Nutrition for Wound Healing: A Guide for HS Warriors

Living with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) means learning how to support your body through flares, wound recovery, and chronic inflammation. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What can I eat to help my skin heal faster?” — you’re not alone.

I’m Cristina Curp, a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, private chef, and fellow HS warrior. I’ve spent the last decade helping people with chronic illnesses reduce symptoms and reclaim their health using nutrition, and today, I want to share how real food can be a powerful ally in wound healing. This is a presentation I recently gave at the AHSID I Reclaim HS Summit and wanted to share the information here too! You can watch the entire thing on YouTube!

Key Nutrients for Wound Repair 🛠

Wound healing is like a construction site. Your body needs materials, tools, and the right conditions to rebuild skin, blood vessels, and connective tissue.

🧬 Protein – The Building Blocks

Your body goes into overdrive to heal wounds, and protein provides the raw material. It also fuels immune cells, enzymes, and hormones that make healing happen.

👷 Vitamin A – The Project Manager

Vitamin A directs cell growth and reduces infection risk. It tells skin cells to regenerate and helps keep your immune system strong.

🏗 Vitamin C – The Glue & Scaffolding

Vitamin C is essential for making collagen, the body’s internal scaffolding. It’s also a powerful antioxidant that protects the healing area from inflammation and oxidative stress.

🔧 Zinc – The Repair Technician

Zinc speeds up tissue repair and helps prevent infection. Even a mild deficiency can delay healing significantly.

💪 Arginine – The Undercover MVP

This amino acid becomes essential during times of stress or injury. It supports collagen synthesis, improves blood flow, and helps immune function.

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Why Blood Sugar Regulation Matters So Much

Think of high blood sugar as syrup in your bloodstream — sticky, slow, and damaging.

When blood sugar is elevated:

• It clogs up delivery routes, reducing oxygen and nutrient flow.
• It weakens your immune response.
• It damages proteins like collagen through glycation.
• It keeps inflammation stuck in overdrive.

Bottom line? High blood sugar can slow wound healing, increase infection risk, and worsen HS symptoms. That’s why meals rich in protein, healthy fats, and fiber — like our Hamburger Soup — are so important during recovery.

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Why This Matters for People with HS

Chronic inflammation, impaired blood flow, and delayed wound healing are major concerns for those of us with HS. Studies show:

• 75% of HS patients have insulin resistance.
• Many experience flares after consuming sugar or dairy.
• Dietary changes have led to symptom improvement in a majority of surveyed patients.

This isn’t about perfection — it’s about giving your body every possible tool to heal faster and reduce inflammation.

Should You Avoid Dairy?

For many people with HS, the answer is yes. Over half of HS patients in a large survey reported dairy made their symptoms worse.

Why?

• Dairy can increase mucus production and low-grade inflammation.
• It raises IGF-1 and insulin, which may trigger HS flares.
• It may activate the mTOR pathway, associated with inflammation and follicular occlusion.

Swaps like coconut yogurt, olive oil, and dairy-free cheese can make ditching dairy doable — and even delicious.

If you need recipes that are nutrient dense, dairy free, gluten free and low in sugar – check out my cookbooks or my 6 week meal plan!

Real Results from the Community

A recent HS nutrition survey showed:

• 85% of participants made dietary changes.
• 84% went dairy free, 70% gluten free, 61% sugar free.
• 36% saw significant symptom improvement. Another 38% saw some.

Common benefits included:

• Fewer new flares
• Less swelling
• Reduced pain
• Improved mood
• Less odor

Final Thoughts

Healing with HS isn’t just about creams or procedures — it’s about building a foundation from within. Nutrition won’t cure HS, but it can absolutely support your body’s ability to heal, reduce inflammation, and help you feel more in control.

Start with small changes. Add in healing foods. Eat balanced meals. And always, always listen to your body.

You’ve got this, bestie. 💛
Let’s keep healing, one meal at a time.

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