Acne

White heads, black heads, cystic acne, ugh!

No one is happy to see acne. Not surprisingly, it is one of the most common reasons that people come to see me. Even if they have other, sometimes more serious concerns, it is often acne that will drive them to make an appointment.

From a naturopathic perspective, acne is much more than a skin condition. I find the underlying causes are usually one of these 3:

1.      Food sensitivity: this can be any number of foods or food groups. Many people ask how they can react to a food that they have been eating for years. The answer is the total body burden. Think of a glass filling up with water. Add more water with stressors such as poor sleep, junk food, work deadlines, a fight with a partner, allergies, etc. Eventually the glass is so full it will start to spill over and that is when symptoms occur. Food sensitivities may have always been there but the person does not notice them because the glass is not full.

 2.      Hormonal imbalance: fluctuations in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone can cause acne.

 3.      Trouble detoxifying: our organs of detoxification are the liver, kidneys, and lungs. If those get overloaded, the toxin burden goes to our skin.

If you want to find the root cause of your acne with a naturopathic doctor in the Bay Area, please schedule a phone consultation.