liver health acne and gut

Your Liver Health: The Root Cause of Acne?

Not knowing what's causing your constant breakouts is frustrating.

Sometimes, you can try ALL the topicals and even some medications without success.  This brings about feelings of powerlessness and maybe a bit of apathy.

Perhaps you're looking in the wrong places altogether....

Over our many years in the industry, we have seen a connection between liver function and the skin.

The liver has the responsibility of filtering our blood (and hormones), helping blood sugar balance and also fat metabolism. This poor, hard-working organ goes into overdrive when we eat junk food, drink alcohol, use recreational drugs and while processing some medications.  A lot of people have a liver that is working sub-optimally.  It's not in a 'diseased' state but may still be affecting their skin.

Your Liver and Acne 

Acne is often worse during times of stress. This can affect the liver directly but also because our lifestyle habits tend to be a bit s#!* when we are stressed out.  Stress affects blood flow to the liver, impacting it's function. 

Another consideration is the impact that acne treatments have on the liver. Oral medications for acne can increase liver enzymes and triglycerides, which are markers of liver damage. 

Asian medicine has a particular condition called "Liver Qi Stagnation" that is pointed to as the root cause of many acne cases along with many other conditions such as PMS, menstrual dysfunction, irritability and digestive issues.

Watch this short video on Liver Qi Stagnation and the skin for more in-depth info. 

We talked with Naturopathic Doctor, Emily Lipinski, who offered up her insight into acne and Liver Qi Stagnation - and what to do about it.

Happy learning!

 Image by Jannes Jacobs via unsplash

Citations:

Vere CC, Streba CT, Streba LM, Ionescu AG, Sima F. Psychosocial stress and liver disease status. World journal of gastroenterology: WJG. 2009 Jun 28;15(24):2980.

Ahmad HM. Analysis of clinical efficacy, side effects, and laboratory changes among patients with acne vulgaris receiving single versus twice daily dose of oral isotretinoin. Dermatologic therapy. 2015 May;28(3):151-7.

Pugeat M, Nader N, Hogeveen K, Raverot G, Déchaud H, Grenot C. Sex hormone-binding globulin gene expression in the liver: drugs and the metabolic syndrome. Molecular and cellular endocrinology. 2010 Mar 5;316(1):53-9.

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