I’m preparing for my talk at the upcoming Wise Traditions Conference in Santa Clara, CA on November 10th. I’ll speaking on the “gut-brain-skin axis”, a fascinating topic that I’ve been exploring for some time. I hope some of you will be able to come to the conference, but I thought I’d share a little slice of my research here for those of you who can’t. (If you don’t make the conference and want to watch my entire presentation, I believe the Weston A. Price Foundation sells DVDs of the talks after the fact.)
I’ve discussed the gut-brain axis several times on my radio show, and I’ve at least mentioned the triangular connection between the gut, brain and skin. In this post I’d like to go a little deeper on the gut-skin connection.
And as a clinician who works with people on these conditions, I’d go as far as to say this:
If you want to heal your skin, you have to heal your gut.
Associations between Gut Disorders and Skin Conditions
Epidemiological evidence shows a clear association between gut problems and skin disorders. A recent report indicated that small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a condition involving inappropriate growth of bacteria in the small intestine, is 10 times more prevalent in people with acne rosacea than in healthy controls, and that correction of SIBO in these individuals led to marked clinical improvement. (1) 14% of patients with ulcerative colitis and 24% of patients with Crohn’s disease have skin manifestations. (Interestingly enough, a study just came out showing that a drug normally used to treat psoriasis is also effective for Crohn’s disease.) Celiac disease also has cutaneous manifestations, such as dermatitis herpetiformis, which occurs in 1/4 of celiac sufferers. Celiacs also have increased frequency of oral mucosal lesions, alopecia and vitiligo. (2)
How Altered Gut Function Impacts the Skin
In a study way back in 1916, acne patients were more likely to show enhanced reactivity to bacterial strains isolated from stool. 66 percent of the 57 patients with acne in the study showed positive reactivity to stool-isolated bacteria compared to none of the control patients without active skin disease. 1 In a more recent study involving 80 patients, those with acne had higher levels of and reactivity to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxins in the blood. None of the matched healthy controls reacted to the e. coli LPS, while 65% of the acne patients had a positive reaction. Both of these studies suggest that increased intestinal permeability is an issue for a significant number of acne patients. (4)
Speaking of permeable barriers: most of you have heard of leaky gut by now, but what about “leaky skin”? The main function of the skin is to act as a physical, chemical and antimicrobial defense system. Studies have shown that both stress and gut inflammation can impair the integrity and protective function of the epidermal barrier. This in turn leads to a decrease in antimicrobial peptides produced in the skin, and an increase in the severity of infection and inflammation in the skin. (5)
The gut flora also influences the skin. Substance P is a neuropeptide produced in the gut, brain and skin that plays a major role in skin conditions. An altered gut microbiome promotes the release of substance P in both the gut and the skin, and probiotics can attenuate this response. (6) The gut microbiota influences lipids and tissue fatty acid profiles, and may influence sebum production as well as the fatty acid composition of the sebum. (7) This may explain why a Russian study found that 54% of acne patients have significant alterations to the gut flora (8), and a Chinese study involving patients with seborrheic dermatitis also noted disruptions in the normal gut flora. 2
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Probiotics Improve Skin Conditions
The first formal case report series on the value of using lactobacilli to treat skin conditions was published in 1961 by a physician named Robert Siver. He followed 300 patients who were given a commercially available probiotic and found that 80 percent of those with acne had some clinical improvement. 3 In a more recent Italian study involving 40 patients, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum in addition to standard care led to better clinical outcomes than standard care alone. (9) And another recent study of 56 patients with acne showed that the consumption of a Lactobacillus fermented dairy beverage improved clinical aspects of acne over a 12-week period. (10)
The beneficial effect of probioitics on skin may explain why pasteurized, unfermented dairy is associated with acne, but fermented dairy is not. I haven’t seen any studies on raw dairy and skin conditions, but my guess is that it wouldn’t be associated either. Orally consumed probiotics reduce systemic markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which are elevated locally in those with acne. (11) Oral probiotics can also regulate the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines within the skin. (12) The fermentation of dairy reduces levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) by more than four-fold. (13) This is significant because studies show that acne is driven by IGF-1, and IGF-1 can be absorbed across colonic tissue. (14) This would be particularly problematic when increased intestinal permeability is present, which as I mentioned above is often the case in people with acne.
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- Strickler A, Kolmer JA, Schamberg JF: Complement fixation in acne vulgaris. J Cutaneous Dis 1916, 34:166-78. ↩
- Zhang H, Yu L, Yi M, Li K: Quantitative studies on normal flora of seborrhoeic dermatitis. Chin J Dermatol 1999, 32:399-400. ↩
- Siver RH: Lactobacillus for the control of acne. J Med Soc New Jersey 1961, 59:52-53. ↩
I have struggled with acne since my teen years…about 20 years now. For the past 12 years it’s been pretty manageable. In November I decided to see what treatments were available…thinking there had to be something new. I was given minocycline – same medication I took 20 years ago. It helped a bit but not much, I was very hesitant. I am NOT a fan of antibiotic treatments for any condition unless absolutely necessary. And, I was desperate. After that round, my mother unexpectedly died. I have been stressed and my skin has fallen apart. It has gotten as bad as it was in my teens. Extreme inflammation, large inflamed pustules, and hundreds of comeodones. I am now waiting to take accutane. I feel like this is a gut issue or liver issue. However, I cannot find anyone in my area that treats from that perspective. I am also in an extreme amount of discomfort and embarrassment. I really don’t want to take accutane but I don’t feel like I have a choice. I am feeling so powerless…any suggestions would be great.
Desi,
There is hope!
I was in the same boat as you about 7 years ago, and in desperation, almost started Accutane. I am so grateful that I didn’t and that now I can manage my skin naturally. Not only is my skin clear, but my whole body is healthy and I have gained so much from my experience in terms of personal growth.
Acne is a symptom of an underlying condition, and it has to be treated that way. Removing the acne with drugs will not heal your underlying imbalance, and this imbalance will cause other disease in your body. Autoimmune disease, cancer, arthritis, etc, whatever you are genetically predisposed to, will prevail if the inflammation is not treated from the root.
You can do a lot of this on your own, even if you do not have access to natural physicians. Read this website and websites like Mercola.com and follow their advice. The grain-free/Paleo diet is an amazingly healing diet, especially for people with acne. It is what keeps my skin clear, as well as enzyme supplements and probiotics. Eliminating gluten and sugar is absolutely essential to healing acne, and it is a good first step.
If you would like to email me, I can give you more specific details about how I healed my acne with almost no help from any physicians. lisa_landen_thompson at yahoo dot com.
Best, Lisa
Definitely! I had a terrible time with acne after stopping birth control after 10 years. I used to have flawless skin and then everything that was covered up came out in full force. I am working to reduce chronic inflammation from chronic stress/adrenal fatigue and have been including lots of fermented foods/drinks, clean eating, no-gluten, minimal grains, etc and still have acne for about 1.5 years now. My digestion still isn’t quite there yet and am working with an holistic practitioner for hormone balance/detoxification…The clearest my skin has been is when I’m not having to digest and cleansing with the Master Cleanse.
I wasn’t able to read all the comments, but is there any research out there relating acne to compromised liver function/hormone balance? Thanks.
I feel like I am in a similar situation. Please pass on any info you come across!
Does meat play a role in Psorasis? I was told that part of the problem is a poor digestion of animal proteins, and to lower my intake by my natural doctor. I don’t believe this, but I’d like to understand it better. Would it hurt to take out meat for a while?
I stopped eating red meat and eventually ended up with a profound B12 deficiency AND exercise fatigue that is only cured with high dose Branch Chain Amino Acid dosing.
A huge change in diet and expecting only good things was my downfall.
Andrea,
Taking a break from eating complex proteins like meat does give the liver a chance to “clean house” and will help with acute illness and inflammation. Skin conditions like psoriasis are often linked to a toxic liver/colon, and giving the liver a break can help. Eating this way in the long-term, however, is probably a bad idea. The Gersen Diet is a good example of the healing that is possible when abstaining from proteins. You may want to adapt to a diet specially designed to treat autoimmune disorders for long-term relief. Figure out what your food allergies/sensitivities are, and eat as clean as you can–no gluten, no sugar, low glycemic if you can.
Best wishes, Lisa
Andrea,
A few years ago I suddenly developed hives, psoriasis and eczema all within a 3 month period. At 55 I had never had a skin issue except for the occasional acne flare up, but suddenly found myself overwhelmed with so many at once. Of course I was given a different cream for each issue, none of which worked. I did some research and decided to try Hulda Clark’s liver cleanse. I must say that my skin cleared up and only after eating large amounts of almonds and cashews did the skin problems return. So, I did another liver cleanse, quit the nuts and I have not been bothered since. I do not advocate doing liver cleanses every two weeks like some do, because they are quite harsh in my opinion. But I do think they can be a tool in regard to keeping skin issues in check. I tried eating clean (and still do) but found that I needed a kick start that the liver cleanse provided.
Absolutely! I suffered with severe cystic acne for many years, searching high and low for an answer. Antibiotics worked while I was on them, but the acne returned with a vengeance (and damaged my gut even further) when I stopped taking them. When I discovered holistic medicine, I began trying different things and was able to heal my gut. For me, however, diet was just one part of it. I was almost unable to digest any food at all, and had to eliminate most of it for some time, while taking probiotics, proteolytic enzymes in large amounts, and a potent digestive enzyme with my meals containing ox bile and stomach acid. Eating a very low-glycemic diet is very important for my skin health. I drink raw milk and never pasteurized/homogenized milk (although I do tolerate pasteurized yogurt). I avoid gluten completely and limit grains, even in their whole form/gluten free because of how they affect my blood sugar. This regimen began 8 years ago, and while my gut is still not 100% and maybe never will be, I am pleased that I know how to manage my acne and heal myself through diet and ancient wisdom. Thank you for promoting this important information. Someday I hope all dermatologists get on board with this, too 🙂
I’d love some advice and or insight on my situation. I am 27 years old and have been dealing with perioral dermatitis for the past 7 years on and off. Just this past year, my stomach has been hurting when I eat almost anything but now I believe I’ve narrowed it down to dairy (major gas and rumbling) and fiber. I am curious if they are connected and if I should go see my doctor. I’ve seen a dermatologist about my skin and tried a few things that have worked then quit working. First oral antibiotics then steroid creams. I’m willing to adjust to any diet necessary to fix my skin!! I’m a young, professional in sales and need good skin! Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.
Nina,
Try an elimination diet or have yourself tested for food intolerances. Dairy, grains, sugar, corn, soy and egg whites are good foods to eliminate and add back one by one to see if your symptoms improve. Eating a whole-food, low glycemic, grain-free diet such as the diet this website recommends may be just what you need. You could try and see what happens.
Best wishes,
Lisa
Dear Chris,
I started the GAPS diet two years ago to get rid of chronic recurring cystitis. I had low grain, high fermented foods, and high meet broths etc… I also took a probiotic and fermented kaffir milk. However, I started to get dry itchy patches on my cheeks. I thought it was eczema developing. I have since left the GAPS diet after 8 months on it. That was over a year ago. I still eat fermented foods and only fermented dairy.
However, I still have the dry cheeks and recently they have become red and itchy and I think it is acne rosacea. Is it possible that I have aggravated my gut flora with the changes? How can I settle things down?
Kate,
It’s also possible you are having a reaction to the detoxification your body is going through. Sometimes when we are healing, symptoms get worse for a while or new symptoms appear. Yeast and candida emit toxins when they die off in our bodies, which can make a person feel sick or have other unpleasant symptoms. Make sure you drink lots of clean water to help with the detox. You could also be needing more of certain nutrients, such as fats (coconut oil is great for skin conditions), or more digestive enzymes to help digest your food. Another suggestion is to get yourself tested for food allergies and intolerances and avoid the troublesome foods. You mentioned you eat low-grain; I suggest cutting out grain completely, as this is greatly helpful in skin conditions. Grains that contain gluten should be completely eliminated, whether fermented or not. Dairy could very well be a problem for you, too, whether fermented or not. Try cutting it out, along with grain, and see what happens. Make sure you have your thyroid checked, too, to make sure that’s not an underlying problem.
All the best, Lisa
Hi Chris,
I just discovered your writings and your podcast and am really interested in the conversation about the gut-skin connection. In one of your recent podcasts you mention that phytosphingosenes can be helpful in treating acne/acne scarring as well. I’m wondering if there are any products with phytosphingos out there that you would recommend? My initial searches on the internet haven’t turned up anything available in the US.
Thanks so much!
Megan
After seeing a Nautropath about my vitiligo (I’m 55 years old) I found out I have Leaky Gut. My vitiilgo started out in my early 20’s as a little 2 x 2″ patch on my back to spreading all over my body. I am more than 50% vitiligo. I’ve asked Doctors and Dermatologists about it and they’ve given me cream prescriptions and suggested going under lights everyday. I refused those treatments and opted for the Nautropath. I’ve been doing various cleanses and restricting my diet. Gluten free, wheat free, egg white are only a few of many food sensitivities I have. I would like to know if after curing my Leaky Gut will my Vitiligo go away and hopefully my pigment returns. Has anyone else experienced this?
I have been diagnosed with chronic Gastritis since I was 19. I’m now 29 with terrible cystic Acne flare ups, as well as hairloss. Usually, it all comes on with my Gastritis flare ups. No doctors have ever helped me. I was wondering what type of “diet” I can try to help heal my gut? I don’t drink any soda or eat a lot of processed/fast food. I do eat a lot of dairy though. Any thoughts?
Danielle,
Have you heard of the GAPS diet? That may help your gut heal. In the meantime, you could avoid dairy and grains completely, as these are difficult for the gut to deal with. Also take probiotics and digestive enzymes, and eat whole, organic foods that are gently cooked and not from a box.
Lisa
Hi Chris
Just curious, do you buy into the “face mapping” concept i.e. the location of the breakout predicts the particular area organ/function that may be lagging within your body?
I’d like to put some faith in this, but it seems that there are various “maps” out there that often disagree with one another. This must somehow be related to acupuncture?
Thanks.
Hi Matt and Finndian,
Thanks for your replies.
Matt :
I’m taking one tablespoon of organic nori seaweed everyday since a month to get enough iodine, the Vit A I’m using is Country Life, Gluten Free, Vitamin A, 10,000 IU.
Finndian :
Thank you so much for your exhaustive reply and for your words of encouragements.
I’m drinking enough water but I might be potassium deficient so I will look into that.
I’m a little reluctant to take that much Vit A for a few weeks, maybe I will try it for a few days, I will add liver to my diet too.
I checked Mediclear Plus and there’s a lot of ingredients in it, it’s hard to tell which one helped the most, the amount of L-glutamine is quite low so I’m not sure it’s that one.
Don’t worry if I ever cure myself I will do my utmost best to help other people to cure themselves too.
Thanks again and good luck to you too!
Though it is not spoken of often, chronic skin conditions are among the most difficult medical conditions to treat and nearly impossible to reverse. Long standing inflammatory skin conditions are some of the most recalcitrant, i.e. treatment-resistant, conditions one can possibly confront, from a medical perspective. Nutritional interventions, diet, and supplementation routinely fail. Statistically, one has a better chance of beating an aggressive cancer or reversing late stage cardiovascular disease than eliminating a chronic skin condition. The paleo diet has become quite the latest fad diet for addressing various skin conditions. From my research I have gleaned that some people are helped but most are not. For those that are helped, the improvements usually wane with time and the skin condition eventually returns. Various other diets have produced almost identical effects in people- an initial improvement (sometimes to near complete clearance) followed by a slow and gradual return of the skin condition. Why therse skin conditions follow this particular trend is unresolved and obviously problematic. Skin conditions are well known to respond in this manner with topical interventions as well. Speak to someone with a severe chronic skin condition and ask them how many times a topical compound produced great results initially, only to become completely ineffective with time. Skin conditions seem to have an incredible way of “adapting” to various treatments. Thus, chronic skin conditions remain one of the most resistant diseases to treat, much less reverse. From my personal experience of over 15 years of battling numerous inflammatory skin conditions- I have come to the conclusion that they are indeed wholly incurable and, in my case, wholly untreatable. This includes my psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, and acne. Almost all of my integrative doctors eventually told me to just seek counseling to learn coping strategies for learning to live with it. I have followed the advice to the best of my ability and have utterly abandoned hope of ever reversing my skin conditions. Diets, supplementation, cleansing/fasting, topicals, meditation/stress reduction, hypnosis/NLP, light/laser therapy, etc have been 100% completely and totally ineffective at even slightly improving any of my skin problems. Accepting the inevitability of my skin condition is only thing to do.
That is very interesting thing you say. I am starting to learn a little bit about immune deficiencies (whether that incorporates auto-immune or not).
I would no doubt believe that diet alone or even w/ supplementation can cure some things since as you say it some how ‘adapts’. I would of course advocate for next best thing: that which might minimize the hazards. For example you would probably find some foods or allergens to worsen your condition versus others.
When you say supplementation, does that include those of the hormone variety, BHRT? I don’t want to insult you by suggesting this, but it is a possibility which might not have been explored yet.
But if it’s an immune deficiency then you can’t replace the missing antibody …so what do you do? I guess try to build up all the other immune anitbodies in the body to help offset the deficit, unless if you have more than just one immune antibody deficiency.
My heart goes out to you. I would not wish to have any skin conditions. I think skin is the worst to have and not even GI and joint pains can come close. (Although obviously they cause pain, duh).
Good luck!
Also, do you do rotating therapies then to try to keep one step ahead of immune problem from adapting?
Hi Zorica, I spent months with numerous allergists and had all manner of allergy/ food sensitivity tests done. I also underwent elimination diets as well to try and identify any hidden food intolerances. As far as hormone therapy, I spent time with an endocrinologist and had a complete hormonal panel completed, and they checked out as normal. Anyways, I’m a 32 year old man,mso not exactly a candidate for hormonal replacement therapy and I have never read anything about that in terms of inflammatory skin conditions. I spent years trying to correct suspected immune imbalances and/or autoimmunity. This was addressed through an auto immune diet along with supplementation such as sterol/sterolin, arabinogalactan, etc.
Yes, a chronic severe disfiguring skin disease is among the worst diseases a person could possibly endure. And yes, I do have physical pain with this skin condition as well- perpetual burning, chapped skin, painful pustular sores, etc. Yes, you are right, there is no condition that even comes close to the level of suffering you will endure with a condition like I have. I would be overjoyed to switch places with a person that has digestive or joint pain rather than skin that is hideously infected all the time.
Add to this the fact that I also have severe sunken scarring from years of this untreatable skin infection. This has only compounded the degree of suffering.
I don’t engage in any treatments for my skin any more. I have entirely given up on healing my skin. I know that my skin condition is entirely untreatable and no longer waste any time or effort engaging in a losing battle trying to heal my skin. It is an absolute exercise in futility. Like I said, I am taking what ended up being the advice from most of the practitioners that I sought help with- learning to live with it. The vast majority of the 20+ practitioners that I visited all ended up being thoroughly convicted that my skin condition is wholly untreatable seeing as it never even slightly responded to any treatment in over 15 years. So no, I do not rotate therapies. I have given up trying to heal my skin. Now I focus on learning to live my life with a debilitating and disfiguring condition.
Johnny I would be hard pressed to see if they even checked a full range for hormones. I am under the impression that sometimes proper hormone functioning can affect immune system too. I do not gaurentee this is ‘the answer’ or anything like that, but I think it would be a possible avenue to explore. Although as you already mentioned it would be tough to get ‘medical help’ with this since they would likely dismiss you as ‘young male wtf do you need about hormone replacement’. This is where turning to online sources might help. If it’s possible to get tests whether through normal dr or pay out of pocket (if you have financial resources) and knowing your lab values then you can try to source from online.
Also another thing to look at is cortisol patterns. The 24 hr cortisol saliva test. I would imagine with your condition that your cortisol is tanked. Stuff like that. So it seems ‘unrelated’ but when the skin stone is turned over with no result (and that includes the allergists and diets etc.) then it’s time to look at the next stone. So yes, give up on the skin condition. Don’t look at that anymore. Try to look at the hormones and cortisol instaed. Pretend you’re looking at those independent of your skin condition (if that makes sense).
I don’t know what Kresser says about this….and if you can get a consult with him? But tell him you’re not interested in the ‘allergy’ aspect of it since you already did that strategy. If he doesn’t do that, then look for dr. or ND or etc. for someone with experience on hormones and adrenal health etc.
p.s. I am sorry if it seems in any way that I am minimizing your suffering. I do not wish to come across as a know it all. I only have the desire that out of anything that I say can be useful some how some way. As I said I could never even imagine a skin condition, ever.
So please I hope my message is understood as compassion and somehow useful.
I’ve read your posts where you reject the thought of infecting yourself with a parasite to reverse your skin condition despite numerous studies showing that it can be very successful. If it doesn’t work, you take a drug to kill the parasite. So, you haven’t tried everything. You also keep mentioning how many doctors you’ve been to. I’ve been to as many doctors for my gut problems that brought on a slew of food allergies and caused the gene for Hashimoto’s syndrome to express itself. I was a mess and looked like death warmed over.
There is not one particular doctor that ‘cured’ me. I cured myself… I took a bit away from each doctor and pieced the puzzle together and treated myself. I’ve prescribed and gotten injectible B-12 despite doctors trying to stop me and mega dosed nutrients that I was deficient in and slowly rebuilt my health. Doctors are not trained in nutrition… if they have any knowledge at all they learned it after medical school and I’m finding its a rare trait. They prefer to call a ‘mysterious’ condition untreatable or ‘idiopathic’. Love that word, idiopathic…. in other words… the idiot couldn’t figure it out.
We are living in time of great innovation just at the time you have given up. Fecal implants and parasite introduction may be disgusting but apparently it works. Methylation and stem cell treatment to reverse is scarring is being done with great success. I know you’re discouraged and won’t listen to this but my comment to you is the no doctor is going to cure you, you must cure yourself and you certain cannot give up at 32 years old.
Just the facts of the text below from a couple studies would have me megadosing L-carnitine for a while. Especially if you eat little or no red meat.
“When the skin is exposed to a “triggering” stimulus, such as UV radiation, an irritant (e.g. soaps or fragrances), or to allergens, the cells in the skin produce a variety of inflammatory “hormones” called cytokines and chemokines. These “inflammatory messengers” bind to specific receptors on target cells and stimulate the production of additional inflammatory signaling “hormones”. Some of these cause vasodilation while others activate nerve cells. Still other cytokines cause immune cells to leave the blood and migrate into the skin where they then produce more inflammatory hormones, as well as enzymes, free radicals, and chemicals that damage the skin.”
“More recently these studies were expanded to examine the ability of L-carnitine to modulate cytokine production at higher doses.”
Good luck!
Hi Finndian, In terms of the parasite “cure”, there is no demonstrable evidence that it reverses chronic skin conditions. I have no desire to travel to a mexican clinic for insertion with parasites. Hell, why not just try every unconventional “cure” being proffered? When I say I have tried everything, obviously this means within the bounds of conventional, integrative, and mainstream naturopathic medicine. Obviously I have not tried “everything”- i have not tried goat urine enemas, megadosed yellow-bellied caterpillar embryos, or conducted a seance to enlist the help of deceased ancestors. I guess I have to draw the line somewhere. So yes, you are correct. I have not tried *everything*.
I have tried to cure myself. I researched every day for years on end. I have megadosed numerous nutrients on my own. Interesting enough, carnitine was one of them. Half of the treatments I have tried have been initiated by myself, through my own research. No, I have not relied solely upon doctors but sought help from them in addition to my own constant comprehensive research and tireless experimentation.
Whenever I mention scarring, I know someone will always remind me that we now have stem cell treatments so scars will be history within a couple of months. Unfortunately that is not the case. The overseas clinics that are offering stem cell treatments right now do not offer them for scarring. You may wonder why this is. I have been in contact with numerous stem cell clinics and they have all informed me that stem cells do not restructure existing dermal scars. In short, it doesn’t work. But that doesn’t seem to diminish the ubiquitous legend that stem cells will erase scars. The current leaders in stem cell research admit that we are a long long time away from knowing how to harness stem cells for the remodeling of scar tissue. Methylation for removing scars? I’ve never heard of that. Can you cite some evidence for that.
Johnny, talking about parasite therapy like its a bunch of weirdo’s in Mexico kinda indicates you are not keeping up. See… I’m the type that reads the research then I’m on the phone with the doctors involved asking question. I don’t wait for it to come to me. I bulldoze with questions and if it didn’t pan out or didn’t pass my BS meter I moved on. I think you need to keep your eye on the research… if this is autoimmune with you it might help.
https://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/11/whipworm-immune-regulation/
My friend was terribly scarred when burned during a laser resurfacing for minor acne scarring on his face. It was an erbium laser which shouldn’t have done what it did but in the wrong hands he was scarred for life. To compound things after the laser burn there was an ensuing bacterial infection that consumed facial fat and he was disfigured even further.. it got worse over the following 3-4 months.
After a lawsuit won him 30k he went about trying to restore his face… after many appointments with some of the best surgeons in the world he settled on the Dr Coleman in NYC. He’s an expert in facial fat grafting. The doctor mentioned that the stem cells in the harvested fat would help the scarring over time, that was his theory anyway. I was with my friend during this appointment. We were more focused on flattening the dents and divots caused by the fat loss and every surgeon in L.A. said this was the guy with the best fat grafting technique. He had demonstrated years of cases of permanent results. My friend wanted a permanent fix without having to resort to silicone fillers.
He ended up having the surgery with Dr Sabeiro, she is trained in the “Coleman” techique and shares Colemans office space with him. She is the only female plastic surgeon in Manhattan believe it or not. She is cheaper and thats why by friend went with her.
I saw the facial fat damage and the scar tissue before and then for the following 3-4 years. I saw the tightened scar tissue relax and flatten and improve dramatically in that time. No, its not gone now but he looks amazing. The fat has stayed and I do believe that the stem cell have something to do with the flattening and smoothing of the scars.
Both doctors would love to enrich the fat with stem cells before layering into the skin but it is still illegal in the US and very highly regulated inside and outside of studies. If you can get your skin under control I’m telling you its amazing what a good surgeon can do and stem cells are restoring scarred heart tissue studies as well and I’ve seen it work with indented facial scars. Go to lipostructure.com to see some of their fat grafting work… I believe they show a slice-type of facial scar before and a couple years after and its very faint.
I didn’t mean methylation for scarring. I was talking about trying to stop this out of control gene expression you have that is reeking havoc on your skin.
Finndian….
Really, I don’t care about trying to heal my skin anymore. I have given up. People find that so abjectly disconcerting and they simply cannot wrap their heads around that reality- that someone gets to the point of stopping the wild goose trying to treat a wholly untreatable disease. It may be unfathomable for you – I don’t doubt that it is. I guess it goes against the crusading, conquering spirit of humanity, but at some point you just give up and give in to that which is inevitable.
dermal fat grafting is NOT a permanent fix for scars. The fat is invariably reabsorbed by the body. Granted, the rate of reabsorption varies per individual, but it is absorbed nonetheless. I followed numous individuals at acne.org who had various fat transfers done on minor acne scarring and their scars returned in full. In addition to that fat transfers being temporary, even then it doesn’t remove the scars. It just softens their appearance for a period of time. As you said, “No, its not gone now…”
Scarring is permanent, period.
But of all this is a moot point, really. With an untreatable skin condition, the scarring is just the icing on the cake.
Johnny I would not give up nor would I believe anything the doctors told you. They said for me to live with it too but I ended up in emergency and begged the doctor for ivermectin which helped kill a lot of the parasites but without healing the leaky gut the problem comes back. Doctors most are useless unless they have gone through this themselves or God has given them mercy towards His children. I have found one recently who is going to be helping me get back on track but so many before him the story to long to tell and to disgusted to even mention the lack of knowledge and bed side manner. God Bless you in your walk.
I have extremely oily skin since about 8 years, and seborrheic dermatitis because of it.
I highly suspect my skin and other health problems are due to a leaky gut and my plan has been elaborated with that in mind.
Here’s my current plan :
– Diet : Autoimmune Protocol since nearly a month, and no FODMAPS since 2 weeks, (Very low/ no carbs Paleo diet for 3 years before).
Macro ratios : 60% Fat, 25% Protein, 15% Carbs.
– Supplements : Vit A, C, E, B complex, Magnesium, Omega 3s.
Vit D3 10,000 IU + Probiotics since 1 1/2 month.
Beef Gelatin + L-Glutamine To heal gut, since a week.
These days I’m experiencing with 50,000 IU natural Vit A per day, it seems to lower the inflammation and my skin looks better, but no change in sebum so far.
That’s an awful amount of supplements but I look and feel worst without them at the moment, I will stop as soon as I’m better or healed.
I wash face with an aloe vera lotion 3 times/day and hair with a coconut oil liquid soap everyday with okay results, any better ideas?
Walking 1 hour everyday since two months has improved my overall health.
I’m planing to add :
– Relaxation techniques like Autogenic Training, because I realized that stress might affects me very negatively.
– Offal meats to my diet.
– Weight lifting at least once or twice a week.
Could taking Gamma Linolenic Acid rich oils like evening primrose oil be helpful?
Is there anything else I can do specifically against oily skin?
Please tell me if I’m on the right track, and if there’s something that I’m missing.
Thanks.
HI Adrien
I don’t see any mention of iodine/iodide.
When you have some time read this webpage https://www.lugols.com/
Would you mind me asking which asking which Vitamin A product you are using?
Adrien, I admire your determination in getting this under control. I’m not telling you to do this but if it were me I’d do a couple things. I’d make sure you don’t have a problem with dehydration. When I had gut issues I’d have terribly sensitive skin. I know for certain the gut issues disrupted my electrolytes and I became potassium and magnesium deficient. As a result my facial pores were constantly open because of the skin not being fully plump and hydrated. I fixed the issue by curing the deficiencies and suddenly the dirt and bacteria couldn’t enter the pores any more to clog them. I got an inexpensive body water sensing weight scale and saw that I didn’t have proper body water levels and I took action.
The second thing I would do is quadruple the vitamin A for a few weeks and get the dose closer to the prescription levels used to treat severe acne. The danger would be if you do this for months ad months… but I’d be damn curious if you see improvement in just a few weeks.
The most valuable thing I’ve learned from the thousands of dollars I spent going to doctors when I was at my worst (I’m 90% better now) was the one product that helped my gut inflammation was Mediclear Plus once or twice a day. The ingredients look just like a simple vitamin drink but let me tell you it was like pouring water on the smoldering embers in my gut. Its got curcumin in it and I’m not sure if that is what does it but it was along with L-glutamine this stuff is what stopped the turmoil in my stomach. I paid hundreds to one doctor who prescribed it to me. He was right.
When you cure yourself and I believe you will, be a good person and stay on the internet and tell other how you did it… there are so many people profiting on people that need help and its so disgusting!
As for the suggestion about the iodine… I megadosed that for a few months. There are some forums that tell you how to do it. The idea is that your acne is a result of too much bromine in your body tissues and its irritating the skin… its added to bread and other products. The megadosing of iodine will displace the bromine slowly and but as the bromine leaves your body through urine and sweat… you’re skin may get worse before it get better… this is over a number of months.
Google Dr Abrams and Dr Brownstein if you’re interested in megadosing iodine and need help… couple good forums that can answer questions.
Good Luck!
Look at Norm Robillard’s Book Fast Track Diet. I curbed my SIBO symptoms dramatically and he points out some foods from SCD, FODMAPS, GAPS, Paloe and even, yes, AIPaleo and other digestive health diets that can be VERY problematic fo SIBO. Having said that, he says some of the foods to take out can be confounders so once they are removed, you can actaully have things like low lactose dairy, nuts, and all things paleo, except sweet potatoes and apples, pears, a few of those things need to be left out for a while. https://digestivehealthinstitute.org/2012/08/17/sibo-diet-and-digestive-health/
many years of over-actived oil glands on face & scalp. tried it all-dermatologist, anti-biotics special shampoos. dr. told me to wash face with nizoral, another said head&shoulders. works for a while.
the best result i’ve had is baking soda. after washing my hands i sprinkle a very small amount of arm & hammer on my wet hands and rub in gently on my face. leave it on for 10 mins, then rinse twice a day. skin is in the best shape ever.
acv mixed with water sprayed on scalp 10-15 min. before rinsing helps somewhat.
Hi Alberta,
Did you also have that flakes on your face before? If so please tell me your routine
thanks,
jo
Hi Alberta I mean like moisturizer or soap anything for the face..
I have horrible skin and have been actively trying to heal it for over 15 years. I have been to over 30 doctors, derms, naturopaths, etc. I have literally spent years focusing on my gut with absolutely no benefits whatsoever. I have utilized every probiotic I have ever found, eliminated grains, sugars. I was on the paleo diet for about a year. I have done all manner of fasting and cleansing, etc. My entire body is still covered (head to toe) in the most angry, inflamed chapped skin year round. I am also covered in acne on my face, chest, back, upper arms, shoulders, scalp. This combined with the most severe seborrheic dermatitis you could ever imagine in those same areas. I have been to numerous integrative doctors who specifically have focused on gut issues including an incredibly expensive time with doctor le galland in manhattan. Nothing has ever helped. My skin is as raw, oozing, and pustule-laden ever. I have to admit, I get pretty frustrated when I hear people speak about the cause of skin conditions being digestive. I have spent years and have gone way beyond anything that anyone has ever done here and my skin is as bad as it has ever been. My severe dry scaling skin, severe pustular acne and derrmatitis are not digestive, as those interventions never even produced the tiniest of changes in my skin. I know that my skin condition is incurable and I will suffer with it every day for the rest of my life. So far it has been 15 years of literally unrelenting torture. My suffering has only begun. So for anyone reading this, not all chronic skin conditions are gut related. Mine is a perfect example. Some will have these conditions for the rest of their lives. So many people on here make it sound so simple….heal your gut and your skin problems will go
away. Not so.
Johnny
Have you read An Epidemic of Absence?
https://www.amazon.com/Epidemic-Absence-Understanding-Allergies-Autoimmune/dp/1439199388/
See the before and after pics on this site:
https://wormtherapy.com/
Mat
Johnny, one thought is to explore your situation from another angle: dental materials. Many mysterious maladies can be traced back to conventional dentistry procedures and not only the toxic materials used but the resulting issues they can trigger from smoldering infections, poisonous anaerobic bacteria, disrupted meridians, harmful electrical currents, etc. You may want to find a holistic biological dentist. It’s worth a try, good luck to you.
I have explored every avenue over the past 15 years. All derms, naturopathic docs, integrative docs just shrug their shoulders and tell me to that I just have to learn to live with it since my skin condition is wholly intractable. The vast majority of the practitioners I have seen over the years ended up essentially giving up and saying that they are completely stumped by me. My skin literally does not respond to anything…including environmental changes…I have lived in many different areas and that does not alter the situation at all. My skin condition is completely hopeless and I have already given up trying to heal it. I know in my heart that it is a physical impossibility. I know people may scoff at that, but some things you just know. I am as sure that this skin condition is untreatable as I am sure of anything. I just came on to warm others not to fall for what is becoming the cliche catch-all diagnosis that skin condition=digestive condition. I don’t even try to heal my skin anymore- that is an incredibly useless waste of time and effort. Some things truly are hopeless.
I hear your frustration and I empathize. It still may be helpful to explore the options suggested by Matt, above, and Britt, below, as well as mine if these are not on your already long list of explorations.
Let me try this again since my last comment was deleted. Thanks for your advice but I really have given up trying to heal my skin. I know that it is completely impossible. I just wrote to keep others from falling from the utterly pervasive myth that skin condition=gut condition. More and more people with chronic skin conditions that have been led to believe this are finding out that it is an abject fallacy.
Please read the book I recommended.
I understand that you’re very upset. Once upon a time I also had terrible skin.
The steps that helped me were:
1. Going gluten free.
2. I would make water kefir everday. My grains would grow to an extra cup each day. I would then swallow the all the surplous grains (300 ml) each day. Never drank the liquid though. I did that for about 2 months. And it completely changed my gut bacteria. No matter what I eat now the colour of my stool is the same as that of water kefir grains. lol!
During those 2 months I didn’t even need to brush my teeth the bacteria were protecting me from head to toe. No bad breath or plaque – that was awesome.
3. I now supplement with the probiotic strain LP299V 10 billion cfu/day. This strain is incredibly good at reducing IL-6.
4. I’m going to infect myself soon with Necator Americanus.
If it’s the last thing you ever do read the book.
My skin problems are not gut related. I spent years on that silly wild goose chase. It is also not related to dental work, environmental mold, and anything else that either I or any other the 30+ ( mostly integrative) doctors could think of. I am taking their advice and just learning to live with it. It is entirely untreatable. Thus, I have given up trying to treat it. It is most certainly genetic but either way compeltely and totally intractable. I have given up trying to find something that will treat it. I know, deep down, no such thing exists. It is a burden I will have to carry until I die. For those, like me, that spent years desparately trying to find some kind of connection between their chronic skin condition and an assumed gut connection but have found nothing and still continue…that is because you have fallen for the skin condition=gut condition myth.
The skin/gut connection is not a myth. Maybe not the absolute truth for everyone. I’m sorry that you haven’t found your cure. But nothing in life is black and white. If someone has a skin problem, I do think it is worth it to try dietary changes, like the SCD diet, the paleo diet, the elimination diet. It takes extreme effort and time, but it can help. Maybe not for everyone.
For me its true. I have Celiac and Alopecia. I have to scrutinize everything I eat, for the rest of my life. I wish I could eat anything I wanted. I have discovered gluten and soy are issues for me.
We must all sound like broken records to you but let me quickly share my story – not about skin but related. I have a 20+ year history of migraines. They started when I was 21. Horrible, awful, 10-13 days a month. No regular doctor helped. Alternative docs sorta helped. Not until recently did I learn that celiacs who went gluteno-free also saw a resolution in their headaches. This info. passed to the migraine folks. I went gluten-free and 70% of my headaches resolved. I am not celiac positive but the hyper-glutenized foods that I believe began in the early 90s are wreaking havoc on LOTS of people. Look at the labels of almost every Peppridge Farm or Arnold bread: the first ingredient is of course something like “whole wheat flour”, the 4th ingredient will be “wheat gluten”. These breads are not the breads of my youthe. They add extra gluten in order to make it doughy and chewy. These heavy duty proteins are the culprit. So different from “self” proteins, and in our diets so much, our immune systems attack them but also any protein in our bodies that look a little like these proteins. Gluten wouldn’t be an issue if we ate it as often as spinach. But, we eat typically eat it multiple times a day, every day. Also, dairy is much like this. Foreign proteins that are immune systems get the opportunity to respond to often. My son had eczema, after removing dairy, no more. Hope this helps, but if not, good to rule out.
I was eating paleo for ages…before that completely gluten free, grain free, sugar free, common allergenic food free (nuts, eggs, soy, etc). That is just the tip of the iceberg. It was 16 years of tirelessly working on treating my skin before I gave up. I never seven recieved the slightest benefit from anything I ever did. If you knew my whole story, you’d agree that my skin condition is untreatable. You’d tell me to just learn to live with. I had dozens of self-assured doctors who essentially promised me they would get to the bottom of this only to tell me that it must be genetic because it is the most unresponsive condition that had ever seen. This skin condition in no way responds to diet, nutrition, supplementation, drugs, cleansing/detox, stress reduction techniques, etc. Hence, I know that there is nothing that I can do to change my skin.
Hi Johnny
How old are you?
Does anyone else in your family have this type of skin condition?
What about other auto-immune conditions like type-1 diabetes?
Have you ever had your gut bacteria characterised?
If not, do it. The American Gut Project is recommended.
I think it’s $100 they will send everything to you.
https://www.indiegogo.com/americangut
I bet they’ll get back to you and tell you that you have the weirdest gut bacterial profile.
I would also add to Matt’s comment to try proteolytic enzymes in large quantities. This was the winning ticket for me. I took 21 tablets of Biotics Intenzyme Forte per day, divided into three doses (6 at a time) on an empty stomach. Also no dairy, no grain, no sugar whatsoever. And you have to do it for a very long time. A parasite cleanse and candida cleanse and any other cleanse you can do is also essential, plus eliminating all processed foods including vegetable oils and foods that are allergenic, which varies from person to person. Another part of healing that seems to be forgotten by this thread is the emotional aspect. Read Louise Hay, learn how to heal yourself from the inside out and about the power of attitude and self-love. If you believe you will find an answer, you will. If you believe there is no answer, you will be misguided and lead only to things that do not work. Love yourself, have gratitude, and trust that the answer is there. Keep your eyes and heart open and aware and it will come to you.
You are absoultely crazy to infect yourself with Hookworm. I got it from a trip to the Dominican Republic 5 years ago and it wasnt discovered for 3 years. That’s 3 yrs of that thing living inside me and destroying my skin and body. Its still reeking havoc on my body as I have severe rosacea, seborrheic dermatitis and daily breakouts of pimples. I agree with Jonny, I feel hopeless too. I tried the Paleo diet, anti candida diet and did two types of intolerant testing (alcat and Leap) and strictly followed all these diets and my skin is worse than ever.. In fact it was better when I ate crappy. Diet is not the end all be all like everyone says. It just doesnt work for everyone. It is a daily struggle for me to even continue on this planet. I too have gone to ever derm, specialist, naturopath, homeopath, holistic, accupuncture, chiropractor and have no money left and bad skin. Maybe if chris reads this he will respond to me directly and offer me some shred of hope because I dont want this life!!!
Hi Dee
Please read
https://www.foodsmatter.com/natural_medicine_comp_therapies/helminthic_therapy/articles/ht_success_stories.pdf
Please buy and read An Epidemic of Absence?
https://www.amazon.com/Epidemic-Absence-Understanding-Allergies-Autoimmune/dp/1439199388/
Hi Dee. It took almost 20 years to stop kidding myself thinking that it could be ameliorated with diets, cleansing, nutrients, etc. Increasing numbers of people with chronic inflammatory skin conditions are finding them completely untreatable. Diets such as the paleo and primal diet have been utterly useless for myself and many others that I have spoken with. They are nothing but a trend that will eventually lose fashionability when people realize that the effects are temporary at best. Diet is certainly ineffective when dealing with a long standing severe skin condition. My life is now devoid of all joy whatsoever. I have accepted the inevitability of my skin condition but that doesn’t change the physical and emotional torment I endure on a daily basis. Life is nothing but endless and nearly intolerable suffering.
Hi Johnny,
IT’S ALL ABOUT EATING QUALITY ANIMAL FAT!!!! I used to suffer from really bad dandruff/psoriasis/dermatitis/arthritis/depression for over 15 years. I too have tried many avenues for healing. Doctors couldn’t help me at all and most weren’t allowed to give me any dietary advice. I strongly believe diet is related to the disease as a number 1 factor. The body can filter out toxins and deal with bacteria and repair skin, hormones, genetics etc, but if the proteins, fats, nutrients, water aren’t coming in then the body withers and malnutrition, bad bacteria, fungi, cancer, skin diseases, parasites take over. The body can heal itself, the skin, the bones, tissue! All you have to do is feed it. Have you ever wonder why so many people are healthy? Why so many people seem to be able to eat many different foods, do hard work/exercise, grow thick hair, have great skin, look good, eat grains, even sweets, etc. The answer lies in FAT – animal fat. The most highly prized foods of ancient cultures was any food high in pure animal FAT – fish, beef lard, etc. And also fatty animal organs such as liver, kidneys, and fish eggs, etc. These foods are also the worlds most NUTRITIOUS and nutritionally assimilable foods. North American Indians sometimes hunted large beasts only for their FAT and organs, like kidneys, livers, and tongues – they highly prized these! Inuits would NOT have survived without FAT in their diet. The human brain is 60-70% fat. People who take higher doses of fish oils also find that it helps their depression! Fat helps to store nutrients in the body. FAT helps to feed and moisturise skin, cells, etc. Raw fruit & vegetables/greens help to detox the liver/kidneys during spring/summer/diet change but they should not replace animal FAT consumption, followed by moderate-low amounts of daily meat/protein (eat fatty meat), and more vegetables. It’s great to avoid grains, dairy, legumes, nuts, starchy veggies, alcohol, and sweet fruit for a while at first. This makes you more thirsty and forces you to drink more pure water and eat more vegetables (lightly cooked), proteins, fats, and some raw salads. This diet, together with sleep (rest and fasting at night), gentle exercise, stress- free, fresh air, mineral baths, will heal your skin and repair your body. You need to supplement with ORGANIC animal fat/omega3 oil and reduce plant oils until it’s 1:1 ratio. Eat lots of fatty fish, fatty lamb, fish oils, pure animal lard, chicken skin/fat. Buy fish oil, cod liver oil, butter oil, primrose oil, and lecithin (fat emulsifier) and take them a spoon each, take all together, once a day after small meal, before bed. You will see your skin, nails, hair, energy, brain, working better than ever!
Never ever give up! All the best…….Jul
I would concur with Jul…
Hi, have u ever considered your environment. Had similar skin issues as u describe. No food changes helped. Ended up being mold toxicity, twice the upper. Took a while to figure out since my house doesn’t look moldy anywhere. Had some pipes leak. Functional medicine md helped put the puzzle together. Hope the best for you, don’t ignore your environment
I have had dry skin for years and the last 5 years it has turned severly itchy in certain spots and at times drives me crazy.I have tried many topicals including jojoba,cortisone cream,florazone and many other items with temporary relief at best.I have been gluten free for one year;with no noticeable improvement,and went off dairy for two months with no help.I have been to Homeopaths,Naturopaths.They all throw their hands.I think it is environmental/allergen based.I take Krill oil and various other nutrients and probiotics.Any ideas?Marc
Chris,
I have had rosacea since I was probably 10 years old. I have photographic evidence and painful memories of my bright red cheeks. I also suffered from acid reflux at an early age. I can remember have toast and orange juice for breakfast and suffering all day with “heartburn” as early as 2nd grade. I’m a 38-year-old male. I also have suffered from recurrent styes (hordeolum) for as long as I can remember. All of those symptoms have improved since I moved to a Paleo diet last year. The redness on my face is almost not even visible and it’s very rare for me to flush like I used to. I followed your suggestions with HCl and digestive enzymes and that has completely eradicated my GERD symptoms. About 3 weeks ago, I was hospitalized with bacterial meningitis. It came on quickly and scared/surprised me. I’ve been feeling great since changing my diet and wasn’t expecting something like that. It turns out the culture revealed Staph Aureus. Being a fanatic researcher, I learned that styes are caused by S. Aureus. I actually had a large stye just a few days prior to being hospitalized with the meningitis. It was large and uncomfortable and I made the terrible mistake of popping it by rubbing my eye. My infectious disease doctor was surprised to see S. Aureus on the lab report. At the time, I did not know about the correlation with the stye. To bring this full circle, I understand the styes are associated with rosacea (ocular rosacea). Do you have any suggestions for me? I have had massive amounts of IV antibiotics as well as oral antibiotics as a result of the meningitis. I want to ensure I do whatever possible to prevent a recurrance. If popping the stye caused the staph to get into my bloodstream, what mechanism allowed it to get into my cerebrospinal fluid? Lastly, I’ve read about some possible correlations between rosacea, styes, and IgM deficiency, which would make one more prone to infection. Am I on to something here?
Chris,
Do you have a certain brand of probiotic that you recommend? I have tried the Bio Kult (GAPS) and Dr. Mercola’s. Some are refrigerated, some are not. Very confusing! And, some have mg stearate in them. It is difficult to determine a reputable source. SBO or not is another one? Thank you!
Does this apply for possible candida infections (of the intestine/gut, not vaginal)? Sometimes I hear conflicting information regarding probiotics and fermented veggies and Candida (or Small intestine bacteriall overgrowth).
Thanks.
I have been gluten free for almost a year now to treat Hashimoto’s. Things are going well except one oddity. For the past 1 – 2 months, I frequently have a rash on my face from the bridge of my nose down the sides of my face to my chin. It makes kind of a tear-drop shape. No one I’ve talked to has ever heard of or seen this before. It will appear in the late morning or early afternoon and seems to be around for a few hours. Sometimes I don’t notice it unless I look in the mirror, other times it feels tingly or even a little warm, not often itchy. I keep thinking that it’s some type of food allergy but can’t figure out what it could possibly be. I’ve also wondered if it’s due to excess supplements (B Vit, adrenal rebuilder, omega-3, rhodiola). Anyone have any knowledge or experience with this type of a rash?
Any advice on Vitiligo?? Diet, exercise but what does one do to retrain this body to do its job in regard to the melanin producing and pigment of skin cells. Please Help