What is your skin really telling you?

By Krista Braun, H.BSc., N.D.

  Did you know that the skin is the last to receive nutrients in the body, yet the first to show signs of imbalance, toxicity or deficiency?  Naturopathic Doctors (ND’s) are licensed health professionals who are trained to detect and work towards correcting these underlying imbalances, toxicities and deficiencies that can show up on the skin.  An initial visit with a ND would include a detailed discussion of your main health concerns, and your medical history to understand all the factors which could be impacting your health.  Naturopathic Doctors also utilize a comprehensive combination of diagnostic and assessment tools, including physical exams and lab tests, in order to provide diagnosis and treatment for many acute and chronic conditions.  Treatment plans are customized according to your specific health goals, by utilizing a unique combination of therapies, including clinical nutrition, homeopathy, botanical medicine, traditional chinese medicine, acupuncture, physical therapies, and lifestyle counseling.  ND’s focus on detoxifying, balancing , and strengthening various body systems to work towards addressing the root cause of your symptoms, in order to facilitate healing in the body and to restore optimal wellness.

In order to understand how to improve skin health, it is important to discuss the function of the skin.  The skin is the largest organ in the human body.  It is actually one of the body’s secondary eliminatory organs, and is responsible for ¼ of the body’s detoxification each day.  The skin clears toxins from the body by sweating from either exercise or heat.  The skin is not the body’s preferred route of elimination however, as there are primary eliminatory organs that are more efficient at detoxifying .  The body’s primary eliminatory organs are the liver, kidneys and lungs.  If these primary eliminatory organs are not functioning optimally, then accumulated toxins back up into the blood and the body may attempt to release the offending toxins through the skin.  This can give rise to various skin conditions, such as, acne, abscesses, boils, eczema, dermatitis, hives, redness, itching, and skin infections.  In order to optimize skin health, a Naturopathic Doctor recognizes that it is crucial to support the body’s primary eliminatory organs so they can function efficiently to prevent toxins from being re-routed through the skin for elimination.

TOXICITIES ARE REMOVED FROM THE BODY

VIA DETOXIFICATION PATHWAYS IN THE FOLLOWING ELIMINATORY ORGANS

DEFICIENCIES AND IMBALANCES IN THE BODY THAT CAN LEAD TO VARIOUS SKIN CONDITIONS

Deficiencies in certain nutrients, such as, vitamin A, B, C, E, zinc, CoQ10 and Essential Fatty Acids(EFA’s) can also show up on the skin, with symptoms such as dry skin, poor wound healing, premature aging (loss of skin elasticity, age spots, fine lines and wrinkles), stretch marks, permanent red goose bumps on the tricep region, telangiectasia (broken spider veins), rashes, dermatitis, eczema, and dull, devitalized skin.  Excessive trans fats, refined carbohydrates or dairy allergy can lead to the development of cellulite.  A Naturopathic Doctor can assess your nutrient status to determine if you have any nutritional deficiencies, and recommend key foods and nutritional supplements to replenish the necessary vitamins and minerals to support optimum skin health.