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Acne And Gluten...


blondebombshell

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blondebombshell Collaborator

stopped eating gluten for a month and my skin cleared up so amazingly! like i was constantly having acne on my chin and then within the month, little by little my skin got better.

now that my doc is making me eat it for my endo, i am all broken out again. think theres a correlation? anyone ever heard of gluten affecting acne?


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ladybugs Newbie

hmmm....my acne has been a little worse since going gluten-free two weeks ago...but I don't doubtt that going gluten-free will help clear up acne...maybe it is that I am getting rid of the toxins and things get a little worse before they get better?

Have a good night!

Mango04 Enthusiast

I've been reading the holistic section of the message boards at acne.org. Tons and tons of people over there are gluten intolerant. I think there's a connection between the gene that causes severe acne and the gene that causes gluten intolerance.

In the case of mild acne, I'd guess that it might clear up for good once you remain gluten-free.

rock on Apprentice

I think there's a connection.

Ladybugs, I too broke out really bad a few weeks into the diet. Then things started clearing up. I've been on the diet for 2 months now & my skin is doing much better. I think I had some sort of toxic cleansing through my skin (specifically my chin!) Now my skin is pushing out stuff rather than getting all red & sore. It's weird...I'll get a little hard little bump & instead of a pimple, whatever's in my pore just comes out. Guess I'm still cleaning house. :lol:

If my acne completely clears up, that's an added bonus!

143horses Rookie
hmmm....my acne has been a little worse since going gluten-free two weeks ago...but I don't doubtt that going gluten-free will help clear up acne...maybe it is that I am getting rid of the toxins and things get a little worse before they get better?

Have a good night!

hi-ME TOO!!!!! :angry: I HAVE BEEN gluten-free FOR ALMOST 3 WEEKS AND I LOOK 13 AGAIN!!!!!! HOPE YOUR RIGHT AND WE WILL CLEAR UP BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS-URGH!

DebNC84 Apprentice
hi-ME TOO!!!!! :angry: I HAVE BEEN gluten-free FOR ALMOST 3 WEEKS AND I LOOK 13 AGAIN!!!!!! HOPE YOUR RIGHT AND WE WILL CLEAR UP BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS-URGH!

Gluten Free for 6 mos. and free of a 14 year problem with facial acne - my answer is YES a gluten free diet definately cleared me up. as well as migraines and mouth ulcers (amongst many other symptoms)

munchkinette Collaborator

My acne has been insane lately. It initially cleared up a lot when I went on the gluten-free diet. I think maybe something else (a drug or product) has gluten in it. I don't know where it's coming from... but I know that when I accidentally eat gluten I get horrible break-outs.


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  • 1 month later...
slimmerkitty Newbie
stopped eating gluten for a month and my skin cleared up so amazingly! like i was constantly having acne on my chin and then within the month, little by little my skin got better.

now that my doc is making me eat it for my endo, i am all broken out again. think theres a correlation? anyone ever heard of gluten affecting acne?

I have been trying to be gluten free since June 2006 when diagnosed with celiac disease, but contamination was always a problem. I have been watching very close to contamination and my face has cleared up about 95% since . I think there is a link to gluten and acne because gluten is a toxin to our bodies.

blueeyedmanda Community Regular

I never had bad bad acne but, when I went gluten free I did not get nearly as many break-outs as I used to. I always had a problem on my forehead and nose area. Those parts have cleared up, now I only have the break-outs when it is my "time".

  • 4 weeks later...
Michelle B Newbie

My acne's better when I'm gluten-free, and my skin is less greasy - I always had bad acne ever since I was a kid, but lately, it seems to be getting better.

melrobsings Contributor

my acne cleared too and I'm a happy girl!!!

HAK1031 Enthusiast

meh, mine's actually gotten worse since about a month ago. i think it's acutally that my skin's overdry and overcompensating by producing more oil. but i've had problem skin for a while, although since this summer until decemberish it was soooo clear- i was on birth control and topical prescription cream. it was clear when i went gluten-free, no changes until now really

blondebombshell Collaborator

i had some sort of reaction on thursday with hives all over my legs (i *think* i was glutened) and then by friday night i had TWO HUGE cystic pimples on my chin!!! i think theres definitely a correlation!

ravenwoodglass Mentor
stopped eating gluten for a month and my skin cleared up so amazingly! like i was constantly having acne on my chin and then within the month, little by little my skin got better.

now that my doc is making me eat it for my endo, i am all broken out again. think theres a correlation? anyone ever heard of gluten affecting acne?

Well in my family gluten = zits. No gluten - No pimples. My skin was clear at 45 for the first time I could ever remember. Even when I gorge on chocolate. Both my teens also saw theirs clear up. Hopefully you will go back to gluten free after the endo no matter what the results. If you get extremely ill please let your doctor know.

jerseyangel Proficient

I've been gluten-free now for over 2 years. What is happening at this point is that I'm feeling much better (finally) but still, a trace of CC will cause symptoms.

My D and other GI symptoms are not as bad as they were, in fact I was glutened recently by a product marked gluten-free--but turns out it was made on the same equipment as wheat.

As the reaction has passed, I have 2 cystic-type breakouts--one on my chin and one on my cheek. The interesting thing is that every time I get glutened (through CC), I get these breakouts in exactly the same place as the gluten reaction is working it's way out of me.

The rest of the time, my skin is completely clear. I used to have this type of breakout frequently in the years before I was diagnosed.

That's my long-winded way of saying that yes--I firmly believe there is a connection :)

  • 1 year later...
magnet4miracles Newbie
stopped eating gluten for a month and my skin cleared up so amazingly! like i was constantly having acne on my chin and then within the month, little by little my skin got better.

now that my doc is making me eat it for my endo, i am all broken out again. think theres a correlation? anyone ever heard of gluten affecting acne?

Docs don't know everything...look into giving up Dairy!! this is a big contributor to endro. My 15 year mild acne issue cleared up when i gave up wheat...google the endro,,,and check out the md's who say that to give up wheat AND dairy is REALLY good for you! I am surprised a dr. would telll you to eat wheat...regardless of whether you have dramatic side effects from eating gluten, EVERY HUMAN has a hard time digesting it! Why tell a patient to eat it!? I have NEVER heard of any benefits! Medical school requires about 4 hours of dietary credits.

  • 2 weeks later...
MamaJo Rookie

I put our whole family on a gluten-free diet about 3 weeks ago. My hope at the time was that I would see improvements in my three youngest children (11, 3.5, and 19mos), but I was too lazy to try to cook double meals all the time so everyone made the switch. Anyway, my 14 year old daughter is THRILLED because not only has her face cleared up immensely since our diet change, but she has also lost nearly 10 lbs!! I would have NEVER guessed some of the things that have been going on with our health could be related to something like food reactions!

  • 3 weeks later...
andreafromaustin Newbie

I actually discovered that I might be gluten intolerant, as I read more and more about the root causes of chronic acne, food allergies/intolerances, and basically learned more about anatomy, and the chemical processes that go on inside of our bodies.

I have experienced chronic acne on my face chest and back for years, and tried everything known to man for relief. I had been to several dermatologists, and tried various perscription strength topicals, and accutane; all to no avail. Whenever i searched for articles connecting acne to wheat, dairy, gluten and various other comman food allergies, I was amazed to read of others experiences.

I tried a general elimination diet of wheat and dairy, and noticed an immediate improvement, especially on my chest and back. We all know how hard it is to try and quit eating these things that are central to the S.A.D. diet; so I messed up after the first two weeks and ate a burger, then just thought 'screw it' and did about two good days of gluten eating.

What followed was a horrible break-out on my face chest and back; the deep type of cystic acne that just SUCKS! I figured that there may be more of a connection than I thought, so I tried to continue with a general gluten-free rather than just wheat-free diet, after realizing that I might have experienced quite a few of the symptoms of gluten-intolerance (and Celiac, although everyone seems to discourage self-diagnosis, I am quite fed up with the western medical system).

I had previously experienced very many symptoms of anemia without even realizing it, including dizziness, chest pains, cold & numb hands and feet, paleness, etc. I had also experienced a myriad of different digestive..... styles. An inability to gain weight normally, short stature, the odd stools, as well as many of the psychological symptoms described; depression/anxiety, fatigue/exhaustion (at a very young age), and irritability.

As I've cut gluten out completely, only two to three weeks ago, not only have the break outs on my chest and back pretty much ceased completely and my face is clearing faster than I have EVER seen or experienced (except when I ingested the horrible-for-your-liver drug accutane), but many of the other sympotms have been coming to a stand still as well. I feel (and LOOK) great!

From what I have gathered, if you already have a predisposition towards acne, and you are gluten intolerant/celiac, this is an definite recipe for breakouts. Let me explain; the partially, or improperly digested gluten-proteins get thrown into the blood stream and treated as toxic invaders. Your immune system - which is probably already working over-time as a result of chronic-inflammation - goes crazy on these 'bacteria' and tries to kick them out through the skin; the largest elimination organ in the human body. A stressed out liver, and blood-sugar issues only exacerbate the problem for many. The inflammation factor is also what makes the blemishes red and 'inflamed'.

That is the shortest and easiest way to put it, but if anybody wants to read more about this connection just type in 'gluten and acne' on google.

Di-gfree Apprentice

Acne may be a symptom of metabolic disorders. And I'm a big metabolic disorder. I'm not having as much of a problem with it since I started thyroid hormone replacement since being diagnosed with Hashimoto's. Acne is a pretty common symptom with Hashimoto's - autoimmune thyroiditis; which is common in conjunction with celiac disease. Just throwing out that possibility.

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    • trents
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    • Scott Adams
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