Milk does a body good, amiright? Well, maybe not -- or at least maybe not your face.

Researchers have noted that acne is virtually nonexistent in non-Western cultures that don't consume milk products. Some experts speculate that dairy consumption stimulates acne by increasing the level of an insulin-like growth factor in the body, mimicking what the body goes through during puberty.

Another possible explanation? "A diet that has a lot of dairy in it is pro-inflammatory," says Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank, M.D., Cosmetic Dermatologist and Director of the 5th Avenue Dermatology Surgery & Laser Center in New York City, N.Y. "It can exacerbate any condition, like acne, that involves inflammation of tissue."

Your Rx: More research needs to be done to prove the link, but in the meantime, consider switching out milk for calcium-enriched, unsweetened almond or coconut milk.

The birth control pill: It kicked off the sexual revolution, millions of women can now get it for free (thanks to the Affordable Care Act) and it can even treat your acne. If you've noticed that your menstrual and pre-menstrual days tend to coincide with crazy breakouts, a birth control pill may do wonders.

"Fluctuating hormones for the week before and during a woman's period can wreak havoc on the skin due to increased acne," says Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi, M.D., co-director of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery in Washington, D.C. "Birth control pills stabilize the levels of hormones throughout the month so you don't get the wild ups and downs; therefore, it helps avoid breakouts.

Your Rx: If you see a correlation between the onset of your period and when pimples crop up, talk to your doctor. Only three pills are FDA-approved to treat breakouts -- Yaz, Ortho Tri-Cyclen and Estrostep -- but many more, like Alesse, have been clinically shown to improve acne.

It can significantly reduce your acne, it costs less than $10, and holy hell, does it stink: Fish oil supplements may be a cheap way to reduce pimples if you have moderate to severe acne.

A small clinical trial showed 75 percent improvement in those who took fish oil supplements every day. "A diet rich in omega fatty acids, like salmon, is great for the skin, as is fish oil," says Frank, noting that it decreases inflammation. However, fish oil actually made symptoms worse for subjects with mild acne.

Your Rx: "More research needs to be done before I recommend it to my acne patients," says Tanzi. If you are going to try it, try three grams of the supplement daily and give it 12 weeks to work its magic.

So, about that "you are what you eat" thing: There's more. In addition to watching your dairy intake, you may want to consider the glycemic load of what you're eating.

In one study, people who ate a low-glycemic-load diet -- that means low in carbohydrates and low on the glycemic index -- showed improvement in their acne symptoms. Foods earn their status as having a high glycemic load based on on how quickly they make insulin spike. Experts think that an insulin spike triggers more oil production and, therefore, pimples.

Your Rx: "Those that are acne-prone should maximize their nutritional state," says Frank. "Replace these foods [with a high glycemic load] with more proteins and vegetables that are rich in color."

Tanda. Claro. Zeno. No, these aren't the names of galactic overlords -- they're just some of the light- and heat-emitting, at-home devices that have been released in the past handful of years to treat acne.

While many of the manufacturers behind these devices have conducted small studies to support their products' effectiveness, none of the derms we interviewed were willing to go to bat for them.

"I am not very familiar with these types of machines, but they are not the most effective," Goldfaden says. "There are many more effective ways to manage and treat acne."

Your Rx: Experts seem to agree that these devices may calm a pimple in the same way a compress soaked in hot water would -- they just happen to cost a few hundo. (In other words, your hot washcloth trick gets the thumbs-up.)