Have you ever wondered why your skin flares up despite no apparent changes in your diet, living environment, or daily routine? The sudden onset of symptoms may indicate that your histamine levels have reached a tipping point, causing your body to react. But what exactly does this signify?
When we talk about your cup being full we look at all the different things that are affecting your skin. You may have been going along really well with no flare ups and then all of a sudden - BAM - skin flare. There are so many influences on the health of the skin and combined they can lead to a flare up and this is often why a topical cream is not the answer to skin flares as we need to address the underlying factors that got the skin to where it is.
Genetics have a roll to play and this can be due to poor filagrin production ( skin strength decreased), poor detoxification pathways that lead to a decrease in the ability of the body to process toxic loads or an increased chance of skin conditions such as psoriasis or rosacea.
Unfriendly bugs can be on the skin, in the gut or circulating in the blood stream. There is often a higher presence of staph infection on the skin in people with eczema, often a strep infection precedes a guttate psoriasis flare up or the increase in demodex mite on the skin in rosacea patients.
Heavy metals can accumulate in the body if the detox pathways can not eliminate them efficiently. These heavy metals can accumulate in the tissues increasing inflammation in the body or they can block essential minerals from entering the cells.
DAO or Diamine Oxidase breaks down histamine in the body. If we are low in this enzyme due to poor gut health and lack of manufacture, or from foods that block this enzyme, the an increase in histamine can lead to skin flare ups.
Hormone imbalance, especially fluctating estrogen can lead to skin flare ups. High estrogen that is unopposed by progesterone can lead to high histamine and skin becomes very itchy and allergy symptoms can be increased. Skin complaints are very common in peri-menopause and puberty when there is a change in the hormones.
Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can lead to poor immune regulation which can increase allergic symptoms or decrease the bodies ability to kill the bad bugs. Lower nutrients will also decrease the bodies ability to repair and rebuild the skin.
Low essential fatty acids (good oils such as Omega 3, 6 and 9) can lead to dry skin and increased inflammation.
Diet plays a role in the skin and is not the only factor but it can contribute to an increase in histamine, whether through consumption of high histamine foods, foods that decrease the DAO enzyme or foods that are highly processed or high in sugar that lead to inflammation or poor digestion.
Stress increases cortisol which leads to increased inflammation, poor digestion, increased need for nutrients and changes in the immune system. This stress may be short term but be enough to overflow your skin cup in combination with other factors.
Immune system - if you have been unwell this can be a trigger for a skin flare as nutrients run low, and the immune system sets of a cascade of inflammation.
This is the reason why a skin condition can seem to flare when there seems to be no major changes - lots of small changes can lead to a big flare up. This is why chatting to a practitioner can help to find the reasons why.
In health & happiness,
Kirsty
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