Jan 3, 2018
What ISN’T Your Dermatologist Telling You??
Acne? Pigmentation? Rosacea? Aging?
Solutions … Roaccutane? Doxycycline? Vitamin A Cream? IPL? Microdermabrasion? Skin Peels? Skin Needling?
Skin Therapist OR Dermatologist?
Confusing right! So when should you consult a Skin Therapist (AKA Skin Expert/Skin Coach) and when should you visit a Dermatologist? What’s the difference??? …
Two professionals treating very similar problems BUT with two very different strategies.
A Dermatologist is a medical doctor specialising in anatomy, physiology & immunology of the Integumentary System (Skin System) who diagnose & treat diseases & disorders of the skin, hair & nails. Such diseases & disorders managed by Dermatologists include … excema, tinea, lesions, cysts & ulcers, fungus, pre-malignant & malignant skin diseases, dermatitis, psoriasis, warts, infectious diseases, severe cystic & nodular Grade 5–6 acne, etc. Treatment is generally prescription medications, surgery, and radiotherapy.
A Skin Therapist is a non-medical specialist with extensive knowledge & experience of anatomy, physiology & treatment of the Integumentary System (Skin System) who diagnose & treat conditions &/or disorders of the skin. Such conditions & disorders managed by Skin Therapists include … rosacea, Grades 1–4 acne, ageing, pigmentation, fragile/broken capillaries, impaired barrier function, scarring, pigmentation, dehydration, folliculitis, etc. Treatment is generally prescription skin care & specialised skin treatments such as micro needling, peels, IPL (intense pulsed light), LED light therapy, internal supplementation, microdermabrasion, diathermy, etc.
Let me make that a whole lot simpler for you without the mumbo jumbo …
Dermatologists = Skin, Hair & Nail Diseases = Medication &/or Surgery
Skin Therapists = Skin Conditions = Internal & External Skin Care + Professional Treatments
Much of a much-ness really … specialists in their own fields with similar objectives BUT very different courses of action delivering very different outcomes.
The lines, however, are becoming increasingly blurred now days as Dermatologists overstep the boundary into what was, traditionally, the Skin Therapists expertise. Dermatologists have realised that by using their trusted credibility as ‘Drs’, there is substantial $$$ to be made as they are able to charge exorbitantly, due to their inferred superior (Dr God status!) knowledge & service, for the exact same treatments performed by a Skin Therapist with the not-so-beneficial ability of prescribing oral medications. No one can blame them for being egotistical narcissistic rip off merchants, right 😡!
Lets take a very quick look at 3 of the most common forms of prescription meds recommended by Drs, how they work & their numerous side effects. YES, there are always side effects (these are systemic medications that affect your entire body, after all) ... some mild, some serious & some to be avoided like the clap … but side effects that need to be taken into consideration anyways, as they affect almost 100% of users.
- ROACCUTANE/ACCUTANE/ISOTRETINOIN [prescribed by Drs for acne] can be life-changing at its least, and life & soul-destroying at its worst! How does it work? It shrinks the oil gland by up to 60%, which reduces oil production by 80%. While you might think AWESOME!! as you’ve been brain washed by the skin care industry for so long to believe that oil is a bad thing for your skin, the opposite is actually true. Oil (sebum) is the life force of your skin, your skin cells, your eyes, your vagina, your liver, your blood, your brain (Did you know your brain is made up of 70% oils? Which is why depression & suicide are linked ‘side effects’ of Roaccutane), in fact, your whole entire body, & without it, not your skin nor your body has any hope in hell of functioning correctly, EVER AGAIN … how life changing is that for you. AND that’s just the beginning … the skin becomes thin, red, super dry & dehydrated, sensitized, slow to heal, ages quickly, & is susceptible to UV rays which result in skin cancers & pigmentation (a whole other truck load of issues, right there). AND these are long term, far reaching, ongoing problems … they don’t stop once you finish the medication. We even know of a teen who lost all his toe nails due to this medication, and as soon as he stopped taking it his acne came back because it didn’t address the issue that caused the acne in the first place … BUT his toenails will never grow back. Did you know Roaccutane is a known depressant and is a behaviour & personality altering drug. Roaccutane even causes birth defects, stroke, arthritis, bowel disease, just to name a few? Are you beginning to understand how devastating & dangerous this medication is?? Yet Dermatologists prescribe it like its an aspirin. For more info & side effects click here
- DOXYCYCLINE & OTHER ANTIBIOTICS [prescribed by Drs for acne & rosacea] Yes, antibiotics kill bacteria … BUT bacteria isn’t the cause of acne, it is merely a symptom. Congestion, occurs when the quality of sebum (oil) within the oil gland changes, mostly due to hormones &/or stress, it becomes thick and gluggy and holds an inflammatory action in the skin. This, & the God-awful products (ie: ProActive, Clearasil, Apricot Scrub, Cetaphil, etc) containing hideous ingredients (ie: Benzyl Peroxide, WitchHazel, daily scrubs, too much Glycolic & Salicylic Acids, etc) you’ve been using on your skin have negatively effected your skins pH, allowing the proliferation of bacteria, and leads to blockages of the hair follicle which results in infection, breakouts & … whala, acne. So you can see, an antibiotic doesn’t address the cause of the infection, nor will it improve sebum health, skin health OR skin pH (in fact, antiobiotics, too, are skin destroying), so as soon as you stop, the acne will return & probs with a vengence! You will, however, have premature aging, pigmentation, very likely rosacea (if you didn’t already or a worse case if you did!) AND a massive Gut Health issue as you’ve managed to destroy it’s delicate bacterial flora, which, has a direct impact on your skin health! Viscous cycle, isn’t it! Discover the full list of delightful side effects here
- RETINOID CREAMS [prescribed by Drs for acne, aging, rosacea, psoriasis & pigmentation] commonly referred to as Vitamin A creams (ie: Retrieve, Retin7, Renu28, Revive, Adapalene, etc), are topically applied to affected areas. Use of Retinoid creams over desquamate (over exfoliate) the skin, causing a thinned Stratum Corneum, effectively destroying the life force of your skin … the acid mantle. Once this delicate protective barrier of the skin is damaged every structure & function of the skin is weakened and negatively affected, generating skin sensitivities, redness, dryness, dehydration & UV-susceptibility leading to skin cancer, premature ageing & pigmentation. Most terrifying, however, is that this acid form of Vitamin A enters the bloodstream & is stored in the liver … signs you are experiencing liver damage from high Vitamin A dosages include dry skin, dizziness, blurred vision, headache, nausea and appetite loss.
The most heartbreaking thing is … Dermatologists actually believe what they are selling/prescribing to patients is the ultimate solution! This misguided and narrow minded view of how the skin should be treated (through medications both topical and systemic), results in short term masking of skin disorders, rather than a long term solution. A medical approach to skin conditions focuses on alleviating the presenting symptoms and often when treatment ceases (because medications can’t be maintained long term), the condition returns.
A Skin Therapist’s approach is very, very different.
Before we go any further, let’s have a quick chat about the therapist & the clinics from which they work. When I say Skin Therapist I am meaning a reputable, knowledgeable & experienced Skin Expert; someone who has your best interest, not wallet, at heart; someone who has a duty of care as an educator in the skin industry to advise you of the intricacies of your own skin resulting from internal & external factors; someone with over 5 years experience; someone NOT willing to perform the wrong treatment or sell you the wrong product, even if you may ‘think’ its the right one because you heard about it on YouTube, FB, Google or Cosmo; someone who is prepared to tell you some harsh truths, if necessary, rather than fluff & puffs; someone who doesn’t work within a franchise or department store chasing unrealistic & unachieveable KPIs; someone who isn’t selling MLM or over the counter skin care; and someone who oozes passion, integrity & dedication about their profession. WOW … sounds a lot like us!!
Easier said than done, trust us we know only too well … we have terrible trouble finding team members for our own skin clinic. It is your responsibility to ensure you choose the very best Skin Clinic & Therapist … you wouldn’t trust an inexperienced, sloppy mechanic with your car; or an overweight Personal Trainer, would you?
Any way, that’s another story for another blog … back to the completely different approach of a Skin Therapist to your skins health.
The Skin Therapist will conduct an in-depth analysis of diet, lifestyle, current skin care regime, past treatments, medications etc, in order to determine the underlying cause of existing skin conditions. It is only after gaining this essential information, that a client can be truly treated and advised on a long term solution for their condition.
There is no quick fix promises, no miracles in a jar, no cookie cutter solutions … every skin the same BUT very, very different and must be cherished & treated with respect. Your skin, after all, is the largest living organ of your entire body & without it you’d be dead.
Healthy, Beautiful skin is so simple to achieve & maintain when you know how … & we’d love to teach you. Are you ready to love the skin you’re in?
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Yours in Skin Health x
