What Is Causing My Acne?

What is Causing My Acne?

Get to the Root Cause of YOUR Acne and Start CLEARING YOUR SKIN once and for all, from the inside out.

Take our short free What is Causing My Acne QUIZ to get started on your Clear Skin journey:

Have you been struggling with acne for a while now and can’t seem to get clear skin?

Have you tried endless amounts of topical creams and pills or fad detoxes to try to fix your acne?  Take the What is Causing My Acne Quiz below.

 

QUIZ:

You can choose more than one answer for each question, and then tally them up at the end for your results 

 

My breakouts tend to be on my: (can choose more than one)

1. Chin/Jaw area
2. Forehead and cheeks
3. Various areas – sometimes forehead, chin or cheeks or temples
4. Areas that are touched a lot (eg. mask, headbands, helmet)

I tend to get this type of breakout:  (can choose more than one)

1. Cystic
2. Small bumps, Rash-like, Rosacea
3. Various types
4. Blotchy skin, Dry or Flakey, Small bumps

I have these other symptoms:  (can choose more than one)

1. Irregular Periods, Longer cycles (30+ days), Weight Gain, or Excess Hair Growth
2. Digestive issues, Constipation, Diarrhea/Loose Stools, Bloating, Acid Reflux, Fatigue, Possible Iron Deficiency
3. Currently experiencing or History of Emotional Stress, Chronic Stress, Anxiety, Lack of Sleep, Excessive Physical Activity, Yo-Yo Dieting
4. A lot of other allergies — seasonal, dust, animals

Food/Diet statements that sounds like me:   (can choose more than one)

1. I crave carbs/starches or sugary foods and drinks
2. I’m sensitive to a lot of foods and/or get bloated easily after meals.
3. I tend to skip breakfast, meals, or have an irregular eating schedule
4. Food and diet doesn’t seem to affect my skin

My skin tends to be:

1. Oily (may also have dandruff)
2. Flushed, Rosacea, Blotchy
3. Combination (also may sweat easily)
4. Irritated, itchy, can alternate between Dry and Oily

 

RESULTS:  tally up how many you got in each category, 1-4 and see below for explanation for each.  Hint:  you may have more than one high score and more than one underlying cause 

If you got mostly:

1. PCOS/Insulin Resistance/High Testosterone
2. Food Allergies/Sensitivities
3. Stress/HPA Axis
4. Topical Irritation/Sensitivity

 

Explanation:

FOR MORE IN-DEPTH INFORMATION ABOUT UNDERLYING CAUSES, Read our Acne Blog Post CLICK HERE

1. PCOS/Insulin Resistance/High Testosterone

Underlying insulin sensitivity, blood sugar imbalance, and/or high testosterone/androgens can lead to hormone imbalances and acne breakouts.  A common condition that can lead to these imbalances is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).

2. Food Allergies/Sensitivities

Food sensitivities, leaky gut, constipation, and digestive inflammation can lead to bacterial overgrowth in the gut, systemic inflammation, toxin production and can lead to breakouts.  Underlying GI issues can affect absorption of nutrients and create an added stressor on the body worsening acne.

3. Stress/HPA Axis

Emotional, physical or environmental stressors can all add burden on to your system, affecting stress hormone (cortisol) production, adrenal fatigue, hormone balance, sleep, and in some can lead to breakouts on the skin.  Imbalances here can also affect your menstrual cycle, mood, focus, immune system, digestion, and sebum production, and skin regeneration/healing capabilities.

4. Topical Irritation/Sensitivity

Using harsh products that are over-drying can irritate the skin, disrupt the pH balance of the skin barrier, and counterintuitively lead to excess sebum production and acne.  For customized topical products for acne, check out our partner

BONUS:  Post-Pill Acne

An additional category of triggers for acne is Hormonal Birth Control.  Some women find that their acne improves on the pill, because the synthetic hormones keep androgens (testosterone) at bay which can control sebum production and skin inflammation.  However, it can backfire once coming off the pill.  Two things can occur.  1.  Your underlying hormone imbalance re-appears after discontinuing the pill causing menstrual irregularities or acne; or 2.  You never had acne before, but your body is now pushing out more androgen production and oil production because it was suppressed with the pill causing it to “upregulate”, but now you don’t have the synthetic estrogen to balance it out.  Women with this issue often find that their skin not only starts to break out, but becomes oilier either after starting or discontinuing the pill or hormonal IUD.

 

THE SOLUTION:  Customized Acne Program

Step One:  Determining what your unique underlying causes are for your acne.

Step Two:  Creating a plan that is customized for your type of acne.  This can include specific diet changes, supplements or herbs, relaxation techniques, changes in your workouts, and Acupuncture or home acupuncture options like Acupatching™

Step Three:  Follow up after one month to assess progress and make changes to protocol you can carry forward for long-term success

 

For more information about how to get started with your personalized plan:

Request a Consultation

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