Zinc

I did some reading up after seeing multiple posts on zinc. There is peer reviewed medical research that does back up its skin healing properties. I have severe rosacea which can sometimes easily be confused with acne. Further more I am a distance runner and I eat very little meat that zinc is found in such high quantities. I mostly eat legumes and veggies, but your body only processes nutrients at 30% efficiency with plants compared to 90% with meat products. So it made sense that there may be a deficiency. For a long time I was thinking I had a hormonal imbalance, and being a female who puts in an average of 7 mile runs everyday it's easy to see how that can happen. That wasn't it either. I tried BCP but that made the problem even worse and it made me gain weight. =( Nothing, was helping. Topical products only made it much worse when I thought it was acne. Even worse was the rosacea products weren't helping either. I get hot burning skin before the "acne" flare ups start. My skin would feel like I had a fever, even though I didn't. My whole entire face would turn red at times and my skin felt like it was on fire, then the breakouts would start. I can go for a long time with really clear skin but once a flare up starts it can turn into an endless cycle of breakouts that last for months or even up to a year. My last bout started in early June and has been raging all summer. I went out and got zinc about 3 days ago, its now the third day and I see a big difference already. The redness and burning that affected my whole face is GONE. I have had no new break outs and the ones that I had are now beginning to heal themselves. I have discoloration from some of the past break outs, but my skin usually sheds those pretty quick. My only complaint with the zinc is that even taken at recommended doses and even with food it still makes me feel queasy to the point where I want to go lie down after I take it, but its a small price to pay to have clear skin.

Zinc is thought to reduce acne because it affects the production and regulation of hormones in the body (including testosterone, which is linked with acne) and helps to regulate cell metabolism. However, a healthy balance is best for your system, so you shouldn't just overload your body with zinc for a quick fix. I get my zinc with a multivitamin (15mg zinc/day which is 100% DV) along. To me, 50mg of zinc alone is excessive, and this way I get the zinc, plus other vitamins necessary for the body (including vitamins A, C, copper and iron which also support healthy skin). Antibiotics and retin-a got rid of most of my acne, but it didn't completely do the trick. I think it is zinc PLUS the other vitamins and the fact that I go out of my way to stay hydrated, that made the final difference to smooth my skin and give me a flawless look that I have been fighting for for almost half my life. I first noticed a real difference in how healthy my skin looked after about 1-2 months of taking the multivitamin.

I've been suffering from moderate acne since I was around 14. High school had been hell since having acne made me unsociable around people, so yeah it was tough. My mom brought me to a dermatologist and he told me that the root cause was hormonal imbalance. He mentioned something about male hormones which was weird because I'm a female, how could I have traces of male hormones? And so he prescribed me with antibiotics and benzac, which is a topical cream that fights acne bacteria. I was clear for maybe a year and then after i stopped taking the pills, my acne flared up again. It was horrible, with the scars and everything. I just found out about the zinc tablets through online reviews. So i got myself a bottle and i have been taking 1 tabet of 50mg chelated zinc after dinner for a week now. I feel that my acne is healing alot faster and my skin is feeling more healthy and supple. Besides, my skin is also less oily than it used to be. Ive always had greasy skin even if i washed my face 2 times a day and it bugged me! Overall, i think all this while i had zinc deficiency which led to hormonal imbalance. That was most probably the main cause that contributed to my acne. So I highly recommend everyone who is seeking for a remedy to try it out! :)

So about 6 months back I had pretty bad acne, especially on my cheekbones and cheeks and forehead. I started on a good regiment of cleaning my skin, using lotion, eating less crap and shaving regularly. It helped immensely but my skin would still get very bad if I missed on my regiment even for a day or two. So about 3-4 weeks ago I started taking zinc daily, I'd say about 50-120 mg daily in the form of two 22mg zinc pills and like 35-50mg in my multivitamin. Improvement was quite quick and after a week or so my skin already looked good even without doing my regiment (though I still keep doing it, no one should lose good habits, right?). As far as nausea, I didn't have any although on occasions I think I would've (admittedly, by accident) taken close to 200mg in a day - but I've always had quite a strong stomach so I wouldn't recommend to make such mistakes as I hear it can be quite unpleasant. The bottom-est line: Try it, it obviously won't work for everyone, but for those who it does work for it can do wonders, and even if it doesn't work - well screw it, you only spent like $5-10 on it anyway. Also I should point out that I've tried the zinc mask suggested by other users here and I found it really doesn't make any difference for me, not really sure what is it supposed to even do if you just put it on your skin.

I've only been taking it for about a week so I'm not 100% sure that it's working, but I haven't had any major breakouts since I started and for that, I'll keep taking it. I'm currently taking 50mg every morning.

Ive had a problem with acne since I can remember! Now I'm 22 and I don't seem to be growing out of it!! I pretty much get a new pimple daily. I have black heads on my nose, white heads on my cheeks, forehead and chin, and occasionally I will get a nodule or two. Nothing I've used works, I've used Murad, Proactive, Noxzema, Neutrogena, even some of acne.org products. My skin is always clean, I don't touch my face, I change my pillow cases, watch my diet. But after all these years, it doesn't seem to change. So one day I decided to do some research online about how I can try and cure my acne from the inside and it was suggested to take a zinc supplement. I also remembered I went to school with this girl who had flawless skin, and when I worked at the pharmacy she would drop in every now and then to buy zinc! So I tried it! So far its only been a month, I take a 50mg zinc supplement with a big meal every day. The changes didn't happen over night, but within a few weeks I did eventually see some drastic changes in my skin. The parts of my skin that were once bumpy, are now smooth, the more severe pimples that are still there, change in size and shape quickly. Open pimples that are burst heal rather quickly. The only draw back I have so far is that taking zinc really makes you queasy. It's not that bad, but I definitely have a sensitive stomach after. I choose to take my zinc with a meal where I know I'll be home, like dinner, so If I don't feel well, I can just lay down for a while. But its not that bad if you eat a full meal. Also, my dreams have been SO vivid since Ive been taking zinc. I'm not sure why that is...but I'm not the only one who reports this! Hopefully, I will continue to see these great results and soon be acne free. If your thinking about taking zinc, Id recommend it!

I started taking 100mg of zinc because of the reviews I read. To begin with, too much caffeine depletes the zinc in your body . And I was drinking about 4 cups a day for about a month before I started breaking out (cystic) Before that my skin wouldn't be completely clear but i'd manage it. I have to say that about a week and a half after I started taking i saw a lot of improvement on my skin. It wasn't the miracle cure, but it was much better. Also the recommended dose is about 50-100mg, DO NOT take more. Zinc regulates helps your inmune system and makes a happy liver. (the liver is key in regulating hormones and in getting rid of toxins that cause acne) Along with the zinc, I was also taking turmeric. I believe that both helped out. (turmeric is AMAZING too! check it out)

It's effective enough to warrant me continuing to take it (in fairly large quantities), but it doesn't completely stamp out the acne.

I've been taking 50mg of chelated zinc daily on and off for about 5 months. I noticed in less than a week my skin felt healthier and less inflamed. It took about a month to realize that my skin hadn't had any severe breakouts and was starting to look more clear. I've always had a really hard time with remembering to take supplements or meds so I kind of got lazy and forgetful for a while and noticed my skin get more bumpy again and got a couple cysts on my cheeks. Starting taking it again daily and it's clearing up again. I highly recommend this to anyone suffering with acne. It hasn't cured me 100% but I'm still trying to tweek the dosage and try taking twice a day to see if that yields even better results so it may be. Also for the people who have tried it without good results, I wonder if it had anything to do with the brand, form or any possible additives in the supplement. It works so well for so many people it would be worth trying a few kinds. Just sayin.

I tried almost everything except Accutane. I understood from acne.org that Zinc deficiency maybe one of the root cause of the acne. Since it's only a supplement, there's no harm to try. I only take US RDI approved 15mg and I noted differences within one months. I hope the result will sustain!