For many women, going off the pill can create fear and confusion.
The fear can be real: Some of my patientsdodevelop acne a few months after stopping birth control.
In fact, it is one of the top symptoms that drives women right back on birth control.
Sometimes they resort to dermatologists, who often recommend prescription drugs, to solve this problem.
Others buy expensive skin care regimens or over-the-counter creams to suppress the acne.
But none of these fixes addresses what actuallycreatesthat acne, which is why they visit me.
Believe me, I know how miserable post-pill acne can be.
When I quit birth control, I developed cystic acne for the first time in my life.
At the time, I was a fitness instructor teaching big groups every day.
If I sweated, I justknewa giant zit would suddenly appear.
But staying on the pill isn’t the solution.
I became determined to solve this problem so others wouldn’t have to suffer the same skin miseries.
So, I took a step back and examined what actually creates acne.
And then I put the puzzle pieces together to fix the problem.
Here, I cover each and how to address them naturally.
Problem: Nutrient depletion
The pilldepletes nutrients like crazy1, making your skin symptoms worse.
Zinc, for example, supports healthy immune function and skin.
This mineralcan inhibit pimplesby stopping the bacteria from growing within your sweat glands.
Zinc also helps your body use vitamin A, which supports healthy skin andreduces acne.
Solution: Load up on good food and pop a prenatal.
Amp up those nutrient-dense foods!
Also, consider aprenatal vitaminto replenish those pill-depleting nutrients.
Prenatal vitamins are higher in nutrients to help you get back to optimal levels faster.
Problem: Hormone imbalances
Out-of-balance hormones appear out of nowhere when you go off the pill.
Consider testosterone, which comes back like a bad ex you thought had disappeared.
As a result,your skin can flare up like crazy.
That’s because this hormone can increase oil production and contribute to jawline acne.
Solution: Balance your blood sugar levels.
Managing your blood sugarbecomes crucial to nix post-birth control acne.
Blood-sugar roller coasters can trigger your ovaries and adrenals to increase androgens like testosterone.
That’s because the pill messes with your oral,vaginal2, and gut flora.
That damage remains when you go off the pill, paving the path for acne.
Dairy, especially milk,can aggravate the gut and your skin3, making acne and other problems worse.
Solution: Cut out problem foods and replenish good gut bugs.
When a patient has PBCS acne, I almost always start by fixing the gut.
After all, what affects your gut also affects your skin.
When you have gut imbalances, that disharmonyoftentimes manifests on your skin4.
I target food sensitivities that can mess with your gut.
In addition to eliminating dairy, I’ve found that it often helps to eliminateglutenand soy as well.
I also recommend a qualityprobiotic supplementto support balanced gut bugs.
And step up thatdietary fiber!
When it doesn’t function well, those hormones can become unruly and acne can flare up.
Talk about communication problems!
Solution: Support your liver’s natural detox pathways.
Your liverneeds the right nutrientsto effectively detox your hormones.
And yes, the pill depletes some of those nutrients.
These nutrient rock stars supportnatural liver detox pathwaysthat also help your gut eliminateexcess estrogen.
Toxic load means your liver works overtime.
Add the pill to that problem and you often overwhelm your detox system.
Your skin also helps detoxify.
When your liver gets backed up, the repercussions show up asyou guessed itacne.
Solution: Minimize toxin exposure from food, cosmetics, and household products.
it’s possible for you to’t eliminate toxins.
They areeverywhere.But it’s possible for you to reduce your exposure to them.
Keep in mind, these solutions for dealing with PBCS acne can take time.
They aren’t always quick fixes.
