Acne: What’s The Root Cause?

Acne is a problem that plagues many of us during the course of our lives. Whether you are a teenager, young adult or middle-aged adult, acne can be a chronic and often difficult to treat condition. In order to adequately treat any condition, we must first understand the potential triggers or causes of acne.

HORMONES – HOW BALANCED ARE YOU?

There is no question that hormones are a major trigger when it comes to teenage acne. The glands in the skin are stimulated by estrogen and testosterone and elevated levels of these hormones will make it more likely that these glands will then become clogged with oil and sebum. Normally, hormones will balance themselves out after about a year of entering puberty, but sometimes this is not the case. Teens with persistent acne must explore the root of the problem to identify the triggers.

Teenage women with irregular or painful periods, mood swings and/or extreme premenstrual symptoms are likely experiencing a hormone imbalance that will often contribute to acne. The same goes for women who suffer from adult acne. For adult women, periods may not necessarily be irregular, but the acne is often cyclical – i.e. worse mid-cycle, just before or during menstruation. In my practice, I will often perform a salivary hormone test to accurately determine hormone status.

Treating the underlying hormone imbalance is often all that needs to be done in order to resolve uncomplicated cyclical acne. Conventional treatments involve oral contraceptive pills, however these can carry tremendous risk for women, both young and mature. A more safe and natural approach would be to balance the hormones using the appropriate nutrients (vitamins, minerals and/or herbs) and for more mature women, bio-identical hormone therapy.

STRESS – WE ALL HAVE IT, BUT HOW WELL DO YOU DEAL WITH IT?

Many people will notice their acne takes a turn for the worse when stress levels are high. The stress hormone cortisol is the culprit, but there IS something you can do about it. Cortisol is a crucial hormone that has beneficial and negative effects. Cortisol helps to fuel our bodies through the day (stimulates the release of adrenaline) by breaking down body stores of glucose to provide energy, but it’s also a hormone that breaks down important proteins in our skin, joints and other tissues. Cortisol levels are lowest at night when you sleep and this is the same time that melatonin levels are highest. Melatonin is an important hormone that helps to balance other hormones in the body and repairs at night what cortisol breaks down during the day.

The bottom line: sufficient quality and quantity of sleep is crucial. If you suffer from disturbed sleep, poor quality sleep or have trouble falling or staying asleep, then your melatonin and cortisol levels are imbalanced and therefore, other hormones in your body are imbalanced as well. A good night’s sleep means you get at least eight hours uninterrupted sleep, fall asleep easily, do not wake up throughout the night and feel refreshed upon waking.

Follow these simple rules and you might find your sleep pattern will improve: avoid all light while sleeping by using blinds or drapes that block out ALL light; remove all electronic devices (phones, digital alarm clocks, TV, etc.) from your bedroom; take your calcium-magnesium-vitamin D supplement with dinner because it can help promote a restful sleep; avoid all liquids 2 hrs before bed. If you are still experiencing trouble sleeping, a naturopathic physician can help you restore your normal sleep pattern with the appropriate treatment and lifestyle modifications.

IMPROPER HYGIENE – WHAT ARE YOU PUTTING ON YOUR SKIN?

Because the glands of the skin are extremely responsive to hormones, it becomes absolutely crucial to follow proper hygiene in the care and maintenance of skin (i.e. cleansing, refraining from frequent touching of the face), but there is the possibility of over-scrubbing or drying out the skin. A simple cleansing gel, toner and lightweight moisturizer night and day, along with once or twice weekly gentle exfoliation is sufficient.

Avoid cosmetics and cleansers that contain toxic ingredients – READ LABELS! Avoid the following ingredients: parabens, mineral oil, paraffin, petrolatum, phenol carbolic acid, propylene glycol, sodium laurel sulfate, tolulene, and dioxanes. Even many products that claim to fight acne will contain these harmful ingredients. Choose natural, organic skin care products available at many specialty health food stores (Planet Organic, Capers, Whole Foods) and some naturopathic physicians carry specialized products in their dispensary. If you are not sure which skin care products would be right for you, see a naturopathic physician who specializes in skincare health.

TOXINS – THE WORST CULPRIT

We are all exposed to toxins on a daily basis – whether or not these toxins have a negative effect in the body, depends on the severity of the toxic exposure and how well our body is eliminating the toxin. Examples of some common daily toxins include: household chemicals, exhaust fumes, caffeine, food sensitivities, heavy metals – such as mercury fillings in the mouth and lead in drinking water – just to name a few. The 3 main eliminative organs in the body are the kidneys (via urine), bowels (via stool) and lungs (via respiration).

The liver is a key organ in this process because it metabolizes the toxins to make them eliminable. Anyone who is taking medication (including oral contraceptives) or following improper lifestyle habits (smoking, alcohol consumption, poor diet) is putting added stress on the liver’s ability to metabolize toxins, thereby making it more difficult to eliminate toxins. If you are taking medication, at the very least it is a good idea to supplement with a good B-complex vitamin once daily – B vitamins are a crucial part of detoxification reactions in the liver and facilitate healthy cholesterol metabolism. B vitamins are often depleted by medications such as oral contraceptives.

The kidneys need to be filtered with adequate amounts of water in order to eliminate toxins – if you are dehydrated, this function is compromised. As a rule of thumb, the average person should consume 2L of filtered water daily. For an active individual, 3L daily is recommended.

Proper bowel function is absolutely crucial in the process of toxin elimination – if you are constipated, toxins remain in the intestines for a prolonged period of time, allowing them and other agents to be reabsorbed and re-circulated in the body.

Respiration is an often overlooked aspect of elimination. Of course, we breathe all day, but how well do you breathe? Active deep breathing requires a conscious effort to inhale deeply and exhale slowing and in a controlled fashion. Exercises that facilitate deep breathing include yoga, pilates and meditation. Cardiovascular exercise is also a way to excrete toxins via respiration and through the sweat glands of the skin. Both types of breathing exercises and cardiovascular training should compromise a healthy and balanced exercise program.

When the body becomes ‘overloaded’ with toxins that it cannot eliminate effectively, it will use ‘secondary’ roots of elimination to get the toxins out. The skin is one of the main secondary eliminative organs (along with the mucous membranes lining the nose, mouth, urethral and vaginal tracts) and acne (also eczema, psoriasis) is often a result of this process. Allergies (such as hay fever) are also partly explained by this phenomenon.

Following a medically supervised detoxification program designed by a naturopathic physician to suit your specific needs can help restore proper function of the primary organs of elimination and help get those toxins moving out of your system. Most people will also experienced increased energy levels, mental clarity, improved metabolism, better sleep and overall enhanced mood and outlook following a comprehensive detoxification program.

In summary, acne can be a very complex and psychologically debilitating condition that affects people of all ages. Conventional treatments do not typically treat the ‘cause’ of the acne and often lead to unwanted side effects – if not immediately, the effects will certainly impact one’s future health. Following proper dietary and lifestyle habits are the foundation of any effective treatment program, but often there are imbalances that must be identified and addressed accordingly in order to treat the root of the problem and restore balance to bodily functions, eliminating acne once and for all.

If you struggle with acne and looking for a permanent and natural solution, see a naturopathic physician. Keep in mind that acne can take 3-6 months to treat naturally and effectively, but with patience and diligence the outcome will often not only resolve your acne, but as well you will get the added benefit of improving your overall health on many levels and feel good about your treatment and outcome.
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Dr. Sharon Gurm, ND is a licensed naturopathic physician and medical director of Port Moody Naturopathic Health & Wellness. She has special interests in anti-aging, dermatology, hormone balance, heavy metal toxicity, digestive disorders and chronic disease.