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Vibe

Naturopathy

Acne Treatment Brisbane

Discovering the hidden drivers of acne

Many people think “balancing their hormones” is the key to improving acne. Fluctuations in hormones after puberty certainly do play a part, but there often comes a time when medications like antibiotics, the contraceptive pill or roaccutane no longer help control acne breakouts. You may be a teenager wanting to get your acne under control, or someone who has struggled with acne well into your adult life. It’s frustrating and there are so many acne treatment options out there.  

New research into acne treatments and what could be the hidden drivers of your acne.

In both men and women, worsening acne and severe breakouts are more closely linked to changes in a protein called insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) than they are to testosterone based hormonal changes.

Rather than chasing “perfect hormones,” there are some dietary and supplement strategies that our naturopaths can advise you on that can influence the effect that IGF-1 has on acne.

Research shows that food choices can drive up IGF-1 levels and worsen acne symptoms. There are also some conditions such as poly-cystic ovarian disease (PCOS), obesity and insulin resistance that also push levels up, worsening adult acne. Our Naturopaths at Vibe Natural Health in Brisbane can develop a acne treatment plan to address all the common hormonal and nutritional drivers of your acne.

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Three major food groups drive up levels of IGF-1 to worsen acne:

  • high glycaemic foods (sugars and processed carbohydrates)
  • milk and dairy
  • saturated fats including trans-fats and fats deficient in omega 3 polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs).

These dietary factors lead to increased oily sebum production in the skin, which provide a breeding ground for a normal skin bacteria called P. acnes to overgrow. This oily skin environment forms a biofilm, where the acne causing bacteria can hide, making topical products for acne less effective. The oiler skin and high levels of P Acnes cause inflammation in the skin and pore blockages which are the drivers of acne.

Summary of how IGF-1 drives acne:

  • Amplifies the androgen (testosterone and DHEA) metabolism in the skin, which has a local effect further promoting increased sebum and acne
  • Increase facial sebum (oil)
  • Increases skin cell proliferation, which then blocks pores
  • Stimulates local skin inflammation

Do you find yourself saying,

"I just don’t feel quite right"

Do you find yourself saying,

"I just don’t feel quite right"

Book your Naturopathy Appointment

What to expect from your Naturopathy consultation

The best way to understand the cause of dysfunction in the body is to take a comprehensive health history. Your Naturopath will spend an hour with you at your first consultation asking questions about all the systems in your body – this gives us the framework to understand which areas of your body are working well and which areas need help.

Your Naturopath will give you an evaluation of your health, a plan for your treatment and then ask you in which order of priority you would like to treat your health issues. You will receive a hands on treatment and be given proactive recommendations to take home to improve your health.

PRICING Elysia Humphries:

Initial Consultation           90 minutes     $300

Follow Up Consultation   45 minutes     $150

PRICING Ananda Mahony:

Initial Consultation           60 minutes     $200

Follow Up Consultation   30 minutes     $100

PRICING Georgia Limmer:

Initial Consultation           60 minutes     $200

Follow Up Consultation   30 minutes     $100

Meet the Naturopaths at Vibe Natural Health Brisbane

Elysia Humphries Naturopath BrisbaneElysia Humphries

Elysia is one of the most experienced naturopaths in Brisbane and she is passionate about integrating Naturopathy into our health care system. Her treatments combine a balance of nutritional advice, pathology testing, lifestyle advice and evidence based natural medical advice.

Ananda Mahony Naturopath BrisbaneAnanda Mahony

Ananda has developed programs to assist in management of pain from autoimmune conditions, digestive complaints, hormonal conditions, functional issues, musculoskeletal problems and neuropathies. 

Georgia Limmer Naturopath BrisbaneGeorgia Limmer

Georgia is down-to-earth, committed and she works quickly to get the best results for her patients.

She sees a broad range of patients often treating several members of families at a time.

 

Dietary Strategies for acne treatment:

Our Naturopaths recommend a low glycaemic diet as part of acne treatment. It is also quite common for us to suggest a period (up to 5 weeks) of dairy avoidance. The association between milk and acne is independent of high glycaemic foods and extensively studied in over 10 thousand people.

So while milk and dairy are not a direct cause of acne, cutting it out of your diet can help to reduce acne severity. A note of caution, often when people give up cow’s milk, they move over to soy milk. While this may seem like a sensible substitute, soy contains phytoestrogens, which may also be problematic for acne sufferers. Unfortunately, goat and sheep milk may not be good alternatives either, as the proteins are very similar to cow’s milk and may have a similar effect on digestion. 

As you can see, there are many dietary factors to consider when on the discovery to find the cause of your acne. Our Naturopaths will help you demystify all the acne treatments, diets and supplements out there, with a tailored program to help you.

Our Naturopaths specialise in advising you on an acne friendly, low inflammatory diet.

Our Vibe Natural Health Naturopaths have a special interest in Acne treatment, running a Brisbane based Healthy Skin Program, which will help you to:

Have clear, healthy skin

  • Be able to see and track clear improvement over a 6 month period
  • Experience improved wellbeing and overall health
  • Understand what underlying causes impact your skin and know how to manage them
  • Know what foods support your skin, and those that don’t
  • Have an individual at-home care program that suits your skin
  • Know what topical products suit your skin and how to choose them
  • Have mindfulness and self-care strategies in place to support your overall health

 

 

Our Services

 

 

Our Team

We are passionate about giving you the education and tools you need to reduce your symptoms and participate in a healthy and active life.