Functional medicine testing for acne
If you have recurrent acne and topical products aren’t helping, functional medicine testing can make all the difference. Thorough testing can help you figure out WHY those pesky zits keep popping up on your face. One of the first tests we look at for acne is a blood test for fasting insulin. This helps us determine if blood sugar dysregulation or internal inflammation is the problem. Often, a basic blood panel will test for blood glucose, but not fasting insulin, which is a much more sensitive marker and an earlier detector of these issues. Fasting insulin below 7 is optimal.
Is Your Hormonal Birth Control Causing Acne?
When investigating potential causes for acne, I sometimes discover my patient’s acne began or worsened after starting a birth control pill or IUD with one of the above ingredients. These are the progestins- the synthetic progesterone- in hormonal contraception with a high androgen index, meaning it has masculinizing effects in the body. Often times, women are given another drug like isotretinoin or spironolactone to deal with these side effects when a simpler solution may have been switching to a different form of birth control- a birth control pill with a less masculinizing progestin, the copper IUD, condoms, or the fertility awareness method. In addition, these ingredients can also cause irritability and depression in some women.
These progestins don’t always cause acne or depressive symptoms, so it’s important to talk with your provider about which birth control is right for you. There are benefits and risks of each type of birth control. Everyone’s unique- what’s right for you might not be what’s right for someone else.
What are the underlying causes of acne?
Acne is a sign that something is imbalanced internally and there are a few frequent causes of acne that I find with my patients. The good news is that you CAN clear your skin naturally by bringing the body back into balance.
Acne can be debilitating for many people, especially adults. Typically, the only options most people are offered are Accutane, spironolactone, birth control pills, and antibiotics each coming with their own set of side effects. Sometimes with marginal or zero improvement.
Acne is typically a sign that something is off internally. So instead of masking acne with a band aid with harsh side effects, I recommend digging to find the root cause of your acne. Comprehensive testing uncovering hormonal, nutrient and detoxification issues can be really helpful (I recommend working with a practitioner that uses DUTCH hormone testing as well as conventional blood work). Once you know the underlying cause you can create a plan of action to resolve acne issues. Using nutrition, stress reduction and targeted nutritional and herbal supplements typically completely clears skin!
A Naturopathic Doctor’s Take on Adaptogens for Hormonal Imbalance
In a new article on The Zoe Report, Naturopathic and Functional Medicine Doctor, Dr. Kate Denniston, shares her perspective on adaptogens for hormonal imbalance. “As for the ability adaptogens may have to balance your hormones, Dr. Denniston says the connection here has to do with your body's response to stress, specifically the production of cortisol, often called the "fight or flight" hormone. "Adaptogenic herbs, like Ashwaganda, Rhodiola, Holy Basil, Licorice, and Eleuthro can have a downstream effect on normalizing reproductive hormones because of their effect on our adrenal function and cortisol regulation," she says. "When our adrenal function and cortisol regulation is optimized, reproductive hormones can balance out on their own."
Read the full article here.