Treating Skin Disorders with Functional Medicine
Your skin reflects your health. At Sparkle, we work on skin from within. When there is a skin issue, such as Eczema, Rosacea, Acne, Psoriasis, or even general skin aging we look at several system imbalances to get at the underlying cause.
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Call todayImmune System Dysfunction
The skin is an interface that separates your body from the outside world. It therefore makes sense that the immune system has a big presence in the skin- it is a border after all and our immune system is part of our defense. Sometimes when the immune system is activated in other areas of the body- such as the gastrointestinal system, we can see manifestation of that in the skin. In functional medicine, we often look to see if foods, toxins or infections are triggering the immune system and leading to immune system activation and skin conditions. This can be done through elimination diets, and advanced testing to determine the root cause for you – because it is different for every individual.
Disruption of the Microbiota
Remember Pigpen from Charlie Brown? I imagine our skin microbiome in a cloud around us just like Pigpens cloud of dust. Our skin microbiome are all the micro-organisms that inhabit the outside of our body. We also have a microbiome associated with our intestinal track. Disruptions in these helpful bugs can influence our skin integrity and can even activate the immune system too leading to common skin ailments. Trying to restore balance to the body’s microbiome is part of treating skin conditions. Diet, lifestyle and of course what we put on our skin affects the delicate balance of organisms.
Hormone Imbalances
Our hormones influence the skin quality and integrity. If our balance is off- which tends to happen during certain times of life (think puberty, pregnancy, menopause and andropause), skin changes are more likely to occur, such as acne, discolorations and general signs of aging. Stress hormones can play a role here too! Stress increases atrophy, wrinkles, discoloration and inflammation of the skin. Our body does not have as much resilience when under stress and our skin is affected by this as well. Uncovering imbalances in hormones and correcting them through lifestyle, herbal or more direct interventions when needed is the functional medicine approach to getting at the underlying cause of skin problems.
Structural Integrity
The integrity of the skin is affected by the micronutrients in the body. Omega 3 fats, vitamin D, Vitamin A, silicon, zinc and B vitamins all can be factors if we are lacking in these important cofactors for cellular health. Adequate hydration is also important. We want our skin cells to be puffed out like grapes and not raisins. Sometimes testing and treating nutrient deficiencies can be the factor at least contributing to the skin condition.
Detoxification
We detoxify through the skin. When we sweat, some of what our body wants to get rid of goes through the skin. That is why sweating is so important. If there is a high toxic burden the skin can be affected. In some cases, we need to look at a person’s total body toxic burden to treat skin conditions. We also try to reduce incoming toxins by being picky about what we put on our skin in the first place!
Take a deeper look at skin problems such as Acne, Rosacea, Eczema and psoriasis! Looking deeper at common skin ailments often can allow for resolution instead of symptom management.
References:
Front Microbiol. 2018 Mar 12;9:432. 2018. Intestinal Microbiota Influences Non-intestinal Related Autoimmune Diseases.
.Trends Microbiol. 2013 Dec;21(12):660-8. Structure and function of the human skin microbiome.
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