Diet does play an important role in acne.
Food with a high glycemic index, such as processed and refined foods, including white bread, sweetened baked goods, candies, instant oats, boxed cereals, and animal milk, as well as a high glycemic load, worsens acne. Low-fat milk and skim milk are said to aggravate acne more than whole milk. Skim milk shows higher spikes of Insulin than whole milk and also has higher levels of casein protein that contains a protease that prevents IGF-1 degradation, thereby increasing its absorption and triggering acne. Alcohol consumption can also lead to the worsening of acne. A paleolithic diet and food rich in fish, vegetables, fruits, zinc, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids are encouraged.

Bodybuilders and young gym enthusiasts tend to take high-protein foods, protein supplements, growth hormones, and anabolic steroids to build up their muscles. Whey (“fast protein”) is digested quickly in two hours. It increases the insulin surge, which causes stimulation of sebaceous glands leading to acne. Bodybuilder acne presents itself as a severe form of acne with large, deep, solid, painful lumps or cysts under the skin.

Yes, acne is more common in teenagers, but it can also be seen in the first year of life, mid-childhood between one to seven years of age, adulthood, and late adulthood.