Did You Know?

1. The skin is the largest organ in the human body.
2. There are two types of skin; hairy and glabrous
3. There are three layers of skin; epidermis, dermis and sub-cutis
4. The skin on your knuckles is different form the skin on your belly
5. The thinnest skin is on your eyelids and the thickest skin is on the sole of your foot
6. Hair is made from a protein called keratin found also in your nails
7. Every 28 days your skin renews itself
8. Skin color is as a result of the protein melanin which is also responsible for your eye color
9. It takes up to six months for babies to get their permanent skin color.
10. For healthy skin, vitamins A, D, C, and E are essential.

The information shared is copy righted but may be duplicated in its full form to be used for
informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for sound medical advice and treatment.

 

THE FUNCTIONS OF THE SKIN

Strong Protection

Your skin is the body’s first line of defense against external threats, such as sunlight, cold weather, dirt, dust and viruses. It protects your internal organs from injury and infection.

Temperature control

The blood vessels, hairs and sweat glands in your skin play a vital role in managing the body’s temperature. When you are hot and need to cool down, the blood vessels in your skin expand and allow heat to escape. As you are sweating and your body hairs lie flat to allow the escaping heat to pass out of the body. In reverse, when you are cold and need to retain heat, the opposite happens. Your blood vessels tighten, you produce far less sweat and your hairs stand on end in an attempt to trap warm air around your body.

Sensation

Your skin is home to numerous nerve endings and receptors that sense changes and allow you to feel objects, sense pain and pressure and differentiate hot from cold.

Vitamin D production

When you expose your skin to the sun it produces vitamin D. Your body needs vitamin D to keep your bones and muscles strong and healthy.

 

THE MOST COMMON SKIN CONDITIONS: ACNE

Others are Eczema and Psoriasis.

The information shared is copy righted but may be duplicated in its full form to be used for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for sound medical advice and treatment.

 

This segment will focus more on acne with some overview on Eczema and Naturopathic recommendations. Acne is the most common disease seen by dermatologists; it affects over 80% of teenagers and many young and even middle age adults who are experiencing hormonal changes.

Acne is an inflammatory condition caused by excessive sebum (an oily substance secreted by glands that are especially numerous on the face, neck, chest and back) and dead skin cells becoming trapped in the pores and providing a place for bacteria to grow.

Acne is an internal, systemic condition, because excessive sebum production is influenced by a combination of factors such as: hormonal imbalance, food allergy, nutritional imbalances, poor elimination and stress

 

ANTI ACNE RECOMMENDATION

New skin cells take approximately 20-30 days to be produced and then migrate to the surface, so it may take 1-2 months to begin seeing results. Don’t give up if once started on a skin health program you do not see results immediately.

The information shared is copy righted but may be duplicated in its full form to be used for
informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for sound medical advice and treatment.

Below are some guidelines that may assist you in attaining both better health and clearer skin. On a personal level, I recommend a customize approach your suit your needs. The interventions and modalities used will depend on the root cause of your skin concerns.

 

NUTRITIONAL INFLUENCE

Foods to Avoid

• Milk
• Meat
• Fried foods
• Margarine
• Foods prepared with coconut or palm oil
• White flour products
• *Coffee, tea, cola, soda pop
• *Chocolate, candy
• Other sugary food

If indicated, avoid the following foods in the absence of food allergy testing.

• All dairy
• Poultry
• Fish
• Eggs
• Apples

Be aware of your health status. The conditions below will exaggerate acne.

• Kidney or liver damage
• Deceased white blood cell count
• Overgrowth of Candida and

The information shared is copy righted but may be duplicated in its full form to be used for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for sound medical advice and treatment.

ECZEMA

Eczema is a general term that is applied to a wide range of chronic / persistent skin conditions – such as scaling or dryness on the skin which can then lead to red rashes, crusting, flaking, blistering, cracking, oozing, welling or bleeding of the skin, often along with discoloration.

Eczema is frequently seen in infants and children, and often clears away by the age of six. In adults, it is generally a long–term or recurring condition. While any region of the body may be affected by eczema, in children and adults, eczema typically occurs on the face, neck, and the insides of the elbows, knees, and ankles. In infants, eczema typically occurs on the forehead, cheeks, forearms, legs, scalp, and neck. The most commonly used test for eczema is known as the ELISA test which looks at the Allergy Antibodies IgE and IgG levels. The ELISA test is also called Enzyme–Linked Immunosorbent Assay. Other tests that can be used in conjunction with the ELISA are; Essential and Metabolic Fatty Acid Analysis; Hair (Elemental) Analysis; The Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis (CDSA) and the Intestinal Permeability Assessment.

WHAT CAUSES ECZEMA?

Under stressful situations, the production of a stress hormone called cortisol is increased, leading an increased amount of inflammation and prostaglandin synthesis. This can exacerbate eczema and cause severe discomforts.

Contact eczema can be triggered by substances that come in contact with the skin, such as soaps and detergents, rubber gloves, cleaning products, cosmetics lotions and creams, make–up products, clothing, detergents, jewelry, or sweat.

Environmental allergens may also cause outbreaks of eczema. Changes in temperature or humidity, or even psychological stress, for some people lead to outbreaks of eczema.
The following are a few examples that can cause or worsen eczema:

Allergy to some plants and certain chemicals

• Allergy or Intolerance to certain foods
• Sensitivity towards certain drugs
• Acute or chronic Stress
• Deficiencies of certain Vitamin or mineral
• Deficiencies of certain Essential fatty acid
• Digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome
• Celiac disease, and small intestine malabsorption syndrome
• Certain physical or psychological disorders
• Prolonged exposure to the sun.

Types of Eczema

1. Infantile seborrheic eczema OR CRADLE CAP IN INFANTS

Seen on the scalp of newborns. It presents as a thick yellow crusty scalp, and is quite often greasy

2. Atopic eczema (allergic eczema) –

This is the most common type of eczema. It is a patch of itchy skin where blisters form, then dry and become crusty.

3. Allergic contact dermatitis (Allergic contact eczema)

This type of eczema may be due to a hypersensitivity or delayed reaction to some allergen, such as poison ivy or nickel, which leads to long–term inflammation. The inflammation causes the skin to become itchy and scaly

4. Irritant contact dermatitis –

This type of eczema results from direct reaction to an irritant such as dishwashing liquid or wool for example. Contact eczema is quite easily curable provided the offending substance can be avoided, and its traces removed from one’s environment.

5. Adult seborrhoeic eczema (Adult seborrhoeic dermatitis) –

Dandruff or flaking is a symptom of seborrheic dermatitis. In adults, this type of eczema \ presents as redness and itching around the folds of the nose, elbows, behind the knees and the eyebrow areas, not just the scalp. It presents as dry, thick, well-defined red lesions consisting of large, silvery scales may be traced to the less common psoriasis of the scalp. Seasonal changes, stress, diet and immuno– suppression seem to affect seborrheic dermatitis.

Rare Types of Eczema

• Phototoxic dermatitis

Eczema that comes on after exposure to sunlight

• Varicose eczema –
• Discoid eczema

This type is also called nummular or exudative is characterized by round spots of oozing or dry rash, with clear boundaries, often on lower legs. It is usually worse in winter. This type of eczema comes about quite often as a reaction to certain types of drugs.

ANTI ECZEMA RECOMMENDATIONS

• Do not smoke or drink alcohol.
• Limit your sugar intake and avoid junk food, coffee and sodas.
• Eat plenty fresh vegetables and whole foods; identify and avoid food allergens.
• Exercise daily and get outside for fresh air.
• Avoid skin irritants.
• Avoid over exposing your skin to direct sun.
• Use skin lubricants and moisturizers after bathing.
• Include mind-body techniques such as meditation, tai chi, yoga, and stress management to help reduce stress.
• Use soothing bath products. Starch, oatmeal, and other baths may temporarily relieve the symptoms.

Anything that aggravates the symptoms should be avoided. This includes food allergens. The most common food allergens are in these foods:

-Wheat, corn, dairy, soy, peanuts, eggs, citrus, seafood, tomatoes, beef, and lamb.
A rotation diet, in which the same food is not eaten more than once every four days, may be helpful in treating chronic eczema

Finally, should an infection arise form an exacerbation of these skin conditions, most reassuringly, infections can often be cured using natural therapies such as dietary changes, herbal remedies, homeopathic medicines, and hydrotherapy. Natural therapeutics is generally free of side effects and patients experience an improvement in their general health. The immune system is actually stimulated to deal with the infection and healing proceeds rapidly.

In some states naturopathic physicians are licensed to prescribe certain antibiotics such as penicillin, erythromycin, tetracycline, and some cephalosporin’s and their derivatives. Sometimes antibiotics are necessary in the treatment of certain conditions and are included in naturopathic therapies here because. When antibiotics are needed, your naturopathic physician will recommend methods to reduce the side-effects. Local infections if left untreated can lead to severe scaring and in some cases, even lead to systemic infections which could be life threatening.

Contact:

Dr. Dorette Lewis-Senior ND. MSAc. BS-RN
Phone: 347-843 -0789
Email: lewissenior@doctorstohealth.com