Women who have endometriosis are more likely than other women to have disorders in which the immune system attacks the body’s own tissues.
Maybe most of you have quite an up-and-down relationship with your skin. Battling hormonal skin and inflamed, sensitive skin, is normal for women with endometriosis. Like rosacea, which can cause redness on the nose, cheeks, forehead, and chin. It can also cause flakiness and pimples. Luckily, I found a routine that keeps it down to the point of being nearly non-existent. Having hormonal issues could break your skin out two weeks before your period. Sometimes these breakouts can last into and after your period.
Sensitive skin conditions are a common issue with endometriosis sufferers, and it’s likely because of the inflammation in our bodies. For example, “rosacea, psoriasis, and dermatitis are all inflammatory conditions, and endometriosis has been linked to other inflammatory conditions in the body. Many women with endometriosis suffer from skin problems. A study in 2002 found that women with endo were more likely to have inflammatory diseases such as eczema and allergies. So it’s normal if your skin can break out two weeks before your period. Sometimes you can have rosacea, which can cause redness on the nose, cheeks, forehead, and chin. It can also cause flakiness and pimples.
So whilst it’s so helpful to find a skin routine that calms and relieves the external symptoms, the problems are probably a very big sign as to what’s going on the inside of your body. Reducing your exposure to inflammatory foods such as caffeine, sugar, and alcohol can make a big difference in decreasing your body’s overall levels of inflammation and in turn, will hopefully have a positive impact on your skin.
Endometriosis is a chronic condition. The causes of endometriosis vary and are poorly understood. Doctors still don’t know everything about what triggers this condition. Causes may be the combination of multiple factors including genetics and immune dysfunction. Endometriosis has not yet been classified as an autoimmune disease but it may increase the risk for autoimmune diseases. The inflammatory nature of endometriosis seems to trigger an imbalance in the immune system.
Our immune system protects our body from invaders. But immune systems can get out of balance. If you have an autoimmune disease, your body attacks itself, as if it were a foreign invader. Inflammation is part of this autoimmune response. Having endometriosis can increase your risk for other health conditions. Some of these conditions, called comorbidities, are autoimmune diseases. Keep reading to find out what you should know about the health risks connected to endometriosis.
Endometriosis has been strongly linked to a weakened immune system, and many women find themselves catching everything that comes their way, on top of dealing with the symptoms of endometriosis and other conditions it’s associated with, such as IBS and eczema.
Endometriosis and Acne
Endometriosis has been linked to acne because of hormonal imbalances and also common sensitivities that endometriosis patients often experience.
Hormonal acne can affect anyone who has an imbalance in their hormones or an underlying hormonal condition. It can also arise temporarily before or around your period. Hormonal acne may take several forms, including:
- Hormonal adult acne, which typically forms in the lower part of your face. This includes the bottom of your cheeks and around your jawline.
- For some, hormonal acne takes the form of blackheads, whiteheads, and small pimples that come to a head or become cysts.
- Cysts that form deep under the skin and don’t come to a head on the surface. These bumps are often tender to the touch.
So what can we do about it?
Liver support
Your liver is a vital cleansing organ for the entire body. It cleans and filters everything that travels through your bloodstream. This includes toxins from food, skincare products, waste chemicals and by-products from drugs, toxins from the air you breathe, chemicals off-loaded by natural bodily processes – like realizing stress hormones that the body no longer needs after the stress has passed.
The liver is the organ that filters out old and excess hormones and helps balance your body’s chemistry. Supporting your liver will not only help your skin to be a bit calmer but also can help manage endometriosis by removing excess hormones that encourage endo growth.
Helping your liver means not overburdening it with too many toxins to filter out — things like chemicals from body and household products, alcohol, caffeine, drugs, etc. You can also support the liver with the food you eat: beets, broccoli, greens, and cauliflower are often recommended.
When your liver is working efficiently and coping with the amount of cleansing work required, then your body will stay in balance and you will not suffer the effects of toxin overload. This is vital for women with endometriosis so that you can release surplus hormones and toxins, which will give the immune system the opportunity to work where it is needed – helping to tackle endometriosis.
Natural products
Many of the products on the market are full of chemicals and toxins that can affect your hormones. The harshness of these ingredients can often worsen skin conditions over time because of stripping the body of its natural oils and aggravating the skin with perfumes or other ingredients.
The problem is that a lot of these toxins mimic Estrogen, which isn’t good full stop let alone for someone who suffers from Endo (endometriosis and high levels of estrogen have been linked). Some are referred to as an endocrine disruptor, meaning hormone-altering crap lol. If your body is already high in estrogen, and then you add an estrogen-mimicking chemical to your body – your hormones are going to sky-rocket causing your symptoms to worsen!
Going natural can be costly and take some time, but it’ll alleviate your body’s reaction to toxins, which can mess up your hormones and put extra strain on the liver (which is needed to remove old hormones). Additionally, the ingredients are usually much gentler and better suited for inflamed and sensitive skin.
Love your body
Don’t forget to love your body, no matter what. Self-love is really important when living with endometriosis. It should be a big one for all of you! If you tell your skin how horrible it is, some energetic theories suggest that your mind and body will respond to that, and it will become the thing you’re telling yourself it is. When you’re in a negative state, you’re not always going to be making the right choices to support yourselves.
Try to be kind to your body. Send it some love and your mentality will most likely change how you deal with your skin. A little self-love goes a long way.
