Can Acne Vitamins Help Manage Hidradenitis Suppurativa?

• By InnateSkin
• October 2, 2020
• Articles

Living with hidradenitis suppurativa, a chronic skin condition, can be difficult. This condition causes painful, boil-like bumps to form in areas where your skin rubs together. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a clear cause or cure. That said, early detection and treatment can help.

However, even with proper treatment, flair-ups can occur. Fortunately, there may be adjunctive, natural therapies that can help provide additional relief along with your regular treatments.

Some researchers and individuals living with hidradenitis suppurativa also are exploring whether alternative treatments used for acne may help relieve symptoms. While hidradenitis suppurativa and acne are not the same, each condition does involve inflammation and center on hair follicles. The hope is that some natural treatments that help with acne, especially regarding inflammation, may help those with hidradenitis suppurativa.

 

Can Natural Treatments Like Dietary Changes and Acne Vitamins Help Manage Hidradenitis Suppurativa?

While research on adjunctive treatments is limited, some approaches show promise. Here are six possible natural methods that may help you manage your hidradenitis suppurativa when used together with doctor-prescribed treatments. Before trying any natural approach, you should talk to your doctor to find the best combination for you.

 

1. Anti-inflammatory Diet

What we eat impacts our bodies and skin. Many individuals with hidradenitis suppurativa find switching to a diet low in inflammatory foods can help reduce the frequency and severity of breakouts. This approach focuses on identifying what foods may be contributing to an inflammatory response by your body.

A hidradenitis suppurativa elimination diet helps you learn what foods may not agree with your body, typically over a two month evaluation period. Some foods commonly eliminated during this time include eggs, sugar, dairy, nightshades, yeast, legumes, and gluten.

 

2. Zinc

Zinc may have anti-inflammatory properties that may be helpful for individuals with hidradenitis suppurativa. A review of three studies specifically focused on zinc’s potential role in the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa shows promise. Taking an oral zinc supplement may help reduce the number of inflammatory nodules and decrease the severity of symptoms. However, more research is needed.

 

3. Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency is often found in inflammatory conditions, including hidradenitis suppurativa. While some researchers suggest that low vitamin D may be the result of chronic inflammation and not the cause, having the proper amount of vitamin D is essential for good health and may also help improve symptoms of hidradenitis suppurativa.

 

4. Vitamin C

Vitamin C, like vitamin D, also may have anti-inflammatory properties that can help individuals with hidradenitis suppurativa. Additionally, vitamin C may help with wound healing.

 

5. Tumeric

Tumeric has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antibacterial properties. It also has shown promise in other conditions involving inflammatory processes.

Tumeric is non-toxic and can be taken as a supplement. It may help reduce inflammation and prevent infections, which can be helpful for those with hidradenitis suppurativa when bumps rupture.

 

6. Vitamin A

Vitamin A is essential in maintaining a healthy immune system and may help prevent hair follicles from becoming blocked. Research on any potential role vitamin A may have in hidradenitis suppurativa is limited. However, maintaining healthy amounts of this vitamin is known to be helpful to overall health and protect against infections.

 

Vitamin Supplements and Dietary Changes May Help with Managing Hidradenitis Suppurativa Symptoms

While there is no cure at this time for hidradenitis suppurativa, getting diagnosed and starting treatment early can help.

Hidradenitis suppurativa is not the same as acne. That said, since both conditions involve an inflammatory process, some individuals with this condition are finding some additional symptom relief when using acne vitamin supplements. Many acne vitamin supplements focus on vitamins that help minimize inflammation and promote healing, which may be useful for those with hidradenitis suppurativa as well. You should do your own research before starting any adjunctive therapies, including supplements. Be aware that Doctors and Dermatologists do not have any good answers on treating hidradenitis suppurativa so at some point you need to find your own answers by doing your own research and testing to see how your body reacts to different things.

Innate Skin’s Clear Skin Vitamin Supplement targets the vitamins and minerals that may help reduce inflammation and promote healing in hidradenitis suppurativa.

Here are a few comments we have received from people with HS using the Clear Skin Vitamin Pack to manage it:

“I noticed that the frequency of the flares had decreased and the time I had the flares had also decreased. By month three, this big flare that I had on my right armpit had decreased in size and now I don’t have to bandage it because it’s no longer draining (it’s always been open and draining for 2 years).”

“2 months after starting your vitamins (I buy them from amazon.com) I stopped getting new outbreaks all together, where before I always seemed to have several going at one time. The infection of the current outbreaks I had started going away and the swelling went down and away, no more draining!  Now I just have some scars there but the pain is gone which is a miracle.”

This Clear Skin Vitamin Pack is not a cure or approved by the FDA to treat hidradenitis suppurativa, but it may very well help you.

Please contact us at InnateSkin.com if you have questions about our product or read our reviews by individuals living with hidradenitis suppurativa who use our products. While it may not be the answer for you, it has helped many people suffering from HS.