Sugar, chocolate and spots?

[ListeningtoBowie]

Can these things really trigger bad facial spots?

Absolutely they do for me - dairy and sugar are ny biggest triggers so chocolate is a major contributor - I'm sporting a lovely pus filled spot just under my jaw due to a white toblerone binge last week - had been clear for months prior to this lapse so definitely see a pattern.

No, it’s utter hogwash. Proper Acne is not caused by a bad diet and cutting out chocolate won’t make a difference. The odd spot when premenstrual may be associated with an increase in sugar intake due to cravings but in reality is due to hormonal fluctuations.
But of course, if you eat a poor diet low in fruit and vegetables and high in processed food your skin won’t look as healthy and vibrant.

I'm sorry but definitely disagree - I have had acne since 13 for 32 years, been on roaccutane 3 times - hit a massive cystic acne outbreak last year and derm said I would have to go had to go back on roaccutane. I refused as feared for my vision, the third round nearly blinded me. So in desperation, I went dairy and sugar free. Within 2 months, spots completely went. I had awful chin, nose, jaw outbreaks and I only get a flare now if I slip up with my diet - dairy being the worst. So please don't call it hogwash - it may not have an effect on everyone but for certain people it absolutely exacerbates acne.

I think many doctors now believe that diet does have an impact. There is increasing research evidence that acne can be linked with high GI diets and/or dairy. DD's very experienced dermatologist certainly suggested trying excluding dairy or sugar and observing what happened ( after 2nd course of roaccutane.)
Personally I find that sugar makes me break out.

If you go onto the Acne.org website there is a very interesting article on this. The conclusion is that we do not have enough evidence to implicate any food as a causative factor in Acne as of yet.

I gave up chocolate for Lent and currently have great skin. I don't usually. So for me, it seems to have made a difference.

Slightly off topic but I gave up refined sugar for lent and noticed my normally raging pmt was... not there! I just got my period and was like ‘what about that bit of the month where I want to divorce my husband and sell the kids on eBay?’ It has impressed me so much I’m trying to keep it up. Even if it’s a placebo you need to ask yourself what is the worst harm that can come of it?

Thanks. The reason I ask is that my diet has slipped back to old ways again, lots of chocolate, sugar etc and I've noticed my bad acne on chin on face has returned.

Yes my skin improves massively after 5/6 days without sugar.

I have a friend in her 30s who had tried everything. She had really awful skin on her face back and chest. Six weeks sugar free and it's completely clear.

I agree Swimming. My mood generally and especially my PMT is improved by cutting sugar too.

Certainly when I was training we were taught that a link between diet and acne was a myth. However, I definitely think things are changing and it is definitely not hogwash.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4884775/
www.aad.org/media/news-releases/growing-evidence-suggests-possible-link-between-diet-and-acne

There is absolutely a correlation for me. My usual diet is very low sugar and dairy, but I have had some Easter chocolate and homemade florentines over the weekend and immediately had a breakout around my nose and chin. The same happens if I eat too many pistachios as well, weirdly.

So the evidence for a link may only be anecdotal, but cutting out sugar and dairy for a couple of weeks won't do you any harm, so why not give it a go and see if your skin improves?

@JMAngel1 I still suffer with jaw line acne. Was on tablets. Do you eat any dairy alternatives? What do you put in your tea??

Hi candlefloozy. I use Oatly barista milk - really creamy tasting and olive oil butter spread. Don't massively miss cheese really - the dairy free alternatives are pretty grim tbh.

@JMAngel1 Thankyou. I'll give both of those a try

Yes, definitely. After suffering acne for over 20years I am finally in control of it with a change of diet. It's high carb and sugar for me. Don't think dairy effects me too much, but I limit it somewhat as it can spike insulin. A quick Google will come up with alot of people in various forums who have cleared acne going dairy free.
Defiantly worth anyone giving it a go wish I had known 20years ago, my life would have been very different.

That's a whole other thread Nelumbo - how my life would have been different without acne - I could weep just thinking about all of the missed opportunities.

Sugar is absolutely a trigger. I gave up sugar for a full month as an experiment and my skin was crystal clear, the one time in my 30 year acne misery. Sadly I have a raging sweet tooth and haven’t managed to keep it up. But reminding me how great it was is good inspiration to do it again, plus sugar is bad for me anyway.

I am sitting here with the worst outbreak of spots I've had for months, wondering what I've done differently in my skincare...nothing. And reading this...duh...of course, only gone and eaten the world's biggest easter eggs and chocs last week! So for me, I think it must be linked.