Holistic Acne Management

Health, like beauty, is more than skin deep. The health of your skin depends upon the function and balance of your endocrine (hormonal), digestive, and immune systems. Your skin is your body’s largest multilevel organ of excretion and secretion, which protects you against invading bacteria and water loss, helps keep your body temperature stable, and is filled with nerve endings that let you feel pleasure, pain, heat and cold.

What is Acne? 

Acne is a condition where glands of the skin (sebaceous glands) become clogged with bacteria, oils, dead skin cells, polluted air, various topical products and sweat. Acne can be a symptom of hormonal imbalance, toxic buildup, or food sensitivities and/or systemic inflammation. When sebaceous glands clog, the result is spotty areas of pimples, and small tender bumps.  Common treatments including topical creams or oral medications (often in the form of broad spectrum antibiotics), often only provide a temporary fix for the symptoms of acne, not a solution, and can wreak havoc on one's digestive system, microbiome, and hormonal production and balance.. Dr. Lana’s holistic approach to healing acne starts from within, where she helps patients uncover the root cause of their breakouts, be it through (a) hormonal imbalance (like excess testosterone, an out of proportion estrogen to progesterone ratio or an issue with insulin sensitivity, (b) through a thorough inspection of the GI tract (looking at the health of the microbiome, eradicating any candida and repairing a leaky gut due to food sensitivities, or (c) taking a look at the systemic inflammatory state and proper immune functioning.

Why You Still Have Acne As An Adult

It’s commonly understood that hormones play a role in acne, but most people don’t know that your digestion is just as important, as is the functionality of your liver detoxification processes. If you’re not digesting or eliminating properly through your bowels, urine and breath, then your skin takes on the extra burden and excretes metabolic waste and toxins via sweat through your pores. 

Our skin is the body’s largest organ responsible for excretion, secretion and detoxification, through sweating. The other primary organ responsible for detoxification is the liver. The liver filters and detoxifies cholesterol, fats, hormones, drugs, alcohol, and other toxic byproducts within the body. When the liver is overloadedwith too many hormones or inflammatory byproducts from food and our environment, the resulting toxic overload can manifest as skin conditions such as rashes, eczema and of course, acne. Additionally, food allergies, leaky gut syndrome and bacterial imbalance in the gut, also known as dysbiosis, can play a major role in creating inflammation in the skin. 

Medication That Might Cause Acne

Certain medications can also cause or worsen acne, such as those containing iodides, bromides, corticosteroids, or testosterone. Other drugs that can cause or aggravate acne are anticonvulsant medications and lithium. Although most cases of acne are not drug-related, Dr. Lana will do a full analysis of your health, including any medications you may be taking or have taken, to try to find and eliminate the cause of your acne issues.

Your skin is also a window into how well the inner systems of your body are functioning. Most common skin conditions don’t actually come from the skin at all, but from your internal processes. The earlier you start treatment, the lower your risk is of long-term effects. 

With a thorough medical history, proper investigation, dietary adjustments, site-specific supplementation, and optimization of your digestive and immune systems, your skin will be glowing!

How We Help at DLW

As a naturopathic doctor for acne, Dr. Lana’s goal is to prevent new acne from forming, help alleviate current lesions, and prevent scarring. Dr. Lana’s holistic acne program includes making lifestyle changes that may decrease your risk for acne. We take a root-cause approach to skin management by looking at what's going on internally:

• Functional Lab Testing to assess hormones, the gut microbiome, food sensitivities, and detox capacity

• Targeted Nutrition Plans to reduce inflammatory foods and optimize nutrients like zinc, vitamins A + E, and omega-3s

• Supplement Protocols to support gut healing, hormone balance, and clear skin

• Acupuncture to reduce inflammation, regulate the nervous system, and support detox and hormonal balance

• Naturopathic & Functional Medicine Guidance to address deeper drivers of skin issues like Insulin resistance, sluggish liver detox, and microbiome imbalances

• Medication Reviews to assess whether current prescriptions could be contributing to breakout

Adjusting Your Diet to Prevent and Heal Acne

Team DLW's approach to fighting acne is that our Licensed Dietician Nutritionist forms a nutritional plan to holistically alleviate inflammatory foods that may predispose you to breakouts. Studies indicate that your diet also affects your skin and that consuming certain foods - including carbohydrate-rich foods, such as white bread, sugar, and pasta - may worsen acne. Research has also found that people who consume a diet high in vitamins A and E and Zinc may have a lower risk of severe acne. Dr. Lana can also suggestsupplements that may help to alleviate acne from a variety of origins.

Whether you’re struggling with persistent acne or cyclical rosacea flares, we help you uncover and correct the root cause so your skin can mend from within.

Book a complimentary call to learn how our team can support you.