The causes of rosacea are not positively proven, however the symptoms are known and, as we see this condition in clinic all the time, given time and commitment by the sufferer we know how to treat it.
Want to understand more about rosacea – read here.
Start with the gut biome! This is where inflammation in the skin usually begins and so that is where our treatments begin. They are based on diet and lifestyle changes along with products and in house treatments. According to the American Academy of Dermatology , what is happening in your gut most certainly reflects on your skin.
Lifestyle plays a part with management of stress being extremely significant as stress changes how our gut bacteria behave. However be reassured that if you alter your diet you should feel less stressed. What happens in our gut really does influence the rest of our body!
The Science behind gut health and skin conditions:
There has been a lot of research into gut health in the last decade or two. This has helped many sufferers from inflammatory conditions with it now being understood that skin conditions can be helped or exacerbated by an individual’s high and constant stress levels, by a poor diet, by alcohol and smoking and by taking antibiotics and steroid medications.
Modern diets high in processed foods, carbohydrates and low in fibre slow the rate that foods pass through our digestive system. This allows normal and essential gut bacteria to both increase in number in our small intestine but also to change into “bad, unhealthy” bacteria. These bad ones create toxins, which in time upset the lining of the gut, causing a condition known as “leaky gut” and with this the release of these toxins into the bloodstream.
Over time inflammation from these toxins is increased throughout the body and if you are a person predisposed to inflammatory skin changes you may develop rosacea and or acne.
We now know that gut health can be changed with a diet full of good quality, preferably organic, food; no processed foods, minimal carbohydrates and sugar. However it is impossible to know that the foods you buy in good faith come from a farm which has soil with all the nutrients in it for the plant, when eaten, to give to you. So sometimes extra help is needed especially if you are a person who has difficulty managing their stress, are not prepared to give up the smokes or alcohol or suffer from rosacea.
The help you need is here:
- Oral Probiotics: these repair the “leak” by creating a new barrier in the gut, slowing and eventually stopping the toxins from entering the bloodstream. These probiotics, as they are living organisms need to be provided with their own nutrients otherwise they cannot work properly. Alkalising foods such as lemons and greens and antioxidants such as berries should be added to your diet. These can be added as an extra supplement to your probiotic and this is what we recommend for at least 6 months.
- Topical Probiotics: These are fairly new however the research is showing that they work by calming the skin and decreasing the inflammatory effect in three ways:.
1. They are able to recognise the bad bacteria on the skin’s surface and kill them.
2. They are able to prevent the skin cells seeing the bad bacteria which in turn inhibits the inflammatory response (redness, swelling, bumps and pimples).
3. They are able to calm areas in the skin cells which have been triggered to fight the bad bacteria thereby stopping or decreasing the inflammatory immune response.
And a super bonus? All these processes help to reduce the fine lines and wrinkles we hope we can delay as long as possible!
In conclusion, although rosacea is a complex skin condition, at last there is hope at hand for sufferers. Possibly not as you expect just from skin care products but from your gut!
Still not sure?
Fill in the Online Skin Consultation and Gaye, our registered nurse will happily help you to choose the right treatments and products for your skin type or concern.
References: Dr Bowe
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