Pear and Mustard Leaf have similar properties in alleviating heat and improving intestinal function. Leaf Mustard is therapeutically related to the Lung Meridian. Its actions involve decreasing phlegm, disinhibiting qi, and alleviating pain. By using these two simultaneously the effects are enhanced.

Houttuynia (Herba Houttuyniae) is a Chinese drug made from the dried herb Houttuynia cordata Thumb (Fam. Saururaceae). It acts on the lung Meridian and relieves toxic heat, and promotes the drainage of pus. Hottuyniae's primary usefulness is attributed to it's ability to clear lung heat and resolve toxins.

Dandelion (Herba Taraxaei) is a Chinese drug made from the dried herb Taraxacum mongolicum Hand. -Mazz, or Taraxacum sinicum Kitag or several plants of the same genus. Dandelion acts on the stomach and liver meridians. It has the effect of removing heat and reducing swelling and sores. Dandelion is present to decrease the size of the abscess and dispel the local inflammatory response.

Scierotium (Poriae Cocos) assist digestion and serves as a catalyst for improved metabolism. This ingredient works synergistically with the ingredients in AcnEaseŽ thereby further reducing acne symptoms.

Failing that, another option would be to try vitex. As it normalises and balances your own hormones out, it just might help clear your acne too.

x

Thank you for the ideas so far. What I would like to know is what happens hormonally to create cystic acne. I wonder if taking something like saw palmetto would help.