Acne

If you are struggling with acne, you are in the right place.

Although acne affects most teenagers, this condition can develop in the adult life, called adult acne. This is more than just your skin health, as we know it affects self-esteem, social anxiety, intimacy and quality of life. The frustration can be real, but it’s not just about physical appearance. Acne can also be painful as well as lead to scarring and redness. Acne is a very common skin condition as 90% of people will struggle with it during their lifetime.

Whether you are here because you are trying to avoid pharmaceuticals and medication, or because it didn’t help, you are in luck. Naturopathic Medicine is very effective at treating acne as it addresses and identifies the root cause!

In a nutshell, acne affects the skin on your face, chest, back, arms and neck. It can be inflammatory consisting of papules, pastules and nodules, or non-inflammatory consisting of whiteheads and blackheads.

natural solutions to acne using naturopathic medicine in Toronto

Diagnosis & Naturopathic Assessment

There are different forms of acne which may be linked to age and the root cause of it. The two most common ones include Acne Vulgaris and Acne Rosacea. Other types are less common and these include: Conglobata, Fulminas, Gram-Negative Folliculitis and Pyoderma Faciale.

Acne is easy to diagnose through appearance, however it’s the assessment that you should be addressing. Dr. Tali, Toronto & GTA Naturopathic Doctor, focuses on getting to the root cause of your acne in order to treat it. Band-aid solutions are only welcome for a mild relief while treating the root cause.

In order to get to the bottom of you acne, you need a curious licensed health care practitioner, such as a Naturopathic Doctor that will dive deep into your health. Dr. Tali uses an in-depth intake to figure out the root cause of your acne. Depending on your individualized case, Dr. Tali may use diagnostic testing in order to customize an individualized plan tailored specifically to your body and needs. Such testing includes Comprehensive stool analysis, Comprehensive Hormone Testing, Adrenal Hormone Testing and Food Intolerance / Sensitivity Testing.

While so many people believe that acne is hormonal, it is only one of the causes to your acne. There are many other links to your skin health such as gut health, hormones, liver health, nutrition and inflammation. Your skin is also a representation of what is going on inside of you, in your digestive organs. PMC6048199

Causes

Some of the common predisposing factors are: 

  • Hormones: Hormonal changes associated with adulthood, pregnancy, menstrual cycles, PCOS, heavy bleeding, estrogen dominance etc. Androgens specifically have been associated with increasing sebum production causing inflammatory acne. A common conventional treatment is the usage of birth control pills. Birth control pills should only be used for birth control purpose, not for pimples, as it acts as a band aid and doesn’t fix your hormonal imbalances. You deserve to be informed of all your options. Dr. Tali always strives to determine the root cause as well as fix and realign your hormonal imbalances.
  • Overweight and insulin: Insulin resistance increases androgen levels in the body potentially making your acne worse. This is why reduction in sugars and healthier eating has been shown to be beneficial in treatment.
  • Stress – your stress hormone , cortisol, may be driving your hormonal pathways into producing more androgens as well as putting you into insulin resistance. We can’t remove different daily stressors from our life, however, we can make ourselves more resilient to it. This is where adrenal work has to be done. Learn more here.
  • Food sensitivities – as mentioned before, what goes on in your gut manifests through the skin. Food sensitivities promote inflammation in the body and have been known to cause acne and other skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis etc. Therefore, it’s important to identify these foods. Read more about food sensitivities, and food sensitivity testing.
  • Diet – specifically excess sugars and dairy. Dairy has been known to be one of the most inflammatory causing foods. Whether you are sensitive or not and whether dairy is the root cause of your acne or not,  elimination of dairy has been shown to be effective in clearing the skin.
  • Other factors include: chemicals in your house hold items , beauty products  & humidity levels.

Acne Naturopathic Treatment

Dr. Tali’s naturopathic treatment to acne approach is very individualized and based on clinical researched based evidence. Taking an in-depth history and performing the necessary lab work and testing, we will find out why you have been been struggling with acne in the first place. Is it your hormones? digestive system? lifestyle factors? diet? food sensitivities? Luckily, you found yourself someone who is really curious and will take a deep dive to find out. The treatment goals for acne is to always treat the cause, improve symptoms and optimization of health by implementing a proper individualized treatment. Dr. Tali, a Toronto Naturopath, uses evidence based herbal medicine, supplementation, nutrition, acupuncture, diet and lifestyle as part of her Naturopathic Medicine treatment for acne. Dr. Tali’s approach isn’t just to optimize your skin health but it’s also to realign your hormones, heal the gut, reduce inflammation in the body and help the skin heal.

A note on conventional treatment for acne: conventional treatment consists of antibiotics, prescription medications and topicals. While they may help with symptoms at the time, most often, if the root cause of your acne isn’t addressed, it will reappear. While it may help symptomatically sometimes, it is harsh on your liver and digestive system. Hence why it’s important to identify the root cause in order to treat it once and for all. If you choose to use conventional medicine, Dr. Tali always checks for interactions.

ARE YOU READY TO FEEL YOUR BEST SELF? BOOK YOUR FREE CONSULTATION NOW!