A vegetarian and I STILL have Acne.?

Question

I'm 13, and since last year about, I started getting pimples, argh. That was also the time I became a vegetarian, and I was wondering if my diet affects acne?

Well, before, when I first got acne, mainly because (I think) that my hair was covering way too much of my face, my face was oily, and I hardly washed it at all. And now, I clean my face two times a day with a facial soap, in the morning, and when I take a bath in the night.

I've stopped eating chips, and chocolate for a week, and this didn't help, I think. I haven't tried stopping dairy though, should I try that? I also drink about 500ml of water each day, but so far, that hasn't worked out either.

Either way, I'm suspecting that this acne thing's mainly caused by not having enough protein. I don't eat any meat any meat at all, but I do eat egg, and drink milk sometimes- although not 'purely' milk, but like, chocolate milk. And it's hard to try and eat two pieces or at least more fruit a day, because I get full easily.

Answer 1

Try going to a dermatologist. Diet can affect acne, but doesn't have much significance.

Answer 2

Sweetie, one reason you have acne is because your 13. It's probably mostly from the new hormones your body is producing we all get some in our teens. A doctor can prescribe acne medication that will help.

Protein levels have nothing to do with acne, but you need to know what to replace meat with.

In place of meat eat: beens, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, whole grain bread, rice, tofu, fake burgers and hot dogs, milk and eggs.

Answer 3

Try Proactiv solutions, this will counteract these acne pimples from returning. Sounds like you have a good cleansing routine

going on, but use the proactiv to get rid of them and it will keep them away, or once they are gone you may not have to use proactiv again.

Answer 4

Dairy products are notorious for causing inflammation, including acne. Please adopt a balanced diet that contains fruits, vegetables, whole grains and chicken, fish, beef. You are growing and need high quality sources of protein.

Answer 5

You have acne because youre 13 years old :) Food and what you eat or dont eat has nothing to do with it. Thats a myth. Make sure you are using a good moisturizer after washing your face, because dry tight skin that is overmedicated by face wash can cause you to break out just as much as oily skin. If you want to go the natural route, buy some jojoba oil. Its not what it sounds like - its more like your skin's own natural oil, and it regulates your skin so it doesnt produce excess oil that can clog pores and become pimples. (Google this, its true). Acne-causing bacteria cant survive in jojoba oil either.

Answer 6

I stopped meat and dairy first... and all other animal products eventually... After a week or so, my many years of acne went away.  At the time I was doing a lot of exercise in the summer sun, sweating a lot and drinking lots of water (this really helps).  Anyway, yes, food affects acne.  Even today almost 20 years later... if I eat sugary or oily or deep fried foods I get acne almost immediately... within a couple hours.  If I eat good oils, like cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, or flax oil, etc... the good oils, it doesn't cause acne.  But that c**p oil they use at restaurants or in processed foods etc. like chips will cause acne.

Drink lots of water.  Do lots of exercise.  Get lots of sun (it will kill the bacteria in your skin -- actually genetically harm it and prevent it from reproducing etc.) Quit sugar, and all those snacks etc.  Basically go on a really pure kind of diet.  Once your acne is gone, you can try eating other foods from time to time to see what has a reaction.  My skin type is that where when I eat any oils it comes straight out of my skin... pretty much immediately, so others with typically dry non-oily skin types may not have such a fast reaction etc.  Anyway, just get to know your body and how it works and reacts etc.

Answer 7

Your not eating meat has nothing to do with you getting acne. It's apart of a natural cycle of the human body.

Answer 8

diet can certainly impact your skin, but protein doesn't necessary correlate.  

acne has many other influences, such as genetics (did your parents have acne when they were young?), makeup use, even usin ghairspray can make you break out if it sprays on your face. do you wash your pillow often using color-safe bleach?  our sheets and pillows harbor huge amounts of bacteria.  do you break out along your cheeks? many teens do because of holding a phone to their ear....phones are covered in acne causing bacteria.

what i'm trying to get across is that unfortunately just changing your diet may not change your skin.  try to see a dermatologist and they will help you recognize triggers in your life that are causing the outbreaks.

EDIT- when i was a teen i tried proactiv and it actually made my skin worse.....it was useless on me.  different medications work for different people.

Answer 9

1) HORMONES

2)Food plays a minor role at your age but the better you eat the more likely you'll have good skin health. 1 week off of bad food will not show yet, try 3 weeks. Drink plenty of fresh clean water, Eat lots of fresh Raw Veggies & Fruits. Juice if you can!

3) Clean hair & skin is vital, but don't use harsh products they actaully make things worst. Also make sure your pillow cases are clean(change at least once a week. Wash cloths used only for your face, change every day if possible.

4) Food or Skin allergies?

5) See a Dermatologist, there are some wonderful products that really help now.

Lots of luck.

Answer 10

i. You should know that you should also wash your face in the afternoon you face get very oily in afternoon.                             ii. I wonder do you wash your hair before bed becos some people go to bed with dirty hair with chemical product like hair gel or spray which spread all over the pillow then to the face when sleeping, wash or use a towel to wrap the hair up.

iii. 500ml of water i think is to little you should drink 8 glass of water a day.

iv. choose fruit with more vitamin C

v. do you pass motion regularly?

vi. go to bed early like around 10pm, if not you should.

vii. cut down on oily and sweet stuff.

viii. do you have any allergy?

Answer 11

being a vegetarian is DEFINATELY not going ot make you magically not have acne.... at all. for starters, your 13... sorry but your going to have acne... find a face washer, astingent and moisturizer that works for you (tea tree ruined my skin actually), use it twice a day, don't touch your face, keep items that touch your face clean, and eat a healthy balanced diet and that's the best you can do right now... if it is really bad i recommend a dermatologist.

Answer 12

Try a different facial wash. When I was using apricot scrub, I always broke out, but since switching to aveeno cream cleanser, my skin is fantastic. Try eating more fruits, veggies, and nuts, and only 500ml of water?? I drink that much in the morinig alone! I drink like 1500-2000 ml of water.

Answer 13

You should go to a dermatologist.. it may just be an overgrowth of bacteria, that's totally unrelated to the foods you eat or how you wash your face. I went on an antibacterial pill for several months and now my skin is cler! Before, it wouldn't stop breaking out.

I had previously tried Proactiv, and it seriously dried up my skin and didn't help at all.

Answer 14

Improper diet will have alarge amount of influance on your skin. Just because you gave up meat and meat products does not mean your going to have clear skin.

Try to pay attention at what you put in your mouth. Not all fruits and veggies are good for us. Try to start over by adding certian foods that you eat one at time. If you start to breakout you may find what food triggers the outbreak.

Answer 15

Although diet can influence acne it doesn't have much to do with it, contrary to popular belief.  You are at an age where hormones probably have more to do with your acne than your diet.  

Basic tips, keep your face clean.  Wash with gentle soaps and don't use astringents, that causes more oil and possibly more acne.  If you wear make-up, wear less or consider changing your brand.  Drink lots of water...and I mean lots.  If things don't clear up you might want to see a dermatologist.  Usually acne levels off when hormones do...

Answer 16

sweetie, I used to have it, too... there's nothing you can do about it besides not touch your face at ANY time.  also, do NOT get that tea tree oil in your eye, it hurts like h**l!

Answer 17

I'm in the same boat as you (15 and vegan).  This is what works and doesn't work for me:

works:

touching my face as little as possible

washing my pillow cases and sheets every week/not touching them to my face when I sleep

changing the towel that I use to dry my face frequently

eating less peanut butter, butter, oils etc (I gave them up for a while too, but eating less works just as well)

doesn't work:

proactive

becoming vegan (didn't change anything)

chapstick=zit heaven

Answer 18

no it doesnt...becuase im 14...i turned vegetarin this year and i still have the occasional bad yuckys on my face...it has nothing to do with what your eating if your eating the right amounts of protein..vitamins..etc...

and i had bad skin last year too.

um you should try a tea tree oil soap..its kinda minty and it works really good...um and drink lots of water...

how much makeup do you wear?

Answer 19

Welcome to puberty, you are at an age when your hormones are changing and you'll begin to see acne more than before. While diet can effect skin, in your case it is probably b/c you are growing up, and facing what every teen faces(something like 8 out of 10 people).

Acne being caused my greasy food or chocolate is a myth. While some people are effected by these types of food, it is not always the cause of bad acne. If you want to try and cut out the foods(to see if the acne improves), you need to do it for more than 1 week, it takes several weeks to really see results. You could try cutting out dairy for a few weeks. I have a skin condition that was worsened by dairy. I cut out all dairy in December, and my skin is much clearer(but it took weeks to clear my skin up completely, and a month to see some improvment).

There are so many things that contribute to acne. Do you wear make up? you need to get make up that states it is "oil free," "noncomedogenic," or "nonacnegenic." This type of make up does not clog the pores. Also be sure to wash all of it off at night. Do you use hair spray? This can also clog pores, so be sure you are keeping it away from your face.

Even after all the precautions to prevent acne, some teenagers still get it. You may want to see a dermatologist if it is really bad. Acne is a normal part of growing up, most of us fought the fight against acne as teenagers, and some people get it into thier 20's.

Answer 20

get some proactive.  food isn't always the reason for acne.