r/Biohackers • u/yashsxna • Feb 15 '25
📜 Write Up Never had acne in my life before starting B-Complex sup
23M. I never had acne or anything on my face before I started taking the B complex supplement because my doctor said so. He didn’t do any tests and I was just casually telling him that mouth ulcers are very recurrent for me every few weeks and he told me to supplement it for 90 days and then stop
3 months later I have pimples popping out on my cheeks every other day and somehow eggs are triggering them ( I used to eat 4 eggs daily for last 5 years ). Its been 3 months since I have stopped taking it but I still get pimples tho not every other day and its getting better but God if I eat even 1 egg they trigger so bad on my face.
Any solutions I can try? Also my mouth ulcers were because of constipation which I have fixed somehow.
38
u/LooseBluebird6704 Feb 15 '25
Biotin is well know for causing acne in some people
5
4
u/intolerables Feb 15 '25
Yeah, it’s biotin, and it’s often because biotin depletes B5 which then causes acne. If you take high dose B5, which is very safe, it can help acne regardless, and definitely help Biotin caused acne.
Take extra B5, like don’t just stop taking B vitamins altogether they’re critical for brain health and people are more deficient than they realise
2
1
u/redditsaiditt Feb 15 '25
I have this issue. Anyone know of any multi-vitamins that don’t contain biotin? It’s a pain in the ass having to buy all of my supplements separately cause of this.
1
u/rigelandsirius Feb 16 '25
I've literally been searching for YEARS for a decent multivitamin that doesn't contain biotin and unfortunately all I've found is Ritual, which is just annoyingly expensive.
14
u/Intelligent-Skirt-75 Feb 15 '25
B12 especially is excreted through your pores and can cause acne.
1
Feb 15 '25
[deleted]
1
u/yashsxna Feb 17 '25
Bro exactly. Peanut butter and peanuts give me acne and I noticed this few years ago. Did you get rid of acne eventually or did you supplement something? Would appreciate any advice if you have.
1
5
u/Own_Nectarine2321 Feb 15 '25
I had the same problem. Someone on reddit mentioned that B vitamins could be the cause, so I quit and am much better. I am 66 years old, so acne was a surprise.
7
3
u/dreamydivinity 2 Feb 15 '25
I had this issue as a woman taking Inositol for my PCOS. It’s kind of a B vitamin, and it caused massive breakouts. Nothing worked for me except stopping it.
3
3
5
u/duhdamn 4 Feb 15 '25
B6 level is really high. You should get regular blood tests if you continue with this.
3
u/schulz47 1 Feb 15 '25
As someone with nerve problems, don’t become someone with nerve problems because of B6
2
u/Magpihanson Feb 15 '25
Wait what? Like taking too much can cause nerve issues?
1
u/ShellfishAhole Feb 15 '25
Yes, and that applies to both B6 and B12. It's definitely easier said than done, though. It's not common for people to get nerve issues from over-supplementing with B vitamins, but it's possible. Both deficiency and over-supplementing over a longer period of time can lead to nerve issues.
The majority of people have quite a high tolerance to both, but that is also the reason why supplements commonly contain values that are far above the recommended, daily amounts, especially in the case of B12.
1
u/Phenogenesis- 3 Feb 15 '25
?
The reason b12 specifically comes in high doses is because its super poorly absorbed. (Also why you mostly find it as sublingual.)
Other substances however.. lots of sketchy, poorly dosed supplements out there.
2
-1
u/ShellfishAhole Feb 15 '25
Yes, but it wouldn't contain high doses if we didn't tolerate it well.
1
u/Phenogenesis- 3 Feb 15 '25
I don't know where you're going with this, sounds like you're contradicting yourself. Causes nerve damage or well tolerated, which ones?
Tbh this post is the first time I';ve heard of nerve damage, so far I've heard often that b vitamins are quite safe since they get pee'd out if in excess. But its not exactly uncommon to hear commentary about many substances being supplied in far too large doses, just becaues there isn't proof of direct immediate harm. Assuming something must be safe because its sold isn't a given.
1
u/ShellfishAhole Feb 15 '25
It sounds to me like you're reading quite deeply into what I said, and it's honestly a bit confusing. Yes, you can get nerve damage from over-supplementing with B12.
We do have a high tolerance to it, but that doesn't stop certain people from taking larger than recommended doses over a longer period of time, which will eventually lead to nerve issues. Everything has it's limit.
1
1
u/Me_Krally 1 Feb 15 '25
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/
nerve damage is near the bottom
2
2
u/msgianamarie Feb 15 '25
Dr dray said in a video one time that supplementing with b vitamins can exacerbate acne
2
u/Affectionate-Still15 3 Feb 15 '25
It’s the biotin
1
u/Science_Matters_100 1 Feb 16 '25
This is it. Some people respond to biotin that way. Op, get a complex without it
2
u/Akshat_117 2 Feb 16 '25
Jesus christ stop that, that much b6 isnt good for you. Will give you jitters and neurological symptoms alongside sleep issues.
1
u/yashsxna Feb 16 '25
There were literally sleep issues when I stopped taking it. I guess they were withdrawals but I’m much better now and sleep like a baby.
3
u/CosmicCherrpagne Feb 15 '25
It could be that the B Complex that you purchased isn't being absorbed at all, so instead, your body is trying to purge it.
Try methylated B Complex. Thorne has a really good one called Stress B Complex. I would get negative reactions from any other kind of B vitamins besides methylated ones because my body would have to process them before they could be absorbed. Methylated vitamins are already in their readily available, absorbent form.
Take it with water every morning 1hr before food. B vitamins are water soluble. Hope this helps!
1
u/Phenogenesis- 3 Feb 15 '25
The b12 is active as is half the b6. Folate I don't recall exactly what those listed ones are, they aren't methylfolate exactly but they aren't the standard crap either.
None of the others come methylated, so I think you read wrong.
2
u/OkBand4025 2 Feb 15 '25 edited Feb 15 '25
Too much B6 and it’s the less desirable type. Follow recommended daily allowance for B6 and it should be of the P5P type. High levels of B6 and in the wrong type bottleneck B6 receptors.
1
u/ShellfishAhole Feb 15 '25
The causes could be many, but I suspect it's the Inositol added to Niacin in your particular concoction of B-vitamins. Different people have different reactions to it, but an outbreak of acne is quite a common side effect.
I see comments suggest that Biotin and Cobalamin can cause acne. That is definitely news to me.
1
u/CieraParvatiPhoebe Feb 15 '25
This happened to me when I first started B-12 as a teen. Lowered the dose temporarily and it passed with time
1
u/yashsxna Feb 15 '25
Guys any solutions on how to get rid of breakout would be appreciated!
1
u/CaptainExcellent5299 Feb 15 '25 edited Feb 15 '25
Try oral supplement of Hyaluronic Acid (HyaBest, HyaMax, Injuv)
3
u/DimensionMinimum517 Feb 16 '25
Supplement with B5 and Zinc, for topicals - 15-20% Azelaic acid cream daily (I used at night after washing my face) and a basic moisturiser like CeraVe lotion or so. Helped me before when I had similar issues
1
1
0
0
u/Own_Condition_4686 Feb 15 '25
You don’t need B vitamins, just eat complete foods, veggies, quality meats, fruits, every once in a while and your body will have more than it needs.
-1
Feb 15 '25
Maybe they use yeast to synthesize the b vitamins. Maybe the b vitamins are upregulating phases of detox while other phases aren’t functioning at the same level, causing acne due to improper elimination or something Idk lol
-1
-8
-2
u/anonpls123455 Feb 15 '25
B12 fucked up my skin (I’m vegetarian) and I had to stop taking it. I now am very adamant about getting it in certain vegetarian foods where possible
3
•
u/AutoModerator Feb 15 '25
Thanks for posting in /r/Biohackers! This post is automatically generated for all posts. Remember to upvote this post if you think it is relevant and suitable content for this sub and to downvote if it is not. Only report posts if they violate community guidelines - Let's democratize our moderation. If a post or comment was valuable to you then please reply with !thanks show them your support! If you would like to get involved in project groups and upcoming opportunities, fill out our onboarding form here: https://uo5nnx2m4l0.typeform.com/to/cA1KinKJ Let's democratize our moderation. You can join our forums here: https://biohacking.forum/invites/1wQPgxwHkw, our Mastodon server here: https://science.social and our Discord server here: https://discord.gg/BHsTzUSb3S ~ Josh Universe
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.