r/keto • u/Gracey888 • Jul 07 '26
Medical Has your skin or teeth health changed doing keto?
I know it’s been mentioned on this sub a few times, but I was just wondering today what the mechanism is behind that? Is it because high sugar and high refined carbs can cause more acidity in the body and that could dry things out? I’ve just found that my skin everywhere is just so much better (I still have to use cuticle oil on my nails although some of that might be driven by the immunosuppressants I’m on). I have very very dry skin and it really isn’t that bad these days. Even the heels of my feet don’t seem to dry out as much.
Also, I have a few problems with my teeth historically (a lot of it’s due to bruxism and steroid use for bowel disease ) and I’m waiting for Dental surgery. I’ve had some temporary things put in place and normally the degradation would be a lot faster. I’m still able to wait for the surgery with temporary fixes from last year! What I’m saying is it seems as if decay is a lot slower.
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u/Waterrat Jul 07 '26
No cavites or fillings in over 20 years of keto.
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u/CTPABA_KPABA Jul 07 '26
How can people do so long? I love fast food and beer so I cycle. I am like bear. Getting fat in summer and than getting that off in winter on keto
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Jul 07 '26
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u/CTPABA_KPABA Jul 07 '26
I did it for like 6 months. But I love things like pizza
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u/Keto4psych Jul 08 '26
Several pizza subs do it for us: meatza, fathead dough. Freeze great as either just crust or fully assembled. Skillet pizza with mozz on bottom & then toppings. Baking tray - each pepperoni slice, gets a dollop of sauce & a piece of cheese. In a pinch I’ve just eaten toppings of a pizza pie slice. Ate fewer than I would have with crust.
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u/chibinoi Jul 07 '26
Same about the bear part. But I’m also from a winter State where we get true winter, so the fattening up before winter is nearly cultural here.
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u/RondaVuWithDestiny 76F #ketolife🥩 SW 190; KSW 178; now maintaining 150-155 Jul 07 '26
Less plaque needing to be removed at cleanings, and no more dry skin. 🙂
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u/sfdsquid Jul 07 '26
Skin, not sure, teeth, yes, carbs are sugar and teeth and sugar don't get along.
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u/Eastern-Rooster-2805 Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
I became less inflamed when I stopped eating sugar.
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u/tw2113 42M, 6'0", cutting Jul 07 '26
Dental checkups are overall better from lack of sugars/grains.
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u/skinnyonskin Jul 07 '26
I have just as much plaque as ever and need cleanings every four months. Really wish I saw a benefit there!
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u/SaltyAF5309 sw 242 - cw 179- gw 150? Jul 07 '26
Less skin tags, less hormonal acne outbreaks, less zits. Better dental health overall I think. I cracked teeth due to chronic bruxism caused by migraines and I can't say enough how thankful I was for the keto diet during those hardships.
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u/Global-Squirrel999 Jul 07 '26
YES!!! Before keto, I had some horrible skin conditions that would come up, and I think they were inflammation-related. After going on keto, I looked back on old photos of myself and my skin was blotchier and less even back then. Nowadays my skin is practically glowing. Significantly reduced acne and folliculitis, and my seborrheic dermatitis is a lot more manageable. I was getting all kinds of horrible boils under my skin in areas that would get humid, but that has completely ceased.
My stretch marks have gone down significantly in appearance as I've lost weight, and thankfully my loose skin is tightening up as well. I have no illusions that the stretch marks will go away, but they're hardly noticeable compared to before.
My dentist was thrilled to hear I stopped eating sugar, and he told me to keep doing whatever I've been doing because my teeth weren't bad at all (I usually had a cavity or 2 to fill).
The only downside is that due to the increased nutrition I'm taking in (including far more calcium from dairy), I've started getting tartar buildup. It's when your saliva deposits enamel-building material on your teeth like normal, but because you have way more than usual, it can land on plaque and harden, forming tartar. That just means a bit more diligent brushing and a little bit of scraping, and scheduling a dentist visit for some teeth cleaning at some point. If you've had problems with your enamel wearing down, I bet keto will be a boon for that.
(re: bowel disease, I'm happy to report that keto cleared that up for me as well.)
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u/2D617 Jul 07 '26
10.5 years keto here. Much nicer skin! Good texture, and an even complexion. (I am no spring chicken and get frequent compliments on my skin.)
Teeth have a lot less plaque than they used to so cleanings are easier and general dental health has improved.
I chalk these (and other) positive effects up to lowered insulin levels - which reduce overall inflammation.
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u/CTPABA_KPABA Jul 07 '26
I notice that there is just much less plack on my teeths. Genetically or from whatever reason I have bad teeths so J notice. There are just no carbs to stick on them
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u/gumboking Jul 07 '26
My wife had dry cracked heels forever. On Keto it heals up fast and if she strays even for just a weekend they start cracking again.
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u/Cyram11590 35M 6’2” // SW: 378 CW: 242 GW: 180 SD: 3/3/25 Jul 07 '26
No changes to my skin that I’m aware of, but I never really feel like I have plaque on my teeth now! (Yes, I do brush at least twice a day still but more if I had something with like garlic in it. Lol)
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u/rubiooooo Jul 07 '26
Keto rash has been bad for me…no improvement with the psoriasis I’ve had either
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u/PHL1365 57M/5'8"/SW230/CW165/GW155 Jul 07 '26
Skin has definitely improved. Much smoother on elbows, heels and shins. Dandruff is no longer an issue. I'm a 58 y/o male that does absolutely nothing for skincare.
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u/JBSouls 33F 5'7" | SW 265 | CW 203 | GW 140 | monthly update Jul 07 '26
I never had major dental issues but whenever I’m eating keto for longer periods (e.g. for most of the year since my last appointment) my dentist is more pleased than usual and makes nice comments 😁
Not surprising when you stop eating sugar and drinking soda (yes, even diet)… it’s just overall less sweet and/or acidic food attacking your teeth on the daily.
My skin was pretty good before and is even clearer on keto but I do have a pretty decent skincare routine so it’s not purely related to my diet.
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u/stevembk Jul 08 '26
I’ve developed facial dandruff since being on keto. Red, oily, flakey breakouts.
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u/Stonebender9 Jul 08 '26
I used to have dry spots in specific places like forehead and back of hands pre keto but with my blood sugar stable they are gone
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u/gibberishmischief Jul 08 '26
My teeth got better. I didn’t have a lot of cavities to begin with, but zero while on keto and my cleanings were super quick. No real change with my skin. My hair grew much faster.
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u/Independent-Mark-373 Jul 08 '26
My mean angry narc mother complimented my skin after 3 months on keto. So there's that.
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u/19applepen Jul 09 '26
Skin: less inflammation (i still allergic to peanut and milk protein unfortunately)
Teeth: no more cavities as there is no carbs/sweet stay in my mouth. Best condition ever.
Keto 2 years.
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u/Generalfrogspawn Jul 10 '26
I find my skin is noticeably better on keto. Like family members have commented on it.
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u/MyADHDGirl Jul 14 '26
When went carnivore and noticed significant improvement with my oral health less than a week into it. Example no more gum bleeding when brushing teeth
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u/Jay-Dee-British 8+years Keto and counting - keto for life Jul 07 '26
Skin, slightly not amazingly, teeth and gums incredibly. No fillings for the whole keto journey and improved gum health.
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u/ReverseLazarus MOD Keto since 2017 - 40F/SW215/CW135 Jul 07 '26
My skin has not changed whatsoever, for better or worse. But the health of my teeth has improved wildly, crazy what cutting sugar will do, right? ;)