I started this clinic in 2020 because I never want any woman to go through what I have been through in my life sofar. I had bad acne, anxiety, PMDD, IBS all my life which largely became very complicated from long term chronic stress of caring for my mum with dementia for so long that I ended up with a gut health condition called SIBO, which worsened the acne. I didn’t stop having spots until I got my gut fixed and that’s only a year ago now!
I had very bad blackheads from age 12 and spots by the age of 14 that I was picking. I was having monthly facials from age 15, using benzol peroxide creams, tretinoin, and many antibiotics, homeopathy and skin regimes and the oral contraceptive dianette pill up to age of 28. Dianette was the only thing that really worked for me. My monthly PMS anxiety and depression was bad. I had many acne scars by age 18. Back then dermatology wouldn’t prescribe me Roaccutane because my depression was so bad before my monthly periods.
My periods were all over the place as were my hormones so the pill regulated that to some degree. Although I wish now id never taken it because we know know the pill destroys your gut microbiome and that is so important for your skin and health in later years to come.n my 20s a lot of family stress kicked in. I came off the pill age 28 as I was in a relationship and I wanted to have a family someday so I was concerned about the long term effects of the pill on fertility.
I figured out a way to keep my skin is reasonably good condition in my late 20s, what products and vitamins worked for me. A lot of the teen acne had gone by then in my cheeks but it was worse on sides of my face and jawline after my dad died suddenly when I was 30. I spent my 20s and 30s having so many aesthetic treatments to improve my skin and the scarring. Co2 Resurfacing, IPL, Fraxel, Blue Peels, TCA Peels, Microneedling, Dermabrasion, Filler, Botox, PRP, Dermplaning, Intracell Pro. Ive tried it all. Prescriptive Vitamin A aswell as all the topical skincare ranges. All of which didn’t do much for the scarring but otherwise I have great skin now. I think id have to go to California to Jason Emer in Florida he seems to be having great results for scarring.
Back then I didn’t know that dysbiosis in the gut causes acne. That means an imbalance between the good bacteria and the bad. Too much bad. That usually is Ecoli or Kebsiella in my case! And I found that out using the Flore system which looked through a poo sample as to what was growing inside of me. I had unresolved IBS since age 18, hadnt a clue what foods werent suiting me, 2 scopes in gastroscopy over 10 years that were NORMAL. The Gps hadn’t a clue what was happening. I lost faith in them. I couldn’t eat a meal after 4pm or I wouldn’t have digested my dinner by bedtime..By the time I was 32 my digestion was very bad. And I still got spots every month!
15 years of chronic stress, supplements etc had effected my liver. Your liver is your main organ for detoxification. If your liver is sluggish and overworked the toxins are building up in your body and if the liver cant remove them then they come out the skin…as spots..so most teenagers whos liver is working extra hard detoxing all those puberty hormones that’s why the acne is so bad then. Not because of the hormones itself! Another reason why women in their 30s and 40s start getting acne then is for the same reason! The liver cant cope with all the removal of toxins in the body so it comes out the skin.
I can order a capsule for you to take twice a day for 6 months to help your liver work better. Also the reason why you get spots before your period is because 80% of your immune system is going to your reproductive organs to help with your period and therefore your skin is only left with 20% to support your skin! And if Streptococcus is living in your skin at you chin or forehead etc then it comes out to play when you get you period because your body only has 20% immune system to support your skin!.
Spots are mostly caused by the bacteria streptococcus, we pick it up from kissing, toilet seats lots, sexual partners. Also maybe because of undiagnosed dairy sensitivity. Most people in the UK and Ireland lack a microbe called Streptococcus Themophilus. It produces lactase the enzyme that breaksdown lactose. Some people say they think chocolate etc give them spots. This is probably why! If you want to know how to get this microbe into your body start eating a yogurt from Duneen at Aldi with that microbe it in it everyday or do the Flore test system of personalised probiotics. I can help you order that.
I started my skin clinic in 2014 because of all I had been through myself. It has been a huge success. Because of my own acne journey there is no lotion I haven’t tried or vitamin tablet or herb I haven’t taken. But I found a way to treat acne, rosacea, eczema, dermatitis with supplements and medical devices. I do medical facials, peels, dermaplaning and microneedling to help the scars fade and I know what works for anti-ageing of the skin and for the liver to help the toxins detoxify. And although home life was very stressful my work life has been therapy. I started doing makeup at the weekend in 2014 and because of my knowledge of skin I am a well known makeup artist in Sligo a job I still do at weekends and my gut and skin clinic midweek. I am very fortunate to be doing work I love going into 2022.
I started gowithyourgut.ie during 2020 and sofar I have treated so many empowered women. Some day I hope to go on to pursue functional medicine when my kids are older. Everyday I get up knowing I make a difference in a woman’s life fills me with joy. My life is complete because of women like you who put your trust in my why. Instagram for me is such an inspiring place. Behind every successful woman is a tribe of other successful women who have her back. You all know who you are. Eternally indebted to you ALL who follow my stories and trust me with your skin health.
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