My Skin Transformation
Well… here we go!
This has been an uncomfortable but necessary article to write about my journey to clear skin.
I’m hoping to keep it short and to the point, without getting all emotional and heartfelt, even though when I look at my before and after, I still get teary-eyed thinking about the old me that had to go through all that mental and physical pain, But, I’m a new person. And the new Alexandria is confident enough to write this, because I’ve overcome that part of my life.
I’m even more happy to share my journey and the things I’ve learned along the way to hopefully help whoever is reading this the anguish and expense that I had to endure.
10 Years too Long
From the title, I guess you can get an idea, but the before picture was on a good day and those days lasted over 10 years. It got to a point when I forgot that those bumps on my face were a problem. I just thought it was a regular part of life and that one day I’d grow out of it. Well.. at least that’s what my doctor and dermatologist assured me.
So, for years I was on a hunt for whatever would fix my skin. I didn’t care if it was a temporary or a longterm fix. JUST FIX IT ALREADY!
I would say I had a normal american diet, one of spaghetti, steak, mashed potatoes, vegetables, cereal, toast, eggs, and bacon, and burgers. I ate well, was never hunger, and would never had thought food could be affecting my skin.
I dealt with constipation all my life. And anytime I saw the doctor, they would just say to eat more fiber and drink more water. So, I did. I ate FiberOne bars in high school, which blew my stomach up like a balloon ready to pop, and drank water till I couldn’t sit still.
I always had a thought in the back of my head, that if the topical stuff the docs give me was working, then they either suck at their jobs or there’s something else going on, here.
I ended up using hormonal medicines to fix my skin, and yay they worked. But I wondered, why my hormones were being regulated for my acne. Were my hormones to blame all these years?
One day when I was in finishing up my last year of law school, I was over it all and I was over the stupid creams and pills. I had a feeling it was all covering up the problem but not getting to the real issues.
So, like a crazy person, I stopped the medicines and creams and guess what happened, my skin went back to old ways. I had tons of acne all over my face. My bloating was a catastrophic disaster, but I was right. The hormonal meds were simply faking out my body, but would’ve required me to stay on them forever.
As I stopped all the conventional methods from the docs, I decided to do my own soul searching research into the body, how it works, and what makes it act up and freak out with zits.
I found out that diet was playing a big effect on how my body was digesting nutrients, but most importantly how it wasn’t disposing of excess estrogen. As women, we have Estrogen, Progesterone, and Testosterone, all working at different times to make us Women! Testosterone is more abundantly in men, which makes them different from us, and we have more estrogen, which makes us more womanly, with woman hips and thighs, boobs, periods and everything else.
Sometimes when estrogen doesn't get metabolized efficiently and expelled in the stool, it gets recirculated throughout the bloodstream, giving us way too much estrogen than our body was meant to hold onto. That extra estrogen broke out my skin over and over again.
So, I decided to regulate my hormones with two methods:
Detoxing my body to make excreting the estrogens more efficient.
Cleaning up my skincare routine to remove XenoEstrogens and Estrogen disruptors.
Let’s dive into each one in a bit of detail.
Detoxing The Body
Part 1
I became a detox therapist after my transformation to further understand how a healthy colon is is vital to wellbeing. If you’re interested in going through a detox program, feel free to reach out to discuss that process. But, for now, let’s go over the basics. Detoxing the process of removing waste from the body. Build up waste in the body creates a toxic overload and disrupts the natural order of the body’s systems.
A proper functioning detox system allows the body to stay in balance, regenerate, and reduce signs of aging and improve the immune system.
These organs include the colon, liver, kidneys, lymph nodes, and skin.
Anytime one of these detox organs gets compromised for too long, disease can set up. Think of it like backed up pipes in your home, I t
Xeno Estrogens
Part 2
Xenoestrogens, also known as environmental estrogens, are synthetic or naturally occurring chemical compounds that possess estrogenic properties, meaning they can mimic or disrupt the actions of the hormone estrogen in the body. These compounds have a similar structure to the body's natural estrogen hormones and can interact with estrogen receptors, potentially affecting hormonal balance and various physiological processes.
Xenoestrogens are not produced by the human body but are introduced from external sources, primarily through environmental exposure. They can be found in a wide range of everyday products, materials, and substances. Some common sources of xenoestrogens include:
Plastics: Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates are chemicals used in the production of plastics, including food containers, water bottles, and packaging. These compounds can leach into food and beverages, leading to potential exposure.
Pesticides and Herbicides: Some agricultural chemicals contain xenoestrogens that can be absorbed by crops and transferred to humans through consumption.
Personal Care Products: Cosmetics, lotions, shampoos, and perfumes can contain ingredients with estrogenic properties, such as parabens and certain fragrance compounds.
Household Cleaners: Some cleaning products contain chemicals that mimic estrogen and may have the potential to disrupt endocrine function.
Industrial Chemicals: Chemicals used in manufacturing processes, as well as pollutants released into the environment, can contain xenoestrogens that enter the food chain and water supply.
Canned Foods: The lining of some canned foods may contain BPA, which can leach into the food inside.
Processed Foods: Certain additives and preservatives used in processed foods might have estrogenic effects.
Water Supply: Trace amounts of xenoestrogens, including pharmaceuticals and personal care product residues, can be found in drinking water.
Exposure to xenoestrogens has raised concerns due to their potential to disrupt endocrine function, particularly affecting reproductive health, hormonal balance, and developmental processes. Research on the long-term effects of xenoestrogen exposure is ongoing, and while the impact may vary depending on the compound, duration of exposure, and individual factors, it's recommended to be aware of potential sources and take steps to minimize exposure, such as choosing products labeled as "BPA-free," opting for natural personal care products, and consuming a balanced diet of whole, unprocessed foods.
The New Me
What a difference in my skin, energy, and self confidence.