A pair of identical twin sisters who suffered severe acne in their 20s have revealed how tweaking their diet helped clear their skin dramatically.
YouTube stars Nina and Randa Nelson, who live in Los Angeles, were both lucky enough to enjoy their high school almost completely free from breakouts.
But at the age of 20, the sisters struggled with their insecurities after their skin started to flare up with severe, cystic acne.
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The young pair tried everything imaginable, including antibiotics, cleansers, and topical medications, to clear up their complexion – but nothing seemed to work.
Astonishingly, the now-24-year-old sisters managed to rid themselves of the painful blemishes in just six months after a drastic diet overhaul.
Twin sisters Nina and Randa Nelson who suffered severe acne in their 20s have revealed how tweaking their diet helped clear their skin dramatically
At the age of 20, the twin sisters noticed their skin started to flare up with severe, cystic acne
Despite being vegans, the Nelson sisters were eating foods containing ‘healthy fats’ such as dairy-free peanut butter, avocados and soy milk.
But after reading specialist Dr. John McDougall’s warnings about how fats of any kind could trigger acne, the girls realised they needed to cut fats and oils from their diet.
The twins revealed how their skin has remained clear for four years since they followed a low-fat, vegan diet.
‘For us, the food we were eating was showing up on their face,’ Nina told News Corp.
‘The things we don’t eat include all animal products, dairy, fish, or chicken, and we don’t have any oils, nuts, peanut butter or avocado.
‘We now eat a lot of potatoes, beans, rice, pasta, bread, oats, fruit, and smoothies. You don’t even realize how simple and easy, it’s typically eating in a way that doesn’t have fat or oils included.’
The sisters managed to banish the blemishes in just six months after a drastic diet overhaul
The twins revealed how their skin has remained clear for four years since they followed a low-fat, vegan diet
The pair have now shared their secrets of how the diet got rid of the painful acne in a new book titled ‘The Clear Skin Diet’
The young sisters, who are both actresses and singers, were particularly dismayed by the acne as it caused them to lose confidence when it came to performing.
And after following the diet, they claim their skin started to clear up within days.
The pair have now shared their secrets of how the diet got rid of the painful acne in a new book titled ‘The Clear Skin Diet’.
‘It’s crazy that over three years ago, having cystic acne was such a low point in my self-esteem, and I literally was so embarrassed that I did not leave my house,’ Randa said on Instagram.
‘Acne was physically and psychologically painful. But what I didn’t realize was something that was so awful at the time ended up being an amazing thing later.
‘My point is, “every cloud has a silver lining”. I can relate to other people who suffer from acne.
‘Nina and I can share our story and help people cure their acne too.’
Astonishingly, the now-24-year-old sisters managed to rid themselves of the painful blemishes in just six months after a drastic diet overhaul
The young sisters, who are both actresses and singers, were particularly dismayed by the acne as it caused them to lose confidence when it came to performing
The inspiring story of the Nelson twins comes after Dr Douglas Grose, President of the Cosmetic Physicians College of Australasia (CPCA) recently revealed the foods you should avoid to beat breakouts.
He said it’s important to consider diet and lifestyle when treating acne.
‘For just about as long as I have been a medical practitioner, which is about 48 years, the medical profession has denied the importance of diet when it comes to treating acne,’ he said.
‘In recent years, however, the evidence is mounting showing an association between the two.
‘Research is demonstrating that acne is a disease among Western society and is noticeably absent in those that consume Palaeolithic diets that don’t consist of refined sugars, grains, milk and dairy products.’
Dr Grose said when it comes to acne, carbohydrates can be the enemy.
Any food that typically comes from grains such as bread, pasta, cereals, biscuits and cake as well as animal-based milk products should be avoided for acne-prone skin, according to Dr Grose.
Most people consider acne a teenage problem, but the truth is that this common skin condition can continue well into your 20s, 30s and even 40s (stock image)
‘High carbohydrates stimulate the production of a hormone called insulin growth factor 1, and also cause problems with testosterone levels in the bloodstream,’ he said.
‘The combination of the two stimulates the oil glands and also tends to make the skin thicken up causing blockage and hence, acne.’
While Dr Grose said that the first step in reducing acne is limiting carbohydrates and animal-based milk products (or having none at all), there are also treatments that can assist, including LED light phototherapy, Intense Pulse Light (IPL), laser, microdermabrasion, AHA/BHA masks and chemical peels.
He also said topical products containing Benzoyl peroxide can help, as can minimize the use of heavy makeup.
‘These topical formulations are very good to put on the skin in the morning or at night as the aim is to unclog the pores. I say to patients, once your pores are draining, you’re never going to get acne,’ he said.
‘As long as the oils are being eliminated from the skin, you will be acne-free.’
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