The gut-skin highway – dysbiosis & skin conditions

There's a two-way highway between your gut and skin, with one influencing the other.

Your gut microbiome influences the health of your skin, and in turn, the health of your skin and immune signalling influence your gut microbiome.

This interaction of the microorganisms and immune system in your body are key for skin homeostasis or balance.

Disruption of your gut microbiome, for example via leaky gut, microbial or other infections (overgrowths) like fungal/yeast or parasitic, is a feature of many skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and rosacea. It also negatively impacts your immune system.

Microbial metabolites (biproducts) impact the effect of your gut microbiome on your skin. They interact with your skin to modify its bacterial composition.

• For example, C. diff produces dysbiosis biproducts that enter your bloodstream and accumulate on your skin, lowering moisture, impairing barrier inegrity and modifying keratinisation.

But like your gut, your skin is a large epitheleal barrier (25m2), and it also contains and interacts with microbes. This can impact your immune system and gut health.

• For example, atopic dermatitis is associated with too many S. aureus; psoriasis with too much Staphylococcus and Streptococcus; acne vulgaris with Cutibacterium; skin cancer with Merkel bell polyomavirus, Susobacteriuam, Trueperella and S. aureus; and alopaecia areata with C. acnes and S. epridermidis.

I use gut testing and natural supplement protocols for both the gut and skin to restore gut and skin balance, and reduce eczema, acne and other skin problems. Because I get to the root cause, these results are not superficial and temporary, but lasting.