Glowy Skin : Answers to Skin Issues
Before I jump into this week’s topic …Happy Easter Weekend!!
I know that if something turns up on my skin, I am very curious about how it got there, why it got there and what might be going on? Is it a sign that there is something else I need to pay attention to? I know that my outside barrier is a reflection of my inside barrier.
So why am I talking about Skin… not a usual topic for me right? Well, here’s the back story.
I might not have mentioned this to y’all … Over the last 3 years I have been teaching several practitioner membership groups in and around the Austin /San Antonio Area.
Every month we meet for about 2 hours, and we work on a topic, or a body part or function. It is where we can share ideas and grow together.
As a little surprise I gave them each a copy of members a copy of my” Skin Issues” reference sheet.
It’s a simple handout that helps led us to answers to some of the more common skin issues we see and how they could be related to diet, lifestyle, deficiency or stress. It provides ideas and questions so we know where to start investigating and get to the ROOT Cause of the skin issue.
Well, this little handout was a BIG HIT so I thought I would share it with you too. This could be a good one to print out or save as a reference sheet.
ANSWERS TO SKIN ISSUES
Your skin is your largest organ , and along with hair, nails, glands and nerves, is part of the integumentary system. This system acts as a protective barrier between the outside and the inside of the body. It also provides signs and symptoms of what is going on inside the body. Sometimes it shows up on the outside to get your attention and say heh!! the inside is not working well!!
To be clear: This is a simple guide to help you begin to uncover some of your questions and relevant to what we have seen and supported clinically however it is not a Diagnosis. If you need more support then, please make an appointment http://www.drpia.com
THE MOST COMMON SKIN ISSUES
Eczema
Poor Liver Detoxification or Adrenal Stress. Consider a Liver Detox and removing Trigger Foods.
For Kids with Eczema check Stress level of mom during pregnancy. Treat the mother and the baby especially if Mother is breast feeding. NOTE: High Cortisol (STRESS) is inflammatory and it inhibits Liver Detoxification and causes poor digestion. Check dairy and medications for triggers/sensitivities.
Acne
Fluid filled and usually on the Face. Yeast? Sugar? Check to see if Hormones are out of balance. Our How to Heal program really helps with this and reset Hormones quickly. Contact me for more details.
Red Itchy, large red patches
Yeast? SIBO? Candida? Stop sugar and other things that spike blood sugar and consider Zymex capsules, Yeastonil, and Oregano to support Gut Health. We also offer a Clinical test called the GI MAP to further investigate the potential cause of the problem.
White with a puss filled center
This is different to acne. This could be a Staph infection, or a spider bite. There might be a need for B6. Consider nut/food triggers and support gut microbiome with Oregano oil Supplements.
Small raised dots, typically flesh tone or white
Virus or warts?
Consider Zinc, Immuplex, Epimune, Thymus PMG, Thymex, Click for purchase options.
Sudden Migratory, diffuse redness, rapid change
This is a Histamine Response /Allergy or sensitivity that comes on quickly.
Consider chemical / food / contact or stress triggers. Support the Liver and Histamine pathways with Antronex or Albizia to help build the immune system. Remove the chemical and or food.
Brown age spots
This could be related to poor Methylation. This is a Liver pathway. Approximately 25 % of the population have a genetic SNP in this pathway called MTHFR. If this is the case, they are more susceptible to brown spots and could possible use a methylated for of B12 and Folate support. Super Methyl B is one of my favorites along with Super B.
White Spots
You really notice this when you are tan and there are spots that stay white. It is possible that the pathway in the Liver called Glucuronidation is not working well, due to: Hypothyroid, Blood Sugar Issues or a need for Fish Oil, B6, Fe, Manganese and Cruciferous Veggies.
Raised Bumps
You usually see these on the back of the arm. This means there is a need Essential Fatty Acids. Too much vegetable oil or fried foods could also be an impact. This person is inflamed and needs to look at all the triggers including stress!
Red Dots (Cherry Angiomas)
Check labs for High Homocysteine (Not Good) and Methylation:
There is a possible need for Methylated Folate, B12, Choline, Zypan, Spanish Black Radish, B Complex Zinc, Copper, Selenium, or Magnesium. High Homocysteine is a signal that the Cardiac and vascular system is not working optimally.
Herpes and Shingles
There is possibly and increased Viral load: Check for a need for Zinc, Cataplex F, Congaplex or L Lysine. Herpes is one of those strains that shows up when we are under stress… Yes, kids get stressed and sunburned and they get herpes Simplex Virus. I have had great success using Thymex in high doses with kiddos. Singles typically shows up in older adults after increased stress leading to a compromised immune system. It can be painful and long lasting.
Canker sore
This means that you have an acidic environment in the mouth and GI Tract and need Calcium lactate. 1 per hour (8) to get things back in balance. Calcium acts as a buffer to calm the inflammation. When there is not enough or reduced stores then these canker sores show up. Stress and low stomach acid is a huge trigger!!
Parasites:
Itchy anus, Chronic cough, skin tags, (Insulin Resistant) joint aches, Constipation, Vaginitis. If you have these types of symptoms talk to your health provider. You will want to dig a little deeper and also make some Diet and lifestyle changes. Don’t freak out… we all have parasites… these symptoms means that you maybe have too many of them, or you feeding them … hence the word parasite .
Psoriasis
This is a long-lasting, noncontagious autoimmune disease characterized by patches of abnormal skin. These areas are red, pink, or purple, dry, itchy, and scaly. In the natural functional world we address Psoriasis by removing triggers such as inflammatory foods and chemical/environmental exposures. We also support stressors like mental- emotional and improve liver detox pathways plus do a 90 day GI healing program. This is a tough condition and if you need support please reach out.
If you are having on going challenges with your skin, take a look at this list for clues. You might need to clean up your diet, manage stress, fill in some nutrient gaps and check in with your healthcare provider.
These suggestions can be found by clicking the link.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s post, and it helped you see the bigger picture and answer some of your questions. Your skin is your outside barrier, and it very often is a reflection of your inside barrier!!
Have a healthy week!!
Dr. Pia
