Naturopathic Solutions For Acne

I get a lot of patients who come to me with acne problems that they haven’t been able to solve with conventional methods.

There are indeed naturopathic solutions for acne that can help reduce your outbreaks of this troublesome issue.

I’m Dr. Sheila Dyer, a naturopathic doctor in Toronto, and today we’re going to have a look at what we’re talking about when we say “acne”, some of the causes, and a couple of treatments that we often use.

What Is Acne?

“Common acne” is used to describe pimples, which just about everyone gets at some point in their lives.

Pimples are secretions in the skin’s sebaceous glands; these greasy secretions clog pores and hair follicles.

Clogged pores can develop into blackheads or whiteheads, and often become swollen, tender and inflamed.

More serious acne is called cystic acne, which is swelling beneath the skin’s surface that becomes inflamed, tender, and sometimes even infected.

What Causes Acne?

Well, it boils down to just a few different things, to be honest: hormones and bacteria.

Hormones fluctuate wildly during puberty, and young men – who are statistically more likely to suffer from acne and severe acne – are having their bodies flooded with testosterone.

Testosterone is the hormone used to signal the body to, among other things, produce more sebum, or oil.

Bacteria come in when these inflammations sometimes break under pressure and the sebum leaks into surrounding tissue.

This can cause a pustule – or papule – to form; larger pustules are called nodules.

These nodules can be large and very tender, inflammatory acne.

What DOESN’T Cause Acne?

Although many people attribute acne to eating junk food, that is not a direct cause of acne.

Neither is poor hygiene or a high sex drive.

Diet can have somewhat of an impact, but the data is limited – it’s worth trying an elimination diet to remove potential acne triggers (more on that later), but there are many other factors at play.

So you see, although it might be painful or you find it unsightly, it has no reflection on your habits, only your biology.

Naturopathic Treatments For Acne

Let’s have a look at some of the naturopathic treatments available to help relieve your acne issues.

1. Use Tea Tree Oil

Not everyone is able to use over-the-counter medications to control their acne, which is why scientists undertook this particular survey, looking at the effectiveness of tea tree oil on acne vulgaris (common acne).

They were successful in establishing a significant difference between those treated with tea tree oil, and those who were treated with the placebo.

Tea tree oil is an essential oil drawn from the Australian tea tree, and is known for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, which is why it’s so interesting for acne sufferers.

2. Manage Your Stress

Stress has been shownto have a ‘significant association’ with the severity of acne.

This is true especially in males, and particularly around puberty.

The study suggests that the increased acne severity that responds to stress may be caused by factors other than sebum quantity.

If you find your acne gets worse when your stress gets worse, consider these nutritionally-based stress solutions to help you relax.

3. Try An Elimination Diet

Elimination diets are a frequently-used treatment to help with numerous conditions, and it works for acne, as well.

The idea behind an elimination diet is that you cut out everything but the most bland food to start.

After two weeks, when all food sensitivities have been purged from your system, we are able to see your body’s baseline, including how your acne is.

Once we’ve eliminated everything, you gradually start adding food back again, and see what triggers a reaction.

That gives you a good idea if there are triggers in your diet that could be aggravating your acne.

4. Address Any Nutrient Deficiencies

Your body is a miracle of biology, chemistry and balance; when things are ‘off’, you never know what you’re going to get.

Nutrient deficiencies such as Vitamin A, E and Zinc have shown to cause more severe acne.

One of the treatments I sometimes consider is supplementing these vitamins to help reduce acne severity.

5. Address Any Digestive Issues

Although junk food doesn’t directly cause acne, you should nevertheless be careful to identify inflammatory foods and keep those out of your diet.

Acne is an inflammatory condition, so eating foods that trigger an inflammatory response in your gut is only going to make matters worse for your acne.

This is why we might try eliminating sugar, dairy, gluten, and other common inflammatory triggers from your diet.

Book An Appointment With Dr. Sheila Dyer, ND

Acne is an unfortunate condition for teenagers who are already dealing with so much.

But they’re not the only ones who suffer from acne.

Whether you’re one of the 20% of adults who suffer from adult acne, or perhaps you have a child that has been experiencing outbreaks, I’m here for you.

Call now and book an appointment with me, Dr. Sheila Dyer, ND, and I’ll help you find the best treatment to get rid of your acne.