As someone who has suffered from acne for a long time, I wouldn't guarantee that easting strictly paleo will cure your acne, but it will probably help. Eating strictly paleo will probably have a positive effect on almost any chronic ailment, because by easting paleo you are eliminating many common allergens (wheat, milk, etc.) as well as sugar. Personally, I've found that nightshades make my acne much worse. Since I've been strictly paleo (about a month now), my acne has not completely disappeared, but it has greatly subsided. I'm hopeful that if I keep this up it will completely heal, but everybody's different.

I guess that's another point to make: There really is no such thing as "strictly paleo", at least for paleohackers. The idea isn't to adhere to a fully-defined set of rules. Rather, you need to experiment for yourself within the general plan to see what works best for you.

Good luck!

This is very much a different strokes for different folks situation, where maybe nothing will work and maybe the answer will be simple. Eliminating the NADs (grain, sugar, and seed oil) will be a good start, but from there you need to tinker with other aspects: dairy elimination, nightshade elimination, carb levels (super-low to high, based on roots, non-potato tubers, squashes, etc.), vitamin supplementation, soap/cleanser usage, and so on until you get closer to your goal.

As other people have said, there is a long-term benefit to getting rid of most/all of your acne. I would add that there is also a long-term benefit to going paleo in general, and the younger you start, the better off you will be. Keep at it and keep us informed of your trials and successes, because we're always interested in knowing what works for people.

I have had acne related skin issues since my early teens and they continued until I started Paleo about a year ago when I was 21. I remember when I first started I eliminated grains but still ate a fair bit if sugar and dairy and my acne was virtually gone. Once I cut back on the sugar and dairy I saw even further improvement. (Also, saw improvements when I STOPPED using facial cleaners and started just using cold water before bed...weird). All I can really comment on is what has worked for me. I would advise experimenting with tweaking your diet yourself and see what works and what doesn't. Paleo certainly won't hurt. Acne is an inflammatory response and the Paleo lifestyle generally removes pro-inflammatory foods that cause acne (as well as many other ailments). Good luck!

I started paleo late enough that any skin improvement is hard to differentiate from the benefits of age. However, I live with a teenager, and it is obvious when she has been eating something off the diet. When she sticks to it, her skin is flawless.

Personally, I did noticed definite improvement (especially on my scalp and back) when I stopped using shampoo.

You will definitely notice an improvement if you switch from a standard Western diet to the paleo diet. However, the absolute best remedy I have found for acne is apple cider vinegar. Apply ACV to your face (dilute with water if you have sensitive skin) before going to bed and you will notice results the next day. Follow this routine for a few days and I'm willing to bet you will be convinced that nothing works better than ACV.

I can only give say its helped me. I am a 29 year old female. But I suffered with bad acne from a very young age..pre teen into my adult life. I tried almost every face wash, medication etc etc. Then I went paleo and gave up grains, veggie/seed oils and my acne went away...this was a huge thing for me. I DO find when I eat nightshade family stuff I will get a pimple or two though. Good luck!

Paleo won't help if you don't get adequate nutrition in my experience. eating liver a couple times a week or supplementing with vit A is a really good idea along with a nutrient sufficient diet.

Replace "does" in your question, with "might possibly help depending on other factors."

My skin has become 100x better by following an anti-inflammatory diet as outlined here : blog, but I take quite some supplements. Especially the fat-soluble vitamins (vitamin A, D, E and k2), magnesium and selenium have helped.

But the number one most important thing that has always helped me is : adequate sleep.

I have done the Paleo diet before and back on it again. I have been on the acne pill at the same time. I also started to take vitamins such as B, C, D, and a triple omega. This improved my skin greatly! I highly recommend the vitamins as well. Good luck!

I eat mostly paleo (I started due to skin problems) and my skin is definitely better now. I never had acne too bad on my face, but my back was bad and I just really wanted my skin to be perfect and to do it naturally. For me, the biggest triggers in this order (worst to least) are dairy, vegetable oils (soy, canola, safflower, etc), soy products, grains and sugar. These are what I would start by avoiding. I am undecided on legumes, nightshades, fruit amounts, etc, as I am still experimenting to find the perfect diet. Fish oil supplementation helped me a lot too. I haven't noticed very much improvement through supplements (D, A, and zinc), but many other people have.

If paleo doesn't completely clear it, it will at least help a lot. It might take a while to see improvement, as you could have digestive problems (candida, leaky gut and what not) I recommend a probiotic supplement after starting paleo

I'm 18 and the paleo diet really improved my skin tone & got rid of acne. I don't know about taking a fish oil supplement. I've heard that makes you break out more.

As a teenager I had great skin, a few blemishes here and there but nothing severe. The year I turned 20 all that flew out the window. I began to develop mild to severe adult acne. I tried Neutrogena, ProActive, The Regime, Birth Control, ect. After coming to the conclusion that my acne was diet related I did the Master Cleanse for 14 days followed by a 6 month run on a raw vegan diet. By the end of 2011 I was devastated. Nothing was working, if anything it was getting worse. I can recall crying on my aunt's shoulder on Christmas day while she tried convincing me there were still options I hadn't tried. Being a very health conscious yoga instructor and connoisseur of natural food remedies, my aunt made it her personal mission to find me literature on natural cures for acne. This is how I found The Paleo Dietary Cure For Acne. It changed my life. I bought the e-book and read it twice on New Years Eve. I remember thinking "wow, everything everyone has ever told you about acne is true..to an extent." This book not only explains these theories, but backs them up with hard evidence and most importantly gives you guidance on how to overcome these obstacles (hormonal, food-related and genetic). My doctor had suggested putting me on a hormone treatment for my acne, but when I told him about my plans to start the Paleo Diet he fully supported me! New Year's day I started my diet, sticking to it religiously for one month as directed. By February 1st I had already seen major improvements. I got microdermabrasion treatment that month which I would highly recommend to shed the build up of dead cells and kick start the healing process. Throughout the next two months I slowly began to add back certain foods and experiment with what causes flare ups for me personally (i.e sweet potatoes, hummus, Ezekiel bread, whole wheat flour...) Now, 5 months later, I can't even remember the last time I had a breakout. I just got my second microdermabrasion treatment and most of my scarring has cleared up. I eat most things in moderation while sticking to a vegan diet but still occasionally enjoy breads, sugars, nuts and some beans as well. The key is experimenting to see what personally affects you while knowing clear skin is on the horizon! There is hope, don't give up. Go natural. Your body will thank you!

Here is a before/after photo of me. The first photo is taken on New Years Day 2011, the second is May 12, 2012!

I can say that my husband (who is 31 now) has had terrible acne his ENTIRE life. Even as an adult, and he was so self-conscious of it. Eating the Paleo or Primal way has really, really helped to clear up his skin! I'm fairly confident that if we were still eating the standard american diet, that he would still have the bad acne. He still does get a pimple or two from time to time, but it's no longer a big deal.

So I would say, all you can do is experiment! What have you got to lose?