A Dublin dermatologist has revealed one big change people can make to help acne ‘melt away’.
Acne is the most common skin disease in the world, and the eighth most common medical condition in the world. While most of us associate acne with teenagers, many Irish people continue to battle the skin problem well into adulthood.
Speaking to Claire Byrne on her RTE radio show, consultant dermatologist Dr Rosemary Coleman from the Blackrock Clinic spoke about foods that should be avoided to help improve your skin.
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Host Claire said there was one major question that listeners wanted answered - if you are treating acne, what food should be avoided?
“It’s very individual, but the number one on my list is dairy,” said Dr Coleman.
“The oldwives tale of chocolate causing spots really rings true for a lot of people.
“It is not a food allergy - it is an intolerance. Dairy is full of sugar, full of insulin-like growth factor 1, full of hormones and can really drive acne in a lot of people.
“For a teenage boy for example, they might have a bowl of Rice Crispies for breakfast. But if you look at your average teenage lad, he probably has a half a box of Rice Crispies. And therefore he could have half a litre of milk without even thinking about it.”
Dr Coleman admits that there has been debate for years on whether there is a link between acne and dairy, however in her experience cutting dairy can often see significant results.
“It’s always a controversial area whether dairy causes acne, but it has now been accepted that in a large proportion of people it makes a big difference,” she said.
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