By Alyce Collins

 

THIS ACTOR was missing out on roles because he was too embarrassed by his SEVERE ECZEMA to attend auditions until daily doses of celery juice and a raw VEGAN diet transformed his skin and confidence.

Actor Andrew Klasnic (26) from Atlanta, USA, had struggled with his eczema since he was a child which would come and go sporadically. As Andrew grew older, he began to experience acne alongside his bouts of eczema, which led him to use Accutane to reduce his inflamed appearance.

Andrew’s skin became painful and itchy, and it even burned to cover up with makeup. MDWfeatures / Andrew Klasnic

Andrew admits that for his entire life he had consumed the typical American diet largely consisting of fast food such as Taco Bell and McDonald’s. The unhealthy food seemed to have no effect on Andrew’s weight, so he assumed it wasn’t having any negative impact on him.

By 2017, Andrew’s skin was at its worst with eczema and psoriasis on his face and neck, so he had to pull out of auditions because applying makeup would burn his aggravated and tender-looking skin.

In 2018, Andrew’s face was covered in red, blotchy patches of eczema which brought him to realise he needed to make drastic improvements to his health to stop his skin from flaring up repeatedly.

Andrew’s skin became painful and itchy, and it even burned to cover up with makeup. MDWfeatures / Andrew Klasnic

After hearing about Medical Medium, Andrew started the 28-day raw vegan diet which he admits was difficult to begin with as he suffered withdrawals from his usual diet. However, Andrew soon learned that celery juice was a key component to healing his skin and showed signs of improvement within days.

“I had eczema even as a small child and over the years it would come and go,” said Andrew.

“It was always hard to pinpoint but it may have been down to the food I ate as I was never the healthiest of eaters. I loved to indulge on all types of yummy but unhealthy food.

“Growing up, I had other health issues as well, like migraines and digestive problems, some of which my doctors tried to remedy with antibiotics. I had adopted some unhealthy eating habits which didn’t help my skin’s issues as an adult.

“I also had cystic acne as a teen which caused me to use Accutane, which I now realise is horrible for your body in general.

Andrew shows his inflamed skin before he tried a vegan detox. MDWfeatures / Andrew Klasnic

“Growing up, I didn’t really have a ‘diet’ as we just ate what we liked. Sometimes breakfast would be a waffle, other days it would be cereal. Lunch at school would typically be some sort of meat, chips and a vegetable with some dairy milk.

“Dinner would usually consist of chicken, green beans or corn, potatoes with butter or a sandwich. I didn’t say no to meals, going out to Waffle House or other fast food favourites either.

“I was a big fast food lover. It was easy, cheap, and tasted great. It never seemed to affect me in any way health or weight wise back then. Looking back at it now, it had a lot to do with my skin issues.

“In the beginning, we tried a lot of the dermatologist recommended topical creams. Most of them either dried out my skin and broke me out with more acne, or the steroid creams would temporarily rid of the problem, only for it to come back worse.

“About a year ago, I felt lost and hopeless when my skin began to flare up to the worst I had ever seen. I had red blotchy patches of eczema covering my face and neck, and my face was swollen to the point that I didn’t look myself.

Now, Andrew’s skin is much healthier and he’s no longer ashamed of his appearance. MDWfeatures / Andrew Klasnic

“As an actor, having skin issues was very disheartening and difficult to deal with as I was constantly needing to be on camera or meeting with casting directors to secure a role.

“There was a point when I couldn’t audition for six months because my skin was horrendous. I was so embarrassed that I even declined auditions just so I didn’t have to attempt to cover up my face.

“Even when I did cover it up, it burned to put makeup on and made it worse afterwards, so it wasn’t even worth the pain for a while.

“Skin problems as an actor hurt your confidence. If you have eczema and psoriasis all over your face, it not only hurts your chances of getting cast, but it also makes you not want to pursue it knowing that people are going to judge you.”

In 2018, Andrew read Medical Medium which introduced him to the idea of healing his skin problems with a plant-based diet.

At first, he struggled with the strict diet after being so vicarious with his consumption of chips, burgers and pizza previously. However, it didn’t take long before the vegan diet showed vast improvements in his complexion.

Now, Andrew’s skin is much healthier and he’s no longer ashamed of his appearance. MDWfeatures / Andrew Klasnic

“I began eating a plant-based diet, but it wasn’t easy, especially because for the first month I ate only raw vegan food. But it changed my perspective on health, diet, and skin issues after seeing it work,” said Andrew.

“It allowed my body to work on healing rather than always digesting. Cutting out dairy, soy, pork, eggs, and gluten allowed my digestion to rest and give my body a chance to fight back against the toxins in my body.

“The celery juice helped in so many ways. I started it at the end of my raw vegan cleanse, but even just those last few days I felt it.

“Celery juice, when organic and freshly juiced, helps to balance out the hydrochloric acid levels in my stomach, allowing my stomach to have the correct salt clusters and acids to properly digest foods.

Now, Andrew’s skin is much healthier and he’s no longer ashamed of his appearance. MDWfeatures / Andrew Klasnic

“Now, my skin is a lot better than it was, so I’m not as strict. I still have a healthy routine though. I always start my morning with a glass of fresh lemon water a splash of ionic zinc.

“Then I have organic celery juice, followed by a detox smoothie which consists of wild blueberries, bananas, apples, spinach, dragon fruit, cilantro and barley grass juice extract.

“My lunch and dinners vary, but I try to stick with potatoes, rice, vegetables, and occasionally chicken once or twice a week.

“I start the day off allowing my stomach and liver to get all the proper nutrients to help keep my skin glowing.”

 

To see more, visit https://www.instagram.com/klazzact/