Weaning a spotty teen off excessive sugar - any ideas & will it help?

[PhoebeMcPeePee]

My 14 year old DS suffers from really bad acne on his face & back. It's definitely hormonal rather than topical and I'm sure his high sugar diet is contributing so he's agreed to making a concerted effort to see if cutting down/out sugar helps his acne.

No idea if it will help is acne, but frankly he needs to cut back anyway and hasn't engaged any other time I've tried so this has clearly hit a nerve (although so far refusing to see a doctor about it). So I'm wondering is it likely to have any impact? how long will he need to give it and will significantly reducing not cutting still be effective and anything else I or he can do alongside sugar reduction to help?
A bit part of the problem is him going to the shop everyday after school buying massive bags of sweets and sugary drinks but I do also need to make some changes at home so some non-sugary filling snacks in particular would be great (usually has cereal or toast/muffins etc that he adds copious amounts of jam or honey 🙄). I work FT so need to find/make some appealing after school snacks that don't involve eggs, baked beans, peanut butter or uncooked cheese!

Sugar doesn't cause acne.

But having a diet without adequate vitamins and minerals doesn't help. So if your son fills himself up with sugar he's likely not eating a balanced diet and getting the vitamins and minerals he needs.

If his acne is that bad he needs to see a GP. The GP will prescribe stuff that may work.

I’d recommend encouraging him to eat fruits like strawberries which also contain natural sugars but nowhere near as much as sweets and they also contain vitamins. Probably best to do it slowly rather than all at once as he’ll only crave sugary foods

I would say the sugar doesn't help but cutting down on it probably will not cure his acne - he needs to see a GP and get a Derm referral. He probably will need roaccutane.

a bit part of the problem is him going to the shop everyday after school buying massive bags of sweets and sugary drinks

I don't think there's much sugar in sweets and "sugary" drinks these days, but sugar doesn't 'cause acne - that's an old wives' tale.

If he's bothered about the acne, consult your GP. If he's not, then don't hassle him.

He has got acne because he is a teenager. He needs to see a dermatologist if you / he wants some treatment. Don't just decide that sugar is giving him acne when it doesn't.

Actually the evidence suggests that the inflammatory Western diet and especially a diet high in simple carbohydrates may well contribute to acne: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34423427/
Milk consumption may also be a factor. Probiotics and omega-3 may well help. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32748305/

I’m not a doctor and neither is anyone else here but from what I’ve heard I agree. There is a likelihood that large amounts of excess sugar may affect the skin. The best thing to do OP to test whether sugar could be a contributing factor is to take him off it for at least two weeks and see how his skin changes. (Easier said than done for a 14yo though 😵‍💫) regardless, even if it has nothing to do with acne, there is an irrefutable amount of evidence that added sugar is terrible for us in a multitude of different ways and has 0 benefits. That being said having the occasional donut isn’t bad, but if he’s buying lots of sugary sweets and drinks after school every day then that’ll impact his health

Thanks all. He won't see a GP - says it doesn't bother him enough. I thought sugar causes inflammation and spikes in insulin? He's happy to give it a try and if nothing else might reduce his cravings and help introduce some less sugary options which will be better for his overall health (and give his poor teeth a rest!)

My completely unscientific theory is that sugar doesn’t cause acne, but it does feed it

Sugar has nothing to do with acne and nor does dairy.

Get some Duac cream from his GP

Please don't blame or shame him for having acne. I had acne and am so sensitive to all the stereotypes of it being your own fault, being dirty, being greasy, gross etc. It's a fucking awful experience. Perhaps if he is willing, take him to the GP. If you can provide written, objective information then he can make his own decisions. Everyone is different in what causes or aggravates acne for them and it's going to be a process for him to find out. Most young people grow out of it. As an adult, I do notice that my skin is worse after a week or two of eating too much junk food. Doesn't mean I can't have any, but there's no need to punish myself by going to extremes. I know you mean well but this is a very delicate area so tread carefully.

Did you check out the research papers posted? - actually it often does. It can vary depending on genetics, but it is an important factor to consider.

Hi there. I go for regular facials and the dermatologist helps many with acne. Her advice is always around having an appropriate skin care routine to keep the skin clean, hydrated and protected from the sun and eating in a way that is rich with nutrition and low in overly processed foods, eating a simple diet with a lot of protein, grains and vegetables, healthy fats like avocado, olive oil. Supplements might help, too. Of course, hydration is paramount. She has had great results with patients who are not only taking care of their skin but following a good diet. You can provide information for your child but if they aren't interested there's not much you can do. I wouldn't jump right into strong medication like roaccutane without trying to get the basics of skin needs in place first. It may be worthwhile being referred to a dermatologist or speaking to one for advice as they will know more than a GP.

@WhisperingJesse

No, I'm not medically trained so I lack the proper context to interpret research papers from a field I am not trained in.

The dermatologist and my GP however, are very definitely are however.

Finally! Someone here who actually does their research! 🙂

Sugar, inc sweets, energy drinks, full-fat coke/pepsi etc DOES have a relation to causing acne.
Now, let's be clear... sugar is not the direct cause of acne, but acne is a side effect of excessive sugar.
Essentially, foods with high sugar content cause your body’s insulin levels to spike. This extreme overdose of insulin increases the production of oils in the skin, which lead to your follicles and pores clogging up with sebum, an oily substance. Alongside the inflammatory effects that are also caused by a spike in insulin, this and the sebum creates the ideal environment for acne-causing bacteria to thrive, triggering a breakout.

OP, I don’t have teenagers yet (my DC are little) but I teach secondary and spend plenty of time around teenage boys. You won’t be able to force him to do anything that he doesn’t want to do. I would recommend finding some YouTubers that he can watch to inspire him. Hyram or Will Tennyson etc. The boys at my school love them.

Just keep the fridge stocked with healthy food. He can watch some TikTok’s on healthy food prep. There are loads of short ‘food hack’ type videos that he would like. The boys at my school love those Buzzfeed style ones.

The best thing you do is lead by example. Make sure the food offered is healthy, don’t force him to eat it, but make sure he has access to it and the whole family is eating the same food.

@DuesExMachina Okay that's fine. Of course we rely on experts to give us the information we don't have the time or experience to investigate. I can't effectively interpret research about issues outside my field either.

However I don't know why your doctor or dermatologist aren't informed by this research but as an academic who researches and lectures in nutrition and health, this is my specialist subject and I am trained sufficiently to be able to interpret the papers I posted. It just felt a bit odd that the research posted cites 'several studies' and the first one is a review which means it gathers together lots of studies that can be found on a specific subject and discusses what the consensus of them all is, so they are not just one study and not just one author's opinion, and then your post immediately following states very definitively 'Sugar has nothing to do with acne and nor does dairy' when the evidence shows that's simply not the case.

We're all learning all the time...!