Since the body is an integrated system, what is happening inside of your gut and mind can often times be expressed in the form of a skin condition. Skin conditions can be comprised of many disorders, including rosacea, acne, eczema, psoriasis, keratosis pilaris, warts, molluscum, bacterial and fungal infections, seborrhea, and ingrown nails. While the majority of dermatologists or primary care providers will focus on creams, ointments, and oral medications to help control the symptoms of a skin disorder, it is important to look further into the root cause in order to start the healing process.

We believe that the health of your gut affects your brain, and thus affects what is expressed through your skin. Seventy years ago, two dermatologists proposed an overlap between mental illness, gastrointestinal health, and skin conditions. Experimental evidence allowed them to show that emotional states can alter gastrointestinal tract function and change the gut microbiota leading to local and systemic skin inflammation. Other research shows that up to 40% of people with acne have less than adequate stomach acid, which alters normal intestinal bacteria. This can lead to a common occurrence called SIBO, or small intestinal bacterial over growth. While SIBO can be associated with acne, rosacea, and yeast overgrowth, it can also cause significant issues with proper absorption of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and B vitamins in the gut. You can see why it is so important to heal the gut and mind before seeing results in skin conditions.

We can and might use pharmaceutical medications to help temporarily with the symptoms of certain skin conditions, but we will mainly focus on using specific probiotics and essential fatty acids, changing poor dietary habits, and decreasing daily stressors to see long term skin improvements.