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If you’re dealing with painful, skin boils or lumps under your skin indicative of Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS), I’ll bet you’ve wondered if a Hidradenitis Suppurativa diet could help.
I get it — HS skin boils can disrupt your life in ways few people understand. The pain, the unpredictability, the frustration of not getting real help—it’s enough to make anyone feel helpless and desperate for answers.
While I’m not the biggest fan of elimination diets, the diet for HS is worth considering.
Diet alone may not send every case of Hidradenitis Suppurativa skin boils into remission, but many people see improvements—sometimes major ones.
The research on diet for HS, while growing, often lacks clarity, specificity and scale to be taken more seriously. And unfortunately online communities are filled with conflicting advice.
I know this firsthand—not just from my clinical experience, but because I’ve lived it. I battled painful HS skin boils in my armpits that made it difficult to move, let alone exercise or feel like myself. And while medications like antibiotics helped temporarily, they didn’t get to the root of the issue. My healing journey wasn’t perfect, but it taught me a lot about what does and doesn’t work.
If you’re wondering where to start testing out a Hidradenitis Suppurativa diet—or if it’s even worth trying one—this episode is for you!
Or, listen on your favorite app: iTunes (Apple Podcasts) | Spotify | Stitcher | TuneIn | Subscribe on Android
In This Episode:
- Current stats: What causes HS flare up?
- Different options to follow for a Hidradenitis Suppurativa diet
- What the research says about following a yeast-free diet for HS
- Which zinc-rich foods that can help HS skin boils
- Research stats on dairy as an HS diet trigger
- Gut microbiome – HS connection
- Why balancing your blood sugar + liver detox is so crucial for HS
- A clinical nutritionist’s step-by-step starting guide for diet for HS
- The connection between IL-17, candida, and inflammatory skin boils flares
Quotes
“There is some research linking dairy removal to improved hidradenitis suppurativa symptoms, but the results are mixed.”
“Many people with HS have underlying gut issues, and gluten can contribute to leaky gut, making inflammation worse.”
Links
How To Master + Optimize Your Liver Detox
BEST Liver Detox Support Supplement I Recommend
Healthy Skin Show ep. 338: How to Stop The Pain of HS: Hidradenitis Suppurativa Treatment + Remedies
Healthy Skin Show ep. 232: How Yeast + Zinc Can Play A Role In Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Healthy Skin Show ep. 103: Hidradenitis Suppurativa: The Tip That Stopped My Flares
Healthy Skin Show ep. 369: Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) Review
Diet in the prevention of hidradenitis suppurativa
Alleviating and exacerbating foods in hidradenitis suppurativa
Stat Pearls: Hidradenitis Suppurativa
385: Hidradenitis Suppurativa Diet: Can It Really Stop The Painful Skin Boils? {FULL TRANSCRIPT}
Welcome back to episode 385 of the Healthy Skin Show!
If you’ve been diagnosed with Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS)—or you’re dealing with painful, deep boils under your skin—I want to talk to you about how diet might help. Specifically, what dietary changes could actually reduce inflammation and ease the severity of your symptoms.
While not everyone will go into remission from diet changes alone, some people do see remarkable improvements. And even if remission isn’t possible, there are still general dietary strategies that can be helpful no matter where you are in your HS journey.
Today, I want to share the changes I recommend most often—and where I suggest you start.
Hidradenitis Suppurativa Diet: Does It Work?
As I’ve shared before, diet can be a powerful tool—especially when dealing with chronic conditions like Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS). Inflammation is a major driver of HS, and what we eat can have a big impact on that process.
If you’re going through painful flare-ups, I see you—and I’ve been there. The pain can be debilitating, especially in more advanced stages. You might even find yourself thinking, I’ll do anything to make this stop.
That’s why I believe diet is a great place to start. While it’s not the only strategy—I’ve covered others on the Healthy Skin Show, which I’ll link in the show notes—it can help reduce or even stop the inflammation behind those painful lesions.
I’ll never forget feeling like I had softball-sized lumps under my arms, like someone had shoved a bunched-up sweater in there. I couldn’t move properly, couldn’t work out—it was awful. And for anyone struggling with HS, no matter where it shows up, please know: I truly get it.
HS affects about 4% of people—not a huge percentage, but enough of us know just how disruptive even one flare-up can be. Interestingly, about 33–40% of those with HS have a first-degree relative who also has it, pointing to a potential genetic link.
Research is still evolving, but we do know there are associations with metabolic syndrome, fatty liver, and hormone imbalances—particularly elevated androgens.
And while HS is sometimes linked to obesity, that’s not the whole story. I wasn’t overweight or obese when I struggled with it. I was super active and athletic. So if that stereotype doesn’t apply to you, you're not alone—and it doesn’t mean HS isn’t a valid concern. Our understanding of who’s impacted by HS is still developing.
Smoking is another known risk factor.
But across the board, HS is largely driven by chronic, silent inflammation. When you seek conventional treatment, options can be limited—especially early on. For me, it was repeated rounds of antibiotics. I tried Chinese medicine, herbs, detoxes—nothing worked like the antibiotics did.
But the thing that finally pushed me into remission? Laser hair removal for Hidradenitis Suppurativa. Yes, really. A tip I got from someone who’d also been through it, and it made a huge difference for me. (I share more about that in this episode.)
As the disease progresses and tissue damage increases, the treatment options become more aggressive—biologics, and even surgery in some cases. Biologics can be helpful for some, but they also come with risks. And while I’m not usually a fan of restrictive diets, HS is one situation where certain key eliminations can be genuinely helpful—and there’s research to support that.
So let’s dive into those dietary changes and where to start.
Diet For HS: What Should You Cut Out?
If you’re wondering what to cut out of your diet when dealing with HS, there isn’t just one clear answer—but I can offer some helpful guidance and a practical approach to get started without turning your whole life upside down.
You should know that even small changes can sometimes make a big difference. You don’t always have to commit to a complete dietary overhaul to see results.
For many people, drastic changes just aren’t realistic due to work, family responsibilities, or lifestyle. And that’s totally okay. The key is to find what’s manageable for you and start there.
Now, in terms of general dietary guidance, one commonly recommended approach for HS is the Autoimmune Paleo protocol, or AIP. It’s admittedly a pretty restrictive plan, but its main focus is on eating whole, real foods while eliminating common inflammatory triggers.
The AIP diet for Hidradentitis Suppurativa means NO…
- Grains
- Legumes
- Dairy
- Alcohol
- Sugar
- Nightshades (like tomatoes and peppers)
- Eggs
So you can see how it might feel a bit overwhelming. But at its core, it emphasizes high-quality proteins like meat and fish, nutrient-dense starchy vegetables, leafy greens, limited fruit, and healthy fats.
For some people, following AIP strictly is doable. For others, not so much—and that’s where it can help to think about trying it in short bursts.
Maybe you commit to 30 days or even 60, then slowly reintroduce foods to see what affects your body. You might find that even a partial trial gives you helpful insight without the pressure of long-term restriction.
Beyond AIP, there are a few other diet changes that could be beneficial for HS.
Going dairy-free is one, and while that doesn’t always mean going egg-free (unless you’re doing strict AIP), it’s worth testing.
Cutting back on sugar—or even eliminating it entirely—can also make a difference.
And here’s one that might surprise you: trying a yeast-free diet. Yeast isn’t typically associated with most skin conditions, but for HS, it can be a hidden trigger that’s worth exploring.
All of that said, it’s important to do what’s realistic for your situation. Maybe that means starting with just one change—cutting out dairy or sugar, for example—and seeing how your body responds before layering in anything more intense.
Now, I know if you spend time in Facebook groups or online communities, you’ll see people making all kinds of claims. Some swear a particular diet changed everything for them, while others tried the exact same thing and didn’t notice much of a difference.
That’s why I want to talk about what the Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) research actually says. It helps us find that middle ground between real-life experience and scientific evidence so you can make more informed decisions about what might actually work for you.
What Causes HS Flare Up (Based On The Research)
I always find it fascinating how often there’s a gap between what research shows and what actually works in real life. As a clinical nutritionist, that’s one of the biggest challenges I navigate—balancing the data with the real-world nuance of individual cases.
Some of what I’ll share here is based on clinical observations. These are patterns I’ve seen in clients, insights from other practitioners, or ideas I’ve tested out based on emerging research. Not everything has a study to back it up, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t valid—because at the end of the day, what happens in real bodies matters just as much as what’s written in a study.
Take dairy, for example. There is some research linking dairy removal to improvement in hidradenitis suppurativa symptoms, but the results are mixed.
In one small study of 47 people, about 83% said cutting out dairy made a noticeable difference. That’s a significant number—but unfortunately, the study didn’t provide details about what exactly was removed or how strict the participants were, which makes it hard to draw firm conclusions.
Another study, more of a survey, involved around 700 people with HS. Participants were asked to identify foods they believed triggered their symptoms. About 16.8% of them said dairy was a trigger. Again, helpful information—but we don’t know if dairy was the only food they removed, or if it was one part of a broader dietary change. So while these findings are interesting, they’re still a bit murky.
In my personal case, I had already been dairy-free for six years when I developed Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS). So clearly, dairy wasn’t the cause for me.
That’s why I always recommend giving these changes a fair trial—ideally for 30 to 60 days—but not necessarily assuming they need to be permanent.
Even AIP, which is more restrictive, is not meant to be followed forever. After a month or two, you should begin reintroducing foods slowly to see how your body responds. Dairy might be one of those, or it might not.
Now let’s talk about yeast—because I know the idea of a yeast-free diet might sound confusing at first. The research on this is also limited and based on small studies, but still intriguing.
One 12-month study followed just 12 people with HS who removed all sources of yeast from their diets: that included alcohol, yeasted breads, baked goods, and other fermented products. Interestingly, all 12 saw their condition go into remission. When they reintroduced yeast-containing foods, their flare-ups returned.
That kind of result, even in a small study, is worth paying attention to—especially when it aligns with other clinical findings.
For instance, many people with HS test positive for an antibody called Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which your doctor can check for with a standard blood test. This antibody is commonly associated with yeast sensitivity, and in those who test positive, removing yeast often leads to noticeable improvement in HS symptoms.
So even if you're not ready to commit to something like AIP, trying a yeast-free diet for 30 to 60 days might be a gentler, yet effective, place to start.
Ultimately, while much of the available research is small or limited in scope, it still offers valuable insights when combined with clinical experience.
Should you treat these findings as absolute truth? No.
For instance, like me, you may have been dairy-free for years and still developed HS. But depending on your specific case, making targeted dietary changes—whether it’s removing dairy, yeast, or something else—could make a significant difference.
How To Start A Hidradenitis Suppurativa Diet (From A Clinical Nutritionist)
Let’s talk about where I’d personally recommend starting if you want to use diet to help reduce the inflammation that often drives Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) diet.
First off, I want to be honest—making all the Hidradenitis Suppurativa diet changes at once usually isn’t sustainable for most people. That’s why I encourage you to start small. Test out one or two things before diving into more complex protocols like AIP. The goal here isn’t perfection—it’s progress that works with your life.
A simple and smart first step is to add more zinc-rich foods. While we don’t fully understand why, higher zinc intake appears to help calm HS-related inflammation. I’m not talking about supplements here—that’s a bigger topic (which I cover in this episode)—but food sources of zinc can be powerful.
Incorporate different high zinc foods options including:
- Shellfish (especially oysters)
- Crustaceans
- Nuts like cashews and pine nuts
- Seeds including pepitas and hemp seeds
- Legumes (aka. beans)
This is actually a good reason not to jump into AIP right away, since it cuts some of these foods out (like legumes).
Next, I’d consider trying a yeast-free diet for 30 to 60 days. I won’t sugarcoat it—this one can be tricky. You’ll need to remove anything that contains yeast, including:
- Baked goods made with yeast
- Alcohol
- Fermented foods
- Blue cheeses or other mold-based products
- Any foods made with baker’s yeast, brewer’s yeast, or nutritional yeast
If you’re not sure whether yeast might be an issue for you, ask your doctor about a blood test for Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies. Many people with HS test positive for this, and removing yeast often helps reduce symptoms.
Another important area to explore is your sugar intake. Try to cut back on high-glycemic fruits and processed foods, and focus on lower-glycemic options like berries, green apples, lemons, and limes. If you need sweeteners, swap out sugar for options like monk fruit or stevia. And yes—refined white flour falls into this same category and should be limited as well.
Why is this important? Because poorly balanced blood sugar can worsen inflammation and stress your liver. That’s especially relevant if you’re dealing with metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk and severity of HS flares.
Supporting blood sugar balance through food and movement—even just working your leg muscles with simple exercises—can help. I totally understand how hard it is to work out during a flare (I’ve been there), but gentle movement when possible really does make a difference.
If you’re unsure whether your blood sugar is stable, consider trying a continuous glucose monitor for a couple of weeks. I did this myself, and it gave me real-time insights into how food and stress affected my blood sugar throughout the day. I reviewed the whole experience in this episode for you to check it out.
From there, take a look at your liver health. If you’re interested in a deeper dive into liver detoxification and how it ties into metabolic health, I have a Liver Detox Deep Dive Masterclass full of practical strategies you can use. You’ll find the link in the show notes.
You can also consider adding liver-supportive supplements—like my P2 Detox Balance, which helps support Phase 2 liver detox, an area that’s often overburdened in HS. This gentle formula can actually reduce your risk of flaring up since it’s not a detox product – it’s giving your liver the nutrients it needs to optimally do it’s job.
Another easy addition? Bitter and dark leafy greens, which are fantastic for liver support. You’ve probably heard people talk about this online—and yes, there’s a good reason for it.
Now, let’s talk gluten. You don’t need to eliminate it as strictly as someone with celiac disease, but minimizing or cutting it out can be helpful. Many people with HS have underlying gut issues, and gluten can contribute to gut permeability (aka “leaky gut”), making inflammation worse. Reducing gluten helps lower that internal inflammatory response and can make a big difference for skin.
This brings us back to the connection between HS and the gut. Many of the biologic drugs used to treat HS work by targeting inflammatory pathways like IL-17. IL-17 is a chemical messenger that the body produces in response to things like Candida and other fungal organisms—yes, yeast again. When your gut is imbalanced, these inflammatory signals can enter your bloodstream and trigger widespread inflammation, including in your skin.
So if the full AIP protocol feels like too much—or you’ve already tried some dietary changes without much success—it may be time to look deeper. What’s happening in your gut, your liver, your immune system? What kind of root causes might be driving your HS under the surface?
That’s what I help clients uncover in my practice. It’s not just about food—it’s also about things like mold exposure, nervous system dysregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and other systemic factors that can drive inflammation.
If you’re curious what might be going on under the surface in your case, I created a Root Cause Guide for HS that walks you through the most common triggers and imbalances. You can download the full checklist HERE so you can start piecing together your own HS puzzle.
Is It Worth Doing A Hidradenitis Suppurativa Diet?
So, can a Hidradenitis Suppurativa diet be helpful? Absolutely.
In many cases, making dietary changes can be a worthwhile and effective approach. It’s something to experiment with—you don’t have to dive into the deep end right away. As I’ve shared, there are smaller, simpler places to start that don’t require a massive overhaul or leave you feeling overwhelmed.
That said, stricter Hidradenitis Suppurativa diet approaches—like AIP or yeast-free protocols—can put HS into remission for some people.
But I want to be honest: that’s not the case for everyone.
Some may just see fewer or less severe flares on a diet for HS. And for others, the biggest challenge is sustainability. Restrictive diets can be hard to maintain long-term, and if that’s where you’re struggling, you're not alone.
The good news? You have options.
If diet alone isn’t enough—or isn’t something you can stick with—it might be time to explore deeper root causes. These are the underlying imbalances that conventional medicine often overlooks: things like gut health, liver detox, immune responses, and more.
And yes, these other root causes matter! Addressing them in a methodical way can bring about real and lasting change. (I see this is my virtual practice all the time!)
If you’ve already tried changing your diet—whether that’s going AIP, removing yeast, or another approach—I’d love to hear about it. What did you try? How much did it help?
And just as importantly: was it sustainable? Are you still following that plan today, or did it become too difficult over time?
Take a moment to share your story in the comments below. I’d really love to hear about your experience and how this journey has been for you.
