Acne is something that most of us will relate to at some stage of our lives. This is because the condition can appear in a variety of ways and situations. Whilst some people may cruise through life with clear skin, acne can affect you at any age and in varying severities.

Approaching treatment can be hard, this is where a Naturopath can help you!

Pimples, spots, zits, blemishes, white heads, black heads, commodones – there are so many names and forms of skin eruptions that we often describe as acne. No matter how many or which type you have, they can often leave you feeling frustrated, upset and stressed.

What is involved?

The skin

The skin is our largest organ, and one of its main functions is elimination of wastes. If our other elimination systems experience congestion, our body often chooses to detoxify through the skin. Our other eliminatory organs include the gut, the bladder, the liver, the lymphatic system and the lungs. These systems can become congested trying to eliminate toxic things you accumulate from the environment, your diet or even byproducts of your own body! This principle of congestion can sometimes be the driver behind other skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis too.

Sebum

This is the oil your skin naturally produces. We use a lot of topical creams and washes to try and ‘balance’ oily or dry skin, and this is actually us trying to change the levels of sebum on the surface of the skin to improve the way the skin looks and feels. While topical products can give temporary results, you want to manage your body’s innate production and regulation of sebum from within, so that you aren’t so reliant on a topical solution to feel happy in your skin.

Bacteria

Hygiene does have a role to play in acne, particularly when you start to pick and squeeze any spots that are there. Bacteria is always all over our skin, but it can become concentrated on the face and aggravate acne for a few reasons: you aren’t washing your face correctly/ your hair is touching your face a lot and adding extra oils to the skin/ you are squeezing or popping infected pimples and spreading the bacteria to other areas of the skin.  While bacteria will aggravate breakouts and inflammation in the skin, taking antibiotics for an infection isn’t always the best method to treat acne. Sometimes it gives little to no relief and often provides some side effects. It’s good to ensure you explore all your options for treating acne before committing to a long term prescription. 

Digestion

Digestion plays a role in your skin health in a few ways. First of all, one of the main functions of your digestive system is elimination of waste products, so any congestion here (constipation) can contribute to break outs. If there is any inflammation of the mucous membrane in the gut lining, this can also make you more prone to skin breakouts as inflammatory mediators and bacteria from your gut can enter your bloodstream. The health of your skin will also be impacted by the health of your gut via the gut-skin axis, something that more and more evidence is emerging on. In this instance, the health of your microbiome (gut bacteria) plays a large role regulating this axis.

Diet

It’s no secret that your diet will affect your skin. Cutting out foods high in sugar and dairy often provides a reduction in the severity of acne breakouts. Foods that increase release of histamine can increase mucus production in the body, which can be the theory as to why dairy or sometimes even banana can aggravate acne. Processed foods with lots of foreign chemicals and additives can also aggravate acne as they increase the load for the liver to process.

Hormones

Hormones are usually the main driver of acne. When someone has been experiencing chronic acne since their teenage years, it’s almost always a hormonal cause. Issues involving hormone metabolism and conversion can cause an excess of androgens which will overload the liver. These excess hormones then get pushed through the skin resulting in deep, cystic and often painful acne. Hormonal acne is often seen on the cheeks and jaw line of the face, the neck, shoulders and back and can sometimes leave scarring. In this instance, testing can be done to determine the driver of this hormone imbalance and direct how to get them back on track.

Nutrition

Eating a wide variety of food will ensure your micronutrient intake is broad, and minimise risks of nutrient and mineral deficiencies. Essential nutrients for skin health include zinc, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, silica, biotin and essential fatty acids. Ensuring your macronutrient intake is well balanced is also important. Protein is needed for collagen production and ensuring you eat lots of vegetables for their fibre content is important to keep your gut healthy and regular. Carbs shouldn’t be eaten in excess to avoid spikes in blood sugar and insulin, which can aggravate acne as well.

Inflammation

Inflammation is a process in place for our body to protect and heal itself, however if it goes on too long for the wrong reasons, it will start to have detrimental effects. Systemic inflammation will aggravate all skin conditions, not just acne. This principle of inflammation relates to why dairy, sugar, processed foods etc can be bad for acne as high intake of these can contribute to inflammation in the body. Testing is important to determine the driver of inflammation, and direct a treatment plan to clear up the skin.

Stress

Stress can increase risk of breakouts as it can influence changes in your hormone levels, reduce your digestive potential, and cause extra nutrient requirements. When your body feels stress it will take resources away from non vital functions like collagen production and cell repair and channel them to the adrenal glands so we can “survive”.

How can Naturopathy help?

If you are suffering from acne, it’s likely there is a combination of these drivers/triggers involved. Testing, careful prescribing, diet and lifestyle needs to be taken into consideration when preparing a treatment plan to resolve acne. Naturopathy takes into consideration the “whole person”, as well as their environment, to understand the way a disease may take place in an individual. This is how the root of the cause is established, and then steps to heal the body are put into place.

Common tests that I may order for someone experiencing acne are:

– Standard blood pathology

– Salivary hormone testing

– IgG food intolerance testing

– Blood analysis

– Stool testing

I welcome you to BOOK A CONSULT with me so that we can work through everything and get you on a path to clear skin. If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to email me at:  gigi@betterhealthpractice.com.au