I look like a pizza!!!!!! Who has made a big difference to their skin through diet?

[frumpygrumpy]

I have severely dry skin from top to toe, which also displays as adult eczema in areas, combined with acne which worsens with hormones but is always present.

I haven't ever tried treating these conditions with diet but I am so fed up and worn down by having yucky skin which nips, cracks, bleeds, and makes me look like a PIZZA that I'm wondering if its time......

Anyone dropped dairy/gluten etc and found a remarkable difference?

It seems like stepping into an abyss but if it would change my life forever........

Not ever tried dropping anything, but what is your water intake like? I drink a lot of water, and my skin is noticeably worse if I have a couple of days when I drink less of it. I'm amazed by how quickly I notice the difference. Alcohol also doesn't do my skin any favours.

I know a friend who successfully treated very dry skin by yes cutting down on dairy, but also vastly increasing foods like, avocadoes, nuts, oily fish.

I drink at least 2 litres a day. Started that years ago thinking eventually it would help............but nothing.

I read a thread the other day from some about caster oil? I think? Let me see if I can find it...

I have a good diet on the whole. Plenty takeaways but heaps of homemade soups, smoothies daily, avocadoes, oily fish, I enjoy cooking and I am generally fairly healthy. I wonder if I need to cut out something totally but I really don't want to unless its going to be miraculous.

I've tried evening primrose oil and cod liver oil. They both make the acne worse to begin with and then it settles into normal....therefore there is no benefit to my skin in taking it. Caster oil.........mmmm, will try anything once

It will take about 40 days for you to see any difference maybe longer, so I would persevere with the EPO if I were you. Dairy is a good one to cut out. Essentially you will need to do an exclusion diet, cut stuff out for a month, see if there is a difference and try something else you may suspect like wheat or sugar. Also get yourself a good probiotic (not those drinks, get powder or capsules).

Stress? Is this a factor?

Water, are you overly hygienic, scrubbing all the good oils off your body? I know I may come across as a filthy maggot but I only shower every 2-3 days unless I've been working up a sweat.

I also find that if I use facial wipes for a while instead of facial wash and water my skin is really good. I also moisturise with sweet almond oil all over - including face. You could also use olive oil and cotton wool as your cleanser, you should see a difference in a week or two, it wont make the spots worse and is in fact an excellent cleanser.

If you can afford it and it sounds like this has been going on a while, I'd book yourself an appointment with a nutritionalist. Your idea of healthy eathing and reality may be very different or you may just be eating the wrong foods for your skin.

If you have actual acne as well as eczema then you should cut out coffee, tea, fizzy drinks, sugar, fatty spicy food and see if it makes a difference.

Unfortunately water wont plump up your skin and make it look fab but it will help move everything through you and with cleansing your innards!

Hope some of this is of help.

salleroo that is helpful. I took EPO for years before I finally realised it was doing nothing for me and I gave up a few years ago. I also used pro biotic capsules for about 4 months after a herbalist suggested it. It helped.......but didn't keep helping. The only thing that truly makes a difference is sunshine. But I can't get that safely on tap.

I will think about try to speak to a nutritionist. Is that the best starting point rather that say a dermatologist?

Stress is a likely contributor but I have had eczema since I was a child and general bad skin since I began puberty and it has never recovered. i.e. the problem has been there long before I grew up to be properly stressed

I think so, am studying nutrition myself at the mo but only starting out so of no great help, but we did do skin last month and DD has really bad excema, I had as a child so it's one of my faves.

The reason water wont make skin look plump is that the top layers are dead and there for protection purposes only. Your full skin sheds every 40 days which is why you need to give everything a chance to work.

It was mentioned that one reason that is 'thought' to be behind excema is that the body of someone with excema may not be digesting food properly and correctly extracting GLA from EPO and Omega3,6,etc from the rest so supplementing with these can be useful.

I think a nutritionalist is a better start 'cos them will help you from the inside out, a dermatologist will treat the pb not the cause (sorry dermatologists - I speak from experience in my defence).

Where in the country are you and I can give you my Lecurers email or pass yours to her. Or email me at sallymccarthy at hotmail and we can do it more privately.

There is noting like crap skin to put a downer on your day!

FrumpyGrumpy.... your skin sounds just like mine. Ive had od spots of Eczema all ym life but it got worse about 9 years ago after a stressfull bout. Its settled to a seasonal thing, not as noticible in summer but a pain in winter. My skin is also very sensitive so I avoid a lot of products, and Ive also had spots froma young age. the only time my skin had looked good is the first few days after birth .

I know for me hormones play a big part as I have PCOS and did have very raised Testosterone levels (not been tested for a long time but know its still there due to the spots and hairyness). Have you ever had your hormone levels tested ??

I have been on a dairy free diet for over 2 years and I have to say I dont think its made a jot of differnce to either but that said I think its my hormone levels that are the cause anyway

I have been plagued by zits and dry patches throughout adulthood and the only thing that has really helped (i think) is cutting out dairy and wheat. I can have a little, but if I go overboard, I not only get a bloated belly, but my skin erupts like Mount Etna!! I've also found that using MD Formulations (you can buy it online) is pretty good. I do think when you get to a certain age, your hormones play a large part too so I take maximum doses of Evening Primrose Oil in tablet forms, with Omega Fish Oil too - that's helped a lot to calm me a little before the monthly cycle.
I try to give myself two days a week without make up too - it's tough sometimes, as I tend to scare the animals and kids when I don't have my 'face' on!!! www.modernmama.co.uk

Momma, I'll get the East Wing ready for you hen, when can you start

Girls, thank you. Salleroo I'll read this through properly and let you know, thank you very much. oldraver I love your name