Could Your Love of Cheese Be Making Your Acne Worse?

There are plenty of myths when it comes to acne, but unfortunately, there might be a couple of truths that you’re not quite ready to hear—including that cheese could be exacerbating your acne. Oprah recently highlighted the story of one young woman’s attempt to eliminate her acne by cutting out dairy, here’s what she found out.

Cutting out dairy is tough

It’s no surprise that removing all dairy products from your diet is extremely challenging. Take a look at any casserole recipe, instant breakfast item, or even salad dressing and you’ll likely find some trace of milk products or cheese. It’s a daunting task to avoid it, but author Emma Hask was able to eschew all dairy (for the most part) for three weeks.

However, because Hask suffered from bouts of acne since early adolescence her cheese-free journey was well worth the pain.

Why cut dairy?

So, does dairy cause acne? While there is a possible link between dairy and inflammation, and many patients are finding eliminating milk products clears up their skin, it has not yet been medically proven that dairy directly causes acne.

What we do know is that when you begin to limit the intake of any ingredient in your diet, you begin to pay attention to what you’re consuming. Many items that contain dairy also contain other things that would contribute to unhealthy skin like highly processed foods, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup and high levels of sugar.

For example, Hask could no longer have that late night bowl of cereal, greasy pizza for dinner, ice cream fix, or a glass of chocolate milk to satisfy her sweet tooth and so found herself amping up her intake of veggies and fruits. Her healthier habits also likely contributed to her healthier glow.

If you want to see if cheese and milk might be exacerbating your own acne, you can try out a dairy-free diet like Hask’s for a few months. If results are positive, but you find are having a hard time living without some dairy, watchfully add a few healthier dairy products such as greek yogurt back into your diet, to see if there truly is a direct connection between dairy and the quality of your skin. Whatever you do, be sure you are still getting calcium from healthy, alternative sources.

Suffering from acne? Talk to a professional

While there are plenty of theories as to what treatments and diets improve your skin tone and texture, there is only one true way to get rid of acne for good and that is working with an experienced dermatology-trained provider.

Acne is best treated with an individualized plan, as each person’s skin is different. Our dermatology team takes the time to truly understand your underlying issues and find an acne treatment that will work best for your needs.

If you’re ready to say so-long to your pimples and find a Reading acne treatment that works, contact us today. We would be glad to help you glow in the new year!