Adult Acne

Dear Dr. Meletis, I am 38 years old, 5’ 3”, 124 lbs. I eat well, don’t drink or smoke, and I exercise daily. I have been having problems with adult acne for as long as I can remember. My dermatologist put me on minocycline a while back and my other doctor put me on birth control pills to help with my acne. Although it was working for a while, it seems to have stopped working. My acne has been flaring up again almost daily, and I do not want to take these prescriptions forever as I know long term use is not good for the body. Is there something that you recommend that can help with my adult acne? Ms. D.

Dear Ms. D., First and foremost, ruling out a couple of issues is essential. It is important to rule out polycystic ovary disease and also H. pylori. The first condition can increase your testosterone and DHEA levels and contribute to acne, the latter can lead to acne rosacea. H. pylori is a bacterium in your stomach that often can be eradicated simply. You may want to read about CeaseFire®, which can help eradicate H. Pylori. I routinely have individuals with acne look at their finger nails for little white dots or lines and see if there are rough little raised bumps on the back of their arms or elsewhere on their body, kind of like permanent patches of goose bumps. Both Zinc and essential fatty acids such as Ethyl EPA or Nordic Naturals® EPA can be helpful when used faithfully. So can Healthy Hair Caps, which contains ingredients that can also help your skin. It is critical to make sure you are having 2 to 3 bowel movements per day, to eliminate toxins and hormones. Consequently, use of Fiber (such as EZ Fiber™) and a good probiotic, such as BioPro™, is critical, especially since you have been on antibiotics. My patients with adult acne also always run a Food Allergy Test to check for delayed food allergies. This test is available here. I would be interested in hearing how your symptoms respond. Sincerely, Chris D. Meletis, ND