Get to the root of your problem

I have a wonderful success story to share with you about a dear friend of mine who recently discovered the root of a medical condition that was being treated with antibiotics as a short-term Band-Aid versus a long-term remedy. The antibiotics made her condition slightly better but were clearly not the solution to cure her issue. The antibiotics were ripping her gut apart.

My friend suffers from adult facial acne, the painful deep purple pustule kind. The kind that makeup cannot hide. Her acne notoriously got worse during certain times of her menstrual cycle each month and has been getting increasingly more severe with age. Her acne would usually peak one week prior to her cycle starting. These facts will prove to be important later in the story.

In an effort to figure out her skin issue, she went to a dermatologist for help. The doctor recommended that she take antibiotics (daily) and apply a skin ointment to help reduce the symptoms of her acne. Please take note the treatment recommendation focused on reducing the symptoms rather than finding a solution or cause of her acne.

This treatment recommendation goes back two years with very little positive results. The only thing she could determine was that the antibiotics made her overall health worse, not better.

I recommended that she make an appointment with my naturopathic doctor to have her hormone levels tested and be tested for food allergies to see if there was a specific food she was eating that maybe causing her acne. I was guessing she might have a dairy or wheat (gluten) allergy, given the number of folks we see shopping at New Earth Market with similar skin conditions.

We were both surprised when the test results came back in and she had very little sensitivity to foods. This was good news and bad news. It was good that she had no dietary restrictions, but bad that she still did not have an answer for what might be causing her acne. However, that changed when the hormone test results came back.

The doctor was very excited to share the news that they potentially found the root of her skin problem. Her hormones were way out of balance. She was off the charts for high testosterone and low progesterone. These imbalances are likely the cause of her acne and explain why her skin got worse as her menstrual cycle approached each month.

The doctor prescribed a natural progesterone cream and an herbal remedy to help her system become more in balance. After using the cream for two weeks, her skin is already clearing up — something she has not enjoyed for many years.

She was finally able to say good-bye to the antibiotic Band-Aid treatment and say hello to clear skin — naturally.

Remember to practice good self care this week.

Kevin Cotter is managing general partner at locally owned New Earth Market in Yuba City.