GLOWING SKIN INSIDE AND OUT

Your skin is a mirror of your health, specifically your gut health. That’s why Naturopathic Doctors are perfectly suited to treat skin, as we love talking about the gut and uncovering the root cause of your concerns.

Not only that, as I get older myself, I have become increasingly passionate about discovering all the little things that contribute to good skin (hello hydration and veggies!), and avoiding the things that lead to dull and dry skin (hello poor sleep quality!).

In addition to my education in Naturopathic Medicine and supplementation, I have also added a number of resources and tools to my skincare tool belt. Some of my favourites for healthy, younger-looking skin are:

• Jade Roller and Gua Sha
• Plant2body Nourishing Serum
• AlumierMD Skin Peels
• Cosmetic Acupuncture
• Microneedling

I’ll never forget one young woman in her early 20s that I saw 10 years back whose chief concerns were acne and scarring, constipation, and low energy.

We did blood work and discovered that she was iron deficient.

Over the next few months, we worked on her diet to get her going to the bathroom regularly and her energy started to climb.

Since acne is also an inflammatory condition, we balanced her blood sugar and included nutrient-dense foods and protein at every meal.   Balancing blood sugar through diet is key to decrease inflammation, but also to improve insulin resistance.

The acne noticeably decreased over the following months, but we still had work to do for the scarring. We worked on cleaning up her skincare routine and removed products with parabens and other endocrine disruptors.

Over the next 5 years she had kids and our appoitments became about pregnancy and then her children’s health. When I saw her a few years ago, her acne breakouts were still managed, but she was ready to try microneedling to really tackle the scarring.

Microneedling changes the skin. It creates trauma to then create new growth of collagen. It was created in the 40s to treat burn victims to actually remodel the skin.

My patients’ skin was no different. When we tried microneedling, her skin literally changed. It was so inspiring to see her photos 6 weeks after her first session.

A couple of months later we did a second session and the results were even better. It was exciting because prior to her microneedling treatment, I had only done the treatment on patients for aging, either proactively or for specific areas like crows feet or those stubborn nasolabial folds (which microneedling is also really effective at treating).

This patient’s skin story reminded me that I have so many resources to help people feel and look their best. Her experience inspired me to look at what other tools I could add to my toolbox. Shortly after her visit I started researching and decided to become an AlumierMD professional so I could offer peels in office.

I am a lifelong learner and am always inspired to figure out next steps, how things are connected and what more I can do to help my patients achieve optimal health! Education is the cornerstone of my practice and I love to write blog posts to explain why things are happening, how better sleep, certain foods and/or supplements will help you, your skin, and your vitality.

Check out our Skincare and Healthy Aging page to learn more about the different services we offer at Zawada Health. You can also find products, blog posts and recipes to help you achieve optimal health and great skin.

You can also book a 15 minute virtual appointment for a skin consultation (new or existing patients) or a 60 minute appointment to assess and discuss a comprehensive plan for your skin.

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