Wait – going vegan could have an unexpected negative effect on your skin

Is it just us or has Veganuary completely overtaken 'dry January' as the biggest health trend of the new year?

Lots of people swear off drink after the Christmas period each year but in 2019 it looks like we're all taking a break from meat and animal products instead. What was once a fairly niche dietary choice has established itself firmly in the mainstream. There are plenty of reasons to go vegan - aside from the animal rights angle, meat production isn't great for the environment and some even argue that a plant-based diet is healthier. What someone taking on Veganuary might not realise is that cutting out big parts of their diet all at once could affect their skin. Yes, eating less dairy has been linked with improving acne - but your skin might not necessarily improve through veganism. "Breakouts and skin changes aren’t uncommon for people transitioning to a vegan diet," dermatologist Dr Pam Benito told Bustle. It's not simply a reaction to the shock of the change, she explained.

"As new vegans replace meat and eggs in their diet, they may choose soy as their main source of protein. "While soy products are perfectly safe to eat despite some controversy, the phytoestrogens in soy products can alter the balance of hormones in the body and therefore cause breakouts."

Going vegan can also mean that people don't replace meat and animal products with a good variety of fruits and veg to get all the nutrients they need.

"If you go vegan and are primarily eating simple carbohydrates, I think that the benefits of going vegan decrease," dermatologist Papri Sarkar told Insider. "Having pasta with sweetened tomato sauce all day without any other beneficial vegan ingredients won't help much."

The thing to bear in mind is that any dietary change is going to take a while for your body to get used to; your skin included. You can help to improve your skin by getting lots of different kinds of fresh fruit and veg in and minimising the amount of refined carbohydrates you eat.