The Acne Prescription: The Perricone Program for Clear and Healthy Skin at Every Age

Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food. ~HippocratesDr. Nicholas Perricone is a pioneer in reversing skin damage and has finally solved one of the mysteries of my life. When I lived with my grandmother, she cooked salmon on a weekly basis and we always ate tuna fish sandwiches on a regular basis. Then, I got married and my husband insisted that I stop cooking fish because he disliked it. That was when my skin changed. For years, I've wondered about the effects of diet on our skin and The Acne Prescription reveals the need for advanced care and a healthy dose of antioxidants and Omega 3 supplements. He explains how skin disorders are caused by a systemic inflammatory disease and explains the details of sebaceous glands and how corneum cells block pores. I learned about oxidative stress, foods to avoid, foods to get into my diet fast and why I should look for creams containing DMAE.After reading this book, I went to the grocery store and found some Wild Alaskan Salmon which was on sale for 97 cents a pound. I baked the entire fish and tried to follow the three day diet in which you eat mostly salmon. The diet in this book is filled with tasty choices from the sea. If you enjoy scallops, salmon, crab, tuna and shrimp, you will love this diet. I also purchased the pomegranate juice as recommended and you can normally find it in the produce section of your local grocery store.Other moments of enlightenment occurred while reading about how chocolate can cause your skin to break out, but it is more the sugar than the actual cocoa butter. So, I did not notice any changes in my skin after eating a Hershey's Low Carb bar and then this book even made more sense. It is the sugar, not the cocoa. Another great product he recommends is Pycnogenol which can be rather expensive, but seems to work very well.Overall, this book emphasizes the need for antioxidants, essential fatty acids and a healthy lifestyle. Avoiding stress is essential and a series of yoga postures are recommended.At least a third of this book is filled with tasty skin-clearing recipes like:Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon, Seared Tomatoes, Asparagus and Lemon Olive Oil HollandaiseSpiced Diver Scallops with Ecuadorian Tabouleh and Lemon Myrtle OilPomegranate Citrus-Glazed Apricot and Garlic Roasted Chicken with Apple-Spinach Stuffing and Garden VegetablesSo, this all sounds very gourmet, but the ingredients are relatively easy to find and the directions are uncomplicated. The recipes were all created by executive chef Bernard Guillas.The glossary is excellent and if you read one book on how to care for your skin from the inside out, this should be it.This book is more about lifestyle change than a quick solution. I have only read one other book that is on this level and that is The Metabolic Plan. With those two books in hand, you will have a wealth of information and also understand why lifestyle changes will improve your health. Nicholas Perricone, M.D. has included so many solutions to the problem of Acne that I can only say I'll be reading this book over and over again. Even if you just suffer from occasional breakouts this book will give you the information you need to encourage a clear, glowing complexion. Many of the ideas in this book will also help you live a more healthy life. I definitely want to read all of Dr. Perricone's books. He really is an expert on antiaging and skincare.~The Rebecca Review

To be fair I get max 1-2 zits per week. So I do not have severe acne. But I get leftover hyperpigmentation that can stay for months which means my skin is never spot free. Except now Ive gone a few weeks without a single zit. Anyway, diet is easy to follow. You don’t have to be perfect. Just avoid high blood sugar swings and carb heavy meals. I eat plenty of protein and fresh fruits and vegetables. I don’t routinely eat breads, potatoes cookies or crackers, or candy anymore. I also have flax seed oil and eat salmon every. At the movies, I had meatballs instead of loaded fries. Diet is not restrictive like keto or others. Really doable if you understand the science and what you’re doing. So get the book.

I have struggled with adult onset cystic acne for years and tried oral antibiotics, Pro Active, Dermalogica, Murad, weekly facials, pretty much everything for Acne and found they would work for a few months and then the acne would return.I found this book at Costco and tried the three day diet. Anytime I have a big event coming up, I start the three day diet. It works like a charm. If you have acne and have tried everything, give this book a try and follow the three day diet EXACTLY. It works as well as you follow it.Thank you Dr. Perricone, I recommend this book to anyone who suffers from cystic acne.

Item is "as described." Thank you!

Excellent information on diet and possible supplements. Well written and easy to understand, it provides a good road map for improving health and skin.

Thanks. The book was in a good condition.

I suffered from cystic acne for some five years. It was weird because I didn't have terrible skin as a teenager but I suddenly got acne as an adult. Over 5 years, I went to 4 different dermatologists and tried an Ayurvedic doctor. Medicines taken at different points were - Minocycline, Tetracycline, Spironolactone and some horrible corticosteroids. The Ayurvedic doctor gave me a tonic that tasted so vile I literally vomited every morning after taking it.NOTHING WORKED. The prescriptions would work for a while but my skin would get used to them and the Drs would keep upping the dosage until they couldn't anymore. Then I'd be weaned off the medicines and boom my acne would return worse than ever. I also gained weight due to the medicines and I am sure all these drugs have terrible long-term side effects. I know someone for whom Spironolactone worked great which is fine but she got pregnant and had to stop using it. Well guess what? Her skin looks terrible again :-(I had just given up hope when I spotted Dr Perricone's book in my library's 'New Books' section. I did the diet diligently and three long, hard weeks later, my skin was PERFECT. It's been about 5 years since that time and while I don't do the diet anymore, I still follow his basic guidelines and my complexion is beautiful :) You would be shocked if you saw my Before/After pictures. I wish I could add photos here.If you have bad acne, do yourself a favor and follow the diet. It was harder for me because I am vegan and therefore will not eat meat, eggs or fish. I also didn't purchase any of his products (vitamins etc) that he recommends.A sample meal plan for me was:Breakfast- 2 cups black tea + 1 small bowl oatmeal with cinnamon and berries on top.Lunch- 2 Rotis (Indian bread) made of oat flour + stir-fried broccoli + a bowl of lentils + 1 women's multivitaminDinner- Big bowl of kidney bean soup + 1 pear + 1 calcium tabletI sprinkled flax seed powder on every meal.Lots of water throughout the day.If I went to a restaurant like say an Indian restaurant, I would order just chhole (garbanzo bean curry) and a stirfried veg. No naan, no other breads, no rice. It was hard seeing other people eat those yummy things but you have to tune them out :)2 cuisines that are great for anyone doing this diet are Indian and Ethiopian. Both feature tons of low-glycemic vegetables and Ethiopian injera bread is very good for you. I assume if you eat fish you could eat at Japanese places too. Do NOT set foot into an American or Italian establishment, you will find nothing worthwhile on the menu.I have to say, I constantly craved food while on the diet and in the beginning I felt tired and had trouble concentrating (lack of sugar and also weaning oneself off breads etc). But it was a 3 week diet so I slogged through it and my discipline paid off. By Day 4 I could see a reduction of the cysts and my skin was less irritated and/or itchy. I would highly recommend that before doing the diet, start writing weekly meal plans so you know exactly what to get from the grocery store and what you're going to cook. Also inform your significant other/best friend so they help you stay on the wagon.I also kept a food diary and discovered my biggest trigger for acne was BANANAS! I still cringe when I see a banana in the grocery store... although I do eat all citrus fruit as well as mango and watermelon (none of which are allowed while ON the diet)This diet has no cons whatsoever, and it really works. It is completely natural and free of cost. You don't even have to buy the book, get it for free from the library. The food you prepare yourself. If you're not vegan like me, it's a piece of cake because you have far less dietary restrictions.All those years that I wasted going to all those nincompoop dermats and the amount of money I spent on co-pays and prescriptions!!! Plus who knows how much I screwed up my body with all those prescriptions! If you have bad acne, please get this book. Give it a shot! :)

This is a copy of his recent book retitled and packaged. Good information and guidance but dont buy this old book as well as his new book

The diets are hard to follow and costly to keep up.You eat a lot of salmon for 3 days> I followed this did not see any difference in my Acne.You are required to take supplements. If you take all your belly will rattle.

El libro cumple con las espectativas y el estado de conservación es muy bueno. Se explica de forma clara posibles causas del acné, aportando un enfoque distinto a su tratamiento.