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The Four Reasons You Have Acne




There are FOUR reasons that cause you to break out, on your face, chest, back, anywhere. These four causes of acne are seen at the skins cellular level and can be the result of a variety of our body’s processes, but can be manipulated in many ways to create an environment for your skin to clear and thrive.






1. SEBUM PRODUCTION

Sebum production or also known as an increase in oil production on the skin, is a huge factor that plays into the health of your skin. An increase of oil will cause your pores to clog and therefore creating an environment that is primed to break out. You’re probably asking why some of us produce more oil on our skin than others, well here are some reasons:


  • Hormone Imbalance - Elevated testosterone levels has been shown to increase sebum production on our skin. Understanding our hormone levels and promoting hormone balance is key for having healthy, clear skin. Make sure to check out the 5 hormone imbalances that could be causing your acne.

  • Lifestyle - Certain foods (eg. dairy, sugar, etc) have been shown to increase IGF-1 (insulin growth factor-1) levels. This increase results in an overproduction of sebum production in our skin. Reducing the levels of IGF-1 will then result in a reduction in the oil production, therefore avoiding these foods or consuming them in moderation can be super beneficial for clearing our skin. Here is a list of some foods to be avoided.

  • Omega 3s- They have been shown in research to help reduction sebum production in our skin. This could be a great addition to our supplement routine, but always remembering that adding in new products is something that should be discussed with your healthcare practitioner.


2. FOLLICULAR HYPERKERATINIZATION

Follicular Hyperkeratinization is when your skin is not shedding properly. There is a build up of skin and therefore pores are once again getting clogged and creating the perfect storm for break outs. Once a pore is blocked the bacteria, P. Acnes, has the opportunity to proliferate and result in acne lesions. How can you reduce follicular hyperkeratinization?

  • Sweating - Regular sweating, an easy at-home thing to do, can help to support the clearing of pores and regular skin shedding. Also, it is important that you shower after sweating to make sure to reduce any bacterial overgrowth on your skin

  • Omega 3s - Adding into routine has been shown to be beneficial to promoting healthy skin shedding

  • Salicylic Acid - Typically found in many conventional topical products and has been shown to reduce follicular hyperkeratinization

Supporting the regular shedding of skin is important so that sebum can pass through appropriately, P. Acnes bacteria does not proliferate in a clogged pore and no inflammation is produced.


3. P. ACNES BACTERIA

P. Acnes Bacteria, the regularly occurring, ever present bacteria, on your skin that helps to produce acne. When you pair P. Acnes with any of the other three issues listed, you have the perfect environment for your skin to break out. We want to reduce the proliferation of the P. Acnes bacteria on the skin. You can do this by:


  • Tea Tree Oil - 5% Tea Tree Oil applied topically has been shown to reduce p.acnes bacteria on the skin. Applying this before bed can be a great way to reduce the bacterial overgrowth and promote a reduction in acne

  • Probiotic Topically - Greek yogurt face mask can be supportive for modulating the bacteria on the skin. Doing this once a week would be something to add into your skin care routine

  • Do not pick your skin- When breaking out, we have a tendency to want to pick our acne lesions and therefore this can lead to the spread of bacteria and result in more acne. We should be trying our best to not touch our skin throughout the day to prevent contamination.

  • Benzoyl Peroxide - Common in most over the counter topical products, can be helpful in reducing bacteria on the skins surface. Staying mindful this can also dry your skin out

Using all of the above listed recommendations at the same time is not ideal. Finding what works best for you and your skin is important to appropriately reduce bacterial overgrowth.


4. INFLAMMATION

Inflammation, is key when we are talking about acne. Inflammation can arise from a variety of ways, and therefore managing inflammation is key for clearing skin. Assessing our diet, hormones, guts and stress levels are important when we are investigating inflammatory levels. Ways to reduce inflammation:


  • Whole Foods Diet- Focusing on consuming clean, whole foods on a regular basis can do wonders for your skin, especially when eliminating certain foods that have been shown to cause acne

  • Stress Reduction- We know that stress can impact our skin, so its important to build resilience and strong coping mechanisms such as meditation, journalling and self-care to lower stress levels

  • Supplements- Specific supplements have been shown to reduce inflammatory levels, such products are: NAC, Curcumin, Zinc, Omega 3s, Probiotics, etc. Its important that these supplements should not be started on their own and you should be working with a health professional before starting something new.

FINAL NOTE

It is important to note that you can have all of these skin issues or just a few, but they all create the perfect environment for you to break out. Addressing each of these triggers individually as well as together is important for reducing your acne. Working to reduce foods that cause acne, balancing your hormones, healing your gut and building a healthy lifestyle are all integral for clearing your skin. Want to get started? BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT HERE

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The information provided on this website does not replace the medical advice given to you by your doctor.  Information on this site should not be used to diagnose or treat.  You should see your primary care provider before making any health changes.

All Rights Reserved, Dr. Stephanie Fairborn 2024. 

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