Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Acne Care Treatment - Does a Detox Diet Really Work?

There is no such thing as a perfect acne care treatment for everyone. Some people find that topical over-the-counter creams like benzoyl peroxide or tea tree oil work for them. Yet others swear by their dermatologist. But if all these don't work well enough for you, maybe you need to look elsewhere for your acne cure. One of the fads which always returns is detox diets. Whenever the media report doctors saying that detox is a hokum (some doctors are charitable enough to say it is just a placebo effect), many people stop using them. But after a while, people start going back to detox diets. So, do detox diets really work to get rid of your acne?

Is There Any Scientific Proof That Detox Diets Get Rid Of Your Acne?

If the doctors are right that detox diets don't work, why do people keep on doing them? Probably because detox works for some people, just like Accutane or antibiotics can't get rid of acne for some people.

With both the medical and pharmaceutical industries firmly against detox diets, clearly we cannot expect to see published proof in scientific journals. And yet there is plenty of anecdotal evidence floating around. Just surf the web and you will find many stories for yourself. Unless you've been hiding under a rock, even you probably know someone who has found detox diets to help get rid of their acne.

There were two consultants in my old office - both of them had very good complexion. One of them was a Vegan (or vegetarian), which is the basis for many detox treatments in the market today. The other only eats fruits for dinner. He left the meat, rice and other stuff for breakfast and lunch. Given that both of them worked 80-hour weeks, their clear skin very likely came from their diets, not their lifestyle.

Could their clear skin be caused by superior Indian genes? Fortunately for those of us NOT born Indian, I don't think so. In that same office, we also had a half dozen contract Indian programmers... who fully enjoyed the American lifestyle of McDonalds, Kentucky and Pizza Hut (courtesy of their project manager). They had greasy skin, and clearly suffered from pimples.

So it seems that diets high in fruits and vegetables do help prevent acne and pimples.

Why Do You Need A Detox Diet?

Honestly, not everyone needs a detox diet, especially when they are young and have healthy immune systems to get rid of the bacteria which causes acne. Ditto if you have a good daily diet, and eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables like those two Indian consultants. At this point of time, I also find myself eating a lot of fruits everyday, and my skin is quite clear, so I don't need a detox diet either.

But I know a 50-year old businessman who swears by his detox diet. Every weekend, he only eats fruits and drinks only plain water. The rest of the week, he eats normally and drinks coffee. Despite a high-stress lifestyle - he runs his family business and is currently building up a second business - he still has very clear and healthy skin.

So, maybe, just maybe, you too will find it beneficial to you. The only way to find out for sure is to try it out yourself.

So What Should You Do?

Enough people have found detox helpful for acne care treatment. Unless you're allergic to fruits, it doesn't hurt you to try! If nothing else has worked for you, try it for 3 months. If you go to a dermatologist, that's how long his treatment is supposed to take, anyway. We aren't talking about replacing every meal with fruits and water, just your weekend meals. That's just 8 days out of 30, for 3 months, at no extra cost.

What else do you need to know about detox diets for acne care treatment. Click here to find out more.

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