How to Clear Adult AcneHow to Clear Adult Acne - Inner Sage Boston Acupuncture & Wellness, LLC

How to Clear Adult Acne

The key to clearing adult acne lies in figuring out the underlying cause from the inside out

If you’ve struggled with acne, you know how frustrating it can be, and the effects it can have on your general well-being and self-esteem. (I’ve been there!!)

Aside from antibiotics, harsh topicals, or worst case, strong medications like Accutane, there really isn’t much offered conventionally from what I’ve seen. Newer laser and light therapies offer some hope, though those, much like the oral options or other topical options are not addressing the underlying imbalances that caused the acne in the first place. Acne is a symptom of a greater problem, not just an isolated issue.

If you are interested in healing acne from within, for longer term clear skin, read on.

After struggling with acne for decades, I finally can look back and appreciate that it existed — it was the main symptom that forced me to really learn about what was going on inside, helping to resolve many other symptoms I didn’t know were related.

Common Causes of Adult Acne:

The main underlying imbalances that we will discuss today that can lead to acne are, hormonal, metabolic, gut related, and stress.

Hormonal: The most common hormonal trigger for acne is elevated androgens, namely, testosterone. Elevated testosterone can increase sebum and inflammation in the follicles leading to acne. The main cause of elevated testosterone in women is Insulin Resistance. So, treatment for this would include herbals and supplements to balance testosterone, but would be incomplete without addressing the layer beneath that which is Insulin Resistance. We offer home testing kits that can assess for elevated androgens, as well as levels of your other hormones. For more on Insulin Resistance, see next bullet point.
Insulin Resistance: Commonly seen in women with PCOS (though not the only cause of PCOS), Insulin Resistance means your cells are less sensitive to insulin (usually due to genetics and poor diet high in sugars and starches), so you produce more insulin. High insulin creates more testosterone which can lead to acne, as well as delayed or anovulation/total lack of ovulation and no periods (amenorrhea). If you struggle with irregular/longer late cycles (over 30+ days), have acne, and issues with weight gain, or family history of diabetes type 2/metabolic issues, it is likely that Insulin Resistance may be an underlying issue for you. Not only does Insulin Resistance lead to unwanted skin eruptions and irregular cycles, it can lead to more serious metabolic issues down the road if not addressed, including high cholesterol, and potentially cardiovascular risks.
Gut Related: Bacterial, or other pathogenic overgrowth in the gut can lead to issues like “leaky gut”. This can be linked to inflammation, imbalanced microbiome, food sensitivities, and even affect mood. Many skin issues like acne, eczema, or psoriasis have a gut origin. Typically, with underlying gut overgrowth issues, you will see gut immune issues, food intolerances, bloating, gas, constipation or diarrhea, reflux, anxiety, sleep issues, etc. Microbiome imbalances can worsen or lead to metabolic issues (see above), cause skin eruptions, and even worsen hormone imbalances. If you have gut symptoms along with acne, it is worth getting the gut checked out. We offer stool testing, and other home test kits to assess the health of your gut.
Stress: Stress hormones (cortisol) can increase inflammation and also increase sebum, potentially creating more acne. It also lowers your immune system which can affect skin healing. With any skin healing program, stress must be addressed. I recommend relaxation techniques you can do at home, acupuncture is also great for balancing the nervous system/getting out of fight or flight mode, and also supplements that can help calm the system down.

In summary, for full healing of your skin, it is important to assess underlying causes and imbalances to really understand what’s going on and how to create a a customized protocol. Many of my patients have all 3 of the above issues going on, and we must address all of them in order to heal long-term, as everything is connected. There are other potential causes of acne that have not been mentioned in this article, but we do review all of them before creating your programs. Sometimes, it’s a matter of peeling back layers of the onion to figure out what’s going on underneath.