In doing more research on acne and diet, I came across another article last night on WebMD. It’s title: “Is Acne Fed by the Western Diet?”

The article focused on the research done by Dr. Loren Cordain, PhD, at Colorado State University. Her study, “Acne Vulgaris -A Disease of Western Civilization”, publsied in the December 2002 Archives of Dermatology, nailed the diet > insulin > androgen > oil production > acne link that I was talking about in previous posts. (Yes, Acne IS related to Diet and Acne Cause, Acne Cure.)

Here’s what blew me away: The date on the article was 2002. To me, these people have isolated the cause of acne, and the cure. They published it for the world to know. Seven years ago. And doctors and dermatologists today are still telling their clients the cause is really unclear and there is no cure for acne? I was astonished. I kept asking myself things like, “Why were more studies not done immediately?” “Why does not every dermatologist know this and tell their patients?” “Why is this not common knowledge and common practice 7 years later??”

Then it dawned on me, and I hate to sound cynical, but I quit asking myself questions when I realized this:

There is no profit in selling someone a healthy diet and daylight. You can’t sell it and make a killing. You can’t sell a monthly subscription to it. You can’t charge an insurance company for it. You can’t keep them coming back. There is no money in it.

Certainly no one who profits from selling an acne treatment of any kind is going to tell you the cure. I will. Here it is: change what you eat and drink and spend more time outside.   If its your child who is suffering from the condition, change what the whole family eats and drinks. You can start right now.

How?  Here are some links to get you started:

The Teenage Anti-Acne Diet Booklet. The doctors who did the most recent study created this booklet to help parents implement a high protein, low GL diet for their teenagers.   It is an excellent publication, and it’s free.

The Schwarzbein Principle: The Truth About Losing Weight, Being Healthy, and Feeling Younger

by Diana Schwarzbein, M.D and Nancy Deville.  This book explains food in relation to your hormone balance and provides practical ways to make the simple changes in diet and lifestyle.

The Easy GL Diet Handbook: Lose Weight with the Revolutionary Glycemic Load Program – A great little ‘quick-start’ guide to eating well.

There has been no formal research into the link between Vitamin D3 deficiency and acne vulgaris, but when they find it, I doubt it will be widely publicized, because Vitamin D3 is dirt cheap, too.  Please get your family’s Vitamin D3 levels tested, and start supplementing with 2000 IU Vitamin D3 daily unless you get regular sun exposure without sunscreen.

I am not a doctor or dermatologist or anything like that. I sell blue light therapy products to dermatologists, estheticians, and, more importantly, normal people like you. I’ve heard story after story of people who have had acne for years, “tried everything,” and blue light was their last hope. The most painful of these stories to me were those of parents trying anything to help their teenager or preteen. Gratefully, blue light was successful for most of them. But there were those with severe cases for whom it did not work. I wondered why blue light did not work in every case, and I wondered what else could be done to help these people.

Here’s the questions I asked myself, and the answers I found. (These are generally accepted answers. Again, I am not a doctor.)

What causes acne vulgaris?

Clogged pores lead to infection and inflammation (inflammatory acne, or acne vulgaris.).

What causes clogged pores?

Too frequent and/or over production of oil in the oil glands of the skin.

What causes over production of oil?

Increased activity of the androgen hormone, a male sex hormone present in both women and men.

When I learned that the androgen hormone was responsible for oil production in the skin, I was struck by the idea that the cause of acne was hormonal.

I personally have had problems relating to my hormone balance. I’ve heard doctors tell me “there is nothing you can do to balance your hormones.” But as I turned to natural health alternatives, I learned there certainly are things you can do to balance your hormones, but they are just not as easy as popping a pill. (Too bad for all of us.) I learned that a key to hormone balance in the body is to get the insulin hormone under control. Insulin is directly related to what you eat, specifically sugar, and anything that turns right to sugar in your system, like processed grains. So I wondered,

Is there a connection between androgen, the hormone directly related to the cause of acne, and insulin, the hormone directly related to what you eat?

I found that there was. Here it is explained by Dr. Diana Schwarzbein:

“Acne results from the clogging and subsequent inflammation of oil glands. When androgen activity increases, the number and secretion of the oil glands of the body also increase. The higher the secretion of oil, the more likely it is that oil glands will become clogged, resulting in acne. Puberty and perimenopause are the two time periods when androgen activity increases. It used to be these times when women would complain of acne. Men generally experience acne only during puberty. But both women and men of all ages now complain of acne. The reason is that women and men are eating low-fat diets that are high in carbohydrates while also consuming stimulants. High carbohydrate consumption stimulates insulin production, and when insulin rises, androgens are increased beyond “normal” ranges. Stimulants exacerbate this while increasing insulin and adrenaline.”

The Schwarzbein Principle: The Truth About Losing Weight, Being Healthy, and Feeling Younger
pp. 168, by Diana Schwarzbein, M.D and Nancy Deville.

A recent 2007 Australian study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, has made the connection between acne vulgaris, androgen production, insulin levels, and diet. In the study, Professor Mann, along with Robyn Smith, PhD and Royal Melbourne Hospital, divided forty-three males, between the ages of 15 and 25, into two groups. One group was given foods with a low glycemic load, and the other group was fed a more “typical” teenage American diet, high in sugar and processed foods.

After 12 weeks, the boys in the high protein-low glycemic load group showed significantly reduced free androgen levels, and a 50% reduction of acne.

In non-westernized societies, acne does not exist. Although heredity and some other factors may play a part, acne is in most cases a result of the severe hormone imbalance brought about by our diet and lifestyle. After a year of research into the cause of acne, I am convinced that acne can in fact be ‘cured,’ and that a healthy diet and correcting any Vitamin D Deficiency are the two major keys to the “cure.”

I will still sell blue light as a 100% natural, effective acne treatment, but our new website (look for launch around April 2009), will highlight all the above information, and every order will include it. I hope it helps you eliminate the need for any acne ‘treatment’ at all.

Links for more info, book recommendations, etc.

Yes, Acne IS related to Diet

Is Acne a Symptom of Vitamin D Deficiency?

Three Easy Ways to Test for Vitamin D Deficiency

Blue light is one of the best natural acne treatments available. It works by destroying acne bacteria on and just under the skin. But how can you prevent acne from ever developing in the first place? A recent Australian study shows your diet may have a lot to do with it.

In the study, as reported in the 2007 Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1/2 the young men were given a high protein, low GL diet. The others were instructed to eat a typical Western teenage diet, heavy on sugar and processed foods. After 12 weeks, those following the high protein, low GL diet had over a 50% reduction of acne lesions.

So a low GL diet gets right to a major cause of acne, hormone imbalance.  Meals and snacks with a low Glycemic Load keep insulin under control, which helps with general hormone balance, which naturally reduces oil production in the skin, which leads to less breakouts.  You will also likely lose weight and save money following a high protein, low GL diet.

“The research clearly shows that your daily diet can improve acne symptoms. This is highly significant and contrary to current recommendations that say that what you eat plays no role in acne. A healthy diet with low GI carbohydrates and higher levels of protein is now the first line of treatment for anyone suffering from acne, in addition to any cream or ointment your dermatologist recommends. When used for acne in its early stages or for mild to moderate cases, this may mean up to 100 per cent improvement in symptoms.”

Catherine Saxelby
Accredited Practising Dietitian

Click here for the full study, as published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Recommended Reading:

The Teenage Anti-Acne Diet Booklet. The doctors who did this study created this booklet to help parents implement a high protein, low GL diet for their teenagers.   It is an excellent publication, and it’s free.

The Schwarzbein Principle: The Truth About Losing Weight, Being Healthy, and Feeling Younger
by Diana Schwarzbein, M.D and Nancy Deville.  This book explains food in relation to your hormone balance and provides practical ways to make the necessary changes in diet and lifestyle.

The Easy GL Diet Handbook: Lose Weight with the Revolutionary Glycemic Load Program – A great little ‘quick-start’ guide to eating well.

More studies on acne and diet:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20361171

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21335995

“Vitamin D” is actually a pre-hormone, not a vitamin.  Given that a widely accepted cause of acne is hormone imbalance, it is very easy to see how adequate, steady levels of Vitamin D3 would lend itself to a “cure.”  In the October 2008 issue of the Vitamin D Council’s newsletter, there was a connection made between vitamin D3 and acne.  Although the mention in the newsletter was brief, they linked to a very thorough and detailed study done by AIERLIN T.-R. MAYNARD, M.D. in 1938.

Here is the segment from the Vitamin D Council’s October 2008 Newsletter:

Dear Dr. Cannell:

My teenage son has type 2 diabetes.  I started him on 5,000 IU of vitamin D a day about 6 months ago.  Three things have happened so far, he started losing weight, his blood sugars improved, and his acne went away.  I know you have written about diabetes and weight loss with vitamin D but I can’t remember anything about acne?

Mary, North Dakota

Dear Mary:

I have had some reports that vitamin D cured acne but frankly, I didn’t believe them.  Then I ran across this 1938 paper.  You can read the entire paper yourself and see what 5,000 to 14,000 IU per day did for these patients with severe acne.  When I was a kid, I always wondered why my pimples got better in the summer and worse in the winter.

Here’s the link to the 1938 study:

Maynard MT. Vitamin D in Acne: A Comparison with X-Ray Treatment. Cal West Med. 1938 Aug;49(2):127-32.

Of the 132 acne patients he studied, 28% were “much better” at three months.  47% were “healed at three months.”

Here is the doctor’s summary:

I believe I may say that at no time in my dermatological experience have I felt such complete satisfaction with a treatment as I have with the cases of this series. I know that vitamin D is an imperfect weapon to slay this disfiguring disease, but it undoubtedly gives one a feeling of being well defended. From the patients’ viewpoint, it has left little to be desired, as they find themselves improving, both in appearance and in general well-being. Many have expressed the sentiment, “Never felt better.”

I’d love to sell you a blue light for natural acne treatment, but I’d much rather if you did not need acne treatment at all.   Vitamin D3 is safe for all ages in the proper dosage, easy to get, and cheap.

Click here for Three Easy Ways to Test for Vitamin D Deficiency
Please visit the Vitamin D Council for recommended dosage.

Last week I got a call from a young woman who said she’d received “blue light therapy” from her dermatologist. As she described the treatment, it became clear that the treatment she actually had was PDT, or Photodynamic Therapy, with Omnilux blue as the light source.

Even though a blue light may be used in PDT, it is not the same as the original, “blue light” therapy for acne that was FDA approved in 2002 under the name ClearLight. Here are some differences you should know about when considering either of these two acne treatments for yourself or your child:

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)

PDT was FDA approved for the treatment of actinic keratoses. It is being used ‘off-label’ successfully for acne treatment. PDT starts off with an application of a chemical (5-ALA) to the skin. The chemical is allowed to penetrate the skin for a while. Then the skin is exposed to bright light (not necessarily, but often it is blue light (415nm +/-) such as Omnilux blue or Blue-U.) The light causes a chemical reaction in the 5-ALA, which kills the cells it has penetrated. This may cause burning, stinging or tingling sensations. Over the next few days, the dead skin peels and falls off. PDT should only be done by a licensed dermatologist or aesthetician.

Blue Light Therapy

Blue Light Therapy begins with cleansing the skin with a mild, non-medicated soap and allowing it to dry for a while. Then the skin is illuminated with blue light (415nm +/-) for 10-20 minutes. This initiates a natural chemical reaction within the acne bacteria, causing it to self-destruct. No burning or stinging is felt. The body’s natural healing and detoxification processes eliminate the dead acne bacteria and, in it’s absence, skin naturally clears without redness or peeling. This healing and detox process can be sped along by adding red light to the treatment regimen. Blue light acne therapy is safe for all ages and can be done conveniently in your own home.

ALA or Levulan is not necessary for effective blue light acne treatment. We promote the natural, non-invasive use of blue light. Our lights (currently enLux 415nm LEDs) are not to be used with ALA, Levulan or any other related topical application. You may want to consider PDT at your dermatologist’s office for severe cases of acne that do not respond to blue light alone.

Since a number of our initial clients have come over from Sci\ART Global, LLC, this seems like an appropriate first post.

If you’re wondering why this business exists and where it all started, you’ve got to know just a little about my wife, Louanna, the heart and soul of Light Therapy Options.  Since 2000, she has been working with her mother, Kathryn Kalisz, starting Sci\ART and helping it grow.  More than that, however, Louanna grew up Kathryn’s daughter, and from those early years, she’s learned her mother’s passions.

See, Kathryn is a world class color expert. She’s one of only a handful of people who can complete the Munsell color test by eye, with 100% accuracy. Much of the work that Kathryn and other members of the Munsell team did contributed directly to the color-matching systems and software used today.  Ever get your paint matched by computer at the local hardware store? Then you know what I’m talking about.  Anyway, Kathryn has spent the better part of her life exploring color and its physical and mental effects on the human being.  A natural outgrowth of color was light, and within the first year of Sci\ART’s infancy they began offering colored lighting for the purpose of light therapy.

During these first years of Sci\ART, they came across the news that 415 nanometer blue light kills acne.  After more research, they chose to include acne treatment as a benefit of the GE Dichromatic blue flood lamps.  Since the GE lamps were broad spectrum, they certainly included 415 nm blue light, and based on the rate of returns, it appeared that the GE bulbs experienced the same (or even a bit better) rate of success than the reported 85% that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved systems encountered.

While the BLUE LIGHT TREATMENT PROCESS is approved by the FDA, it should be noted that at the time of this writing, with the exception of the Clear Light, Blue-U and Omnilux solutions, currently sold only to medical professionals, only a select few home solutions that we are aware of are FDA approved.  For most of us, we’re simply offering an alternative that may or may not work for you, using the same types of tools that the FDA approved system uses, but in the comfort of your own home and for a fraction of the cost of paying for weekly doctor visits.  Please, DO NOT BE FOOLED by vendors who claim their system is FDA approved.  Thoroughly check it out first.

As we said, the GE lights were obviously not ideal.  At 150W, they were hot, they used a LOT of energy, and they required a light fixture rated for a 150W light bulb.  Worst of all,  many felt that a lot of the energy was wasted on producing light that wasn’t 415 nm.  While we don’t think it was wasted, that really is the subject of a future post.

Because the GE lamps just weren’t optimal, Louanna began looking for a way to get hold of 415 nm bulbs.  She specifically wanted LEDs if she should could get them, since they were cool, used far less energy, and the lights would be more durable and last a lot longer.  At first, she looked to see if there was anything they could buy off the shelf, but there just wasn’t anything.  Next, she began looking to have them manufactured specifically for us.  It was at this point that she came across enLux Lighting.  Of all the LED manufacturers she found, she felt most impressed by them and a relationship was started.  Our first 415nm enLux lamps shipped in March of 2007.

In the summer of 2007, Kathryn decided to return to Florida and the bulk of the day-to-day operations of Sci\ART went with her.  Kathryn also decided to refocus her business on color therapy and several light therapies took at back seat.  Included in these was the Acne 415 business.  However, Louanna felt that the acne light therapy business had grown to the point of needing it’s own website, sales & fulfillment, and so in the fall she struck a deal with her mom and bought the Blue Light acne business from Sci\ART. A month later, Light Therapy Options was born, and its first endeavor, IntelligentAcneTreatment.com launched.

Since then we’ve continued to move forward. We’ve talked to our customers freely and openly, and in return, they’ve talked to us.  We’re learning from each other as we move forward, listening to the successes of others, all of the various ways that they’ve used their lights, and are passing that information forward to you.  We welcome you to keep checking this site and this blog, whether you’ve purchased our lights or someone else’s, so that we can all continue learning together.

- Chris & Louanna