If a person has constant acne outbreaks, the standard of care is to give antibiotics. This suppresses the symptoms but when the patient stops the antibiotic, the problem returns because the cause has not been addressed.  In addition to being ineffective in the long run, systemic antibiotics wipe out the natural flora of the bowel and skin, setting the person up for more virulent bacteria to prevail.   

 Acne may be exacerbated by underlying hormonal imbalances.  In my experience, acne patients consume more sugar, dairy, and coffee than others without acne and these foods contribute to the hormonal imbalances, which underlie acne.    Sugar raises insulin levels, which increase androgens and cause metabolic syndrome, which we know is associated with acne.   Dairy contains high levels of the cow’s own progesterone hormones and has added growth hormone. Several recent studies have implicated milk consumption, especially skim milk, with acne.  Women who drank 2 or more servings of skim milk every day were 44% more likely to have developed severe acne. [1] Caffeine increases sebum production, and sebum can get stuck in a plugged follicle and become a medium on which bacteria grow. Certain vitamin and fatty acid deficiencies can contribute to the follicular plugging. 

Medications are often necessary initially to get a skin problem under control but a diet and supplement plan should be given at the same time to prevent future outbreaks or the need for more medication in the future.