Natural Vitamin A: The Safe Alternative To Accutane
Most of you will know about Accutane, Isotretinoin, or any of the other names given to the synthetic drug prescribed for severe acne sufferers. However, if you have not researched it or taken it yourself you may not be aware that this drug is simply a synthetic (manufactured), pre-formed vitamin A replacement.
Most of you will also know that synthetic drugs and vitamins more often than not have a negative side-effect on the human body that comes with the benefits. Accutane is no different. Now, yes, Accutane is a proven treatment for acne and I don’t doubt that it works but the fact that a prescription is needed to purchase it and a liability waver must be signed is proof enough that it is dangerous. Prescription acne treatments in general have are similarly unsafe, and medical supervision and advice is always required for these treatments. That is not to say that they will all cause you harm, because they won’t. But if a safer, natural and equally effective alternative is available then isn’t that always the better option?
Vitamin A has been proven to maintain healthy eyes and skin. This is the primary reason for the development of isotretinoin, the active chemical form of vitamin A used in Accutane. However, the natural forms, or more specifically the carotene forms of it (e.g. beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, etc), found in dietary sources are not toxic. In this way, the natural alternative (or some of you might call it the “home remedy”) is far superior.
Organic, natural Vitamin A supplements are available from most chemists and health stores and are easily purchased over the counter. The bonus of this is that you can purchase 100 Vitamin A or beta-carotene capsules in a small bottle for less than $10. However, supplements, while massively safer than Accutane, still have a smaller risk of Vitamin A toxicity if taken in excess. Therefore, for the highest benefit, you should review the dietary sources listed below for an increased intake without danger and compare it to the risk of toxicity based on the suggestions below.
Generally, vitamin A capsules will contain approximately 5000IU (international units). For the majority of sufferers, this will be a sufficient acne treatment and they will notice results almost immediately. At this level of intake there is almost zero risk for the first 12 months of use, which should not even be required. For more severe cases or in cases where other medications are in use (e.g. anti-inflammatory medicines) which can increase the severity of acne, 2-3 of these capsules may be needed each day. Preferably, no more than 10-15 000IU, depending on weight and body mass, should be taken daily as recommended on the label and throughout available research sources. This should not be an issue as 15000 IU should show dramatic results in even the most severe sufferer.
That said, a study was done recently which indicated that beta-carotene supplements help to prevent cognitive decline (the decrease in mental capabilities).
As mentioned previously though, the dietary forms of vitamin A and beta-carotene have no risk whatsoever! Therefore, I would suggest considering adding a large amount of the below items to your diet, rather than taking Accutane, or even supplements. Now that’s not to say that other vegetables should be disregarded, as they all have benefits to your pH balance, but all of the below sources are also high in beta-carotene / vitamin A content and since it is a dietary source there is no risk of toxicity.
- sweet potatoes
- carrots
- goji berries
- cantaloupe melon
- mango
- apricots
- spinach
- kale
- chard
- turnip greens
- dandelion greens
- beet greens
- mustard greens
- collard greens
- watercress
- cilantro
- fresh thyme
- broccoli
- parsley
- romaine lettuce
- ivy gourd
- rose hips
- winter squash
- pumpkin
- cassava
acne girl says:
January 21st, 2008 at 6:22 am
Are these foods more effective when eaten raw? I like eating these foods but most of them I eat cooked!
George Cleanthous says:
January 21st, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Hi acne girl,
Yes, these foods, like other vegetables, are more effective when eaten raw. The reason is that when plants are fresh they store maximum nutrients. If you leave them unfrozen too long or if you cook them the process causes a loss of these nutrients. Some ways of cooking cause less nutrient loss than others but in general, time, heat and water all have a negative effect.
I have found a page you may want to look at if you require more detailed information on nutrient loss in vegetables:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=34
Hope it helps.
George
help please says:
May 12th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
hi, i’ve been reading a lot of your suggestions and i think i’m definitely going to try eating these foods and taking vitamin a. i do not have terrible acne, i did for a period about 6 months ago, it lasted a few months, finally cleared up, and it has come back moderately bad. i am just healing from a break out now, nothing new is developing, i just have many red marks, specifically in the area above/between my eyebrows. i was wondering if vitamin a and these foods can help keep my acne away because it seems i have tried everything, yet i don’t want to resort to anything like accutane (i also have prom in a month and a half, and right now i feel quite ugly..) i found that when my acne had gone away, i felt much more confident and as a result, happier. i think it may sound self-absorbed, but these past few days i can only focus on the red spots and my self confidence has completely plummeted.
George Cleanthous says:
May 13th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Hi Reader,
I completely understand what you mean. It’s difficult not to focus on acne when it is on your own skin, but remember that other people never see it as badly as you see it yourself.
In terms of vitamin A, I use it myself to balance with the anti-inflammatory medication (which increases the severity of acne) and the vitamin A does a great job of keeping the acne away, and it’s definitely much safer than using Accutane.
Now the thing is that the recommended dosage is usually not enough to make a huge difference unless you only have very light acne. In my experience, you will probably need around 10,000 - 15,000IU to see quick and effective results. Depending on your height and weight, even 20,000IU is OK but only take these quantities for a short period (e.g. 1-2 months) as extended use at this level, while still not nearly as severe as Accutane, is still considered to be slightly dangerous. I recommend using this possibly for 2-3 weeks until your acne goes down a bit and then sticking to 10,000IU for maintenance until your prom. After that, see how you go on the recommended 5,000IU and the healthy foods.
If you keep to a green diet like you mentioned, I believe this should be enough. Remember not to cut out other foods altogether because you do need a balanced diet to be healthy but, in particular, don’t eat any chocolates, sweets or cakes in the few weeks before your prom because it will usually lead to a break out a day or so later, which can take a while to heal.
Give this a try for now and see how you go to start with. Let me know if you have any issues and I’ll see what I can do to help you out.
George
(author)
help please says:
May 13th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
thank you for the help so far,
the only thing that is bothering me is the fear that i’ll get another break out, but this has subsided with the hopes of taking vitamin a, and the scabs that i have. i know you’re not supposed to pick, so i have no even tied a bandana around my forehead to keep my hands off, but it is the scabs that i am self conscious of, for i do not have any new pimples and scabs are so difficult to conceal. as of now, i’m using gel from the aloe vera plant, and i find this helps to heal them more quickly, but it still looks horrible in the mean time. if i continue with the aloe and keep my hands off, do you know how quickly they can be mostly healed? and is there anyway i can make them heal faster?
i am three days away from my summer vacation and i find that i’m not even very happy because i am completely preoccupied with what is on my face..
George Cleanthous says:
May 14th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Scabs are an annoying part of acne. The thing is that if you do pick them they will come back worse and larger than before. This sucks I know and it means that there isn’t much that you can do about them.
What you can do, though, is use something that dries the skin. What this does is prevent any additional oil and bacteria from making the scab or pimple worse and it dries the “scab” so that it will come off naturally without you having to pick it.
Generally, the time when it’s ok for the scab to come off is usually when it comes off without effort, resistance, or pain. If there is even the slightest discomfort or difficulty of removing the scab then it is not ready to come off.
Now there are a few options that can do this and you will need to find something you are comfortable with. You may want to use salt (himalayan crystal salt is the best but any bar form should do) or you might be willing to use a benzoyl peroxide repairing lotion, like the small bottle from proactiv.
Either way, drying the skin is usually the best way to have the scab fall off naturally. Once it comes off, switch to a healing lotion (like the aloe you already use) and it should be ok.
Scabs in general, depending on severity, will take 2-3 days to heal and come off. I would make sure that you wait this long before doing anything otherwise you will probably have to deal with it for another week, with the pimple coming back and then another scab. So just keep restraining yourself for the time being and I think in a few days you will see them come off.
There will still be some red marks but these will fade with time and are far less visible and far less irritating.
help please says:
May 15th, 2008 at 3:14 am
hi again, this will probably be my last post:
two days ago i was literally ashamed to go out in public because of my face. as soon as i stumbled upon this site i immediately started the 3-day vegetable cleanse and started taking vitamin a along with a few other vitamins to regenerate my skin. just like you said, it’s day three and i see dramatic results in my skin. just about all my scabs came off today and i have maybe only two left that will go away tomorrow or the next day. i have been feeling so desperate lately and i did not know the solution could be this simple. thank you so much, my morale and confidence has now started to improve again along with my skin improvements.