Question:
I have never had really bad acne (not since being a teenager). I am 36 years old and a female. I have been taking the recommended 8 grams of Panthothenic Acid for about 3 weeks. A few days ago, my face started breaking out like crazy. What’s going on? Why is this happening? Should I stop taking the B5?
Answer:
This is a common complaint with people taking Pantothenic Acid. Acne tends to flare up a little before the real breakthrough occurs. Keep taking the Pantothenic Acid for another week and you should see some great results.
It sounds as if you were not really taking the Pantothenic Acid for acne, but Pantothenic Acid CAN be used (and has been used) to treat acne.
Interestingly, my dermatologist told me the same thing when they put me on Accutane as a teenager. I can hear his voice like it was yesterday. “It’s going to get worse before it gets better, but it will get better,” he said.
It was true. My acne and oily skin DID get better when I was on Accutane.
But, at what cost? I see television ads all the time, listing off the numerous gastrointestinal ailments that I could now suffer from due to taking Accutane. I wish that I had known about Pantothenic Acid back then, I would have taken that instead of putting my health at risk.
But, I digress.
The point I’m trying to make is this: Just as Accutane shuts down the sebum production of the skin, so does higher doses of Pantothenic Acid. The biggest difference is that Pantothenic Acid does so in a more natural way than Accutane.
Because of this, your acne can flare up a little. I tend to think that it’s sort of a “last stand” for the bacteria that causes acne (called propionibacterium acnes). You see propionibacterium acnes has one main food source: the oil in your skin. As this food source goes away, this acne-causing bacteria goes into survival mode and reproduces like crazy. But, since there is less oil to feed on, it is a very short-lived flurry.
Keep the faith. Keep taking the Pantothenic Acid. Keep drinking LOTS of water. You will come out on the other side with clear, smooth skin… and happy that you stuck to your clear skin regiment.
If you have any more questions, just let me know.
