Acne is one of the most common skin afflictions that affects adolescents and sometimes sticks with people well into adulthood. Often times it can be stubborn and difficult to treat. Many people spend loads of money and try an obscene number of creams and washes hoping that 'this one will be the one that works.' Unfortunately, what many people fail to realize is that acne is not always a condition of the skin. I always take time to educate my patients on the fact that skin things are never actually 'skin things.' Most of the time when treating acne I actually target several other systems of the body including the liver, kidney, digestive tract and endocrine system. You see, the skin is our body's largest organ of elimination. If for some reason the liver, kidney and bowels are not functioning optimally and toxins are building in the system, then the body's natural defense mechanism is going to be to push out those toxins in the easiest manner as to not have them build up in the body. Thus, our incredibly smart bodies will push out those toxins through the skin, hence the formation of acne (along with other skin issues that may present). Since acne is a condition caused from the inside out, it also needs to be treated from the inside out. Here are 5 ways I have be able to successfully treat acne in a safe and natural way.
1. Eliminate food allergens/sensitivities- There is often controversy over whether food actually causes or worsens acne. In my clinical experience, acne seems to improve once food sensitivities are removed from the diet. An elimination diet or food allergy blood test often helps to identify these sensitivities. The largest culprit often tends to be dairy. Dairy is mucus producing and feeds bacterial growth in the body. Milk in particular, is what I often see as a huge game changer. Milk can be filled with antibiotics and hormones that can cause toxic overload in our systems and breed bacteria causing acne.
2. Detoxify the liver and the kidneys- Making sure the liver and the kidneys are working optimally ensures that toxins are being excreted properly through the system. The bowels also need to be addressed if they are not being eliminated properly. Decreasing toxic load in the body will limit the amount of toxins that the body dumps through the skin. I typically will do homeopathic drainage of the liver and kidneys that are very safe and effective at clearing toxic load.
3. Hydrate the skin- Both from the inside and the outside. Making sure you are drinking lots of water goes a long way to eliminate toxins and flush the skin. Adding lemon to water is a bonus as it supports liver detox, bowel movements and clears the skin. Healthy oils are also very important. It actually is not beneficial to dry out the skin as people once thought. The more we dry out the skin the more the skin works hard at producing more oils to hydrate it. Therefore, it is beneficial to apply oil topically to the skin such as olive oil, coconut oil or castor oil. This keeps the skin hydrated and regulates oil production of the glands so they do not over-activate.
4. Decrease stress- Stress will affect our endocrine system which controls our hormones. These include our stress hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine and also affects hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. If these hormones fall out of balance, acne will tend to get worse. Making sure stress is in check through proper supplementation with adrenal support and a B complex vitamin along with meditation or stress reduction techniques will go a long way with decreasing acne flare ups.
5. Acupuncture- Acupuncture works really well at balancing the body and removing any blockages in our organ systems. Depending on the individual I put together a specific acupuncture protocol to naturally treat and re balance the body so acne breakouts begin to diminish.
1. Eliminate food allergens/sensitivities- There is often controversy over whether food actually causes or worsens acne. In my clinical experience, acne seems to improve once food sensitivities are removed from the diet. An elimination diet or food allergy blood test often helps to identify these sensitivities. The largest culprit often tends to be dairy. Dairy is mucus producing and feeds bacterial growth in the body. Milk in particular, is what I often see as a huge game changer. Milk can be filled with antibiotics and hormones that can cause toxic overload in our systems and breed bacteria causing acne.
2. Detoxify the liver and the kidneys- Making sure the liver and the kidneys are working optimally ensures that toxins are being excreted properly through the system. The bowels also need to be addressed if they are not being eliminated properly. Decreasing toxic load in the body will limit the amount of toxins that the body dumps through the skin. I typically will do homeopathic drainage of the liver and kidneys that are very safe and effective at clearing toxic load.
3. Hydrate the skin- Both from the inside and the outside. Making sure you are drinking lots of water goes a long way to eliminate toxins and flush the skin. Adding lemon to water is a bonus as it supports liver detox, bowel movements and clears the skin. Healthy oils are also very important. It actually is not beneficial to dry out the skin as people once thought. The more we dry out the skin the more the skin works hard at producing more oils to hydrate it. Therefore, it is beneficial to apply oil topically to the skin such as olive oil, coconut oil or castor oil. This keeps the skin hydrated and regulates oil production of the glands so they do not over-activate.
4. Decrease stress- Stress will affect our endocrine system which controls our hormones. These include our stress hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine and also affects hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. If these hormones fall out of balance, acne will tend to get worse. Making sure stress is in check through proper supplementation with adrenal support and a B complex vitamin along with meditation or stress reduction techniques will go a long way with decreasing acne flare ups.
5. Acupuncture- Acupuncture works really well at balancing the body and removing any blockages in our organ systems. Depending on the individual I put together a specific acupuncture protocol to naturally treat and re balance the body so acne breakouts begin to diminish.
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