SKIN CONDITIONS: CASE STUDY
I remember a lady who consulted me about unusual swelling of the lips. No matter what she did, she could not overcome this. It turned out that it was her lipstick that was causing the problem but the more she tried to conceal the problem, the worse it became. The lips and nose can sometimes show the first signs of an allergic reaction to food, clothing, dust, pollen or in fact to anything with which we come into contact. With all allergies, the skin will soon let us know that something, somewhere, is out of sorts.
The skin provides excellent protection for the human body and reflects the state of our general health. I will always remember a patient, many years ago, who grew lettuces commercially. He lived in England, but was so desperate that he travelled all the way to my clinic in Scotland. He had a so-called 'unidentified skin problem' which was in an advanced state. The tests I carried out left me puzzled. I took blood tests and asked him what sort of chemicals, pesticides, fertilisers, etc. he used in his greenhouses. After a great deal of thought and testing, I came to the conclusion that he was allergic to the chemicals he used to obtain lettuces with an attractive green colour. I pointed out to him that not only was this chemical bad for him, but also for the customers who bought and ate this produce. Once I had discovered that he was allergic to this specific chemical colourant, it was easy to persuade him to grow his lettuces organically, which he now does. Colouring and preservatives in food can easily be responsible for triggering off many food allergies, which manifest themselves as skin problems.
With any skin problems it is very important that we look at our lifestyle and our habits. By a process of elimination we can often discover the cause.
Women are particularly vulnerable, because of their use of cosmetics. Real problems can be caused by using the wrong sort of make-up. Some eye shadows, or heavy creams, are especially likely to cause problems. I remember one case in particular, where a lipstick was taken off the market, because it was thought there was a danger of it causing a precancerous or cancerous condition. It pays to invest in a quality product, from a reputable skin care company. It is quite frightening to know of the many skin conditions which are caused by carcinogenic or questionable ingredients. It is not only the chimney sweep who comes in contact with soot, or the painter who uses creosote, who may be exposed to carcinogenic agents, but also the many people who work in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Certain chemicals may influence an existing carcinogenic condition.
It is important that we check up on the circulation of the skin and any other external signs. Especially with young children, it is easy to ignore a little irritation or rash. Yet, this is short-sighted as it could well be a fungus, which can spread rapidly in a relatively short time. Fungal problems are often ignored and yet they can be helped very effectively with some very simple remedies. It is not sufficient to treat these with a little cream or ointment, because by doing so we only manage to subdue the problem which will probably flare up again after a short time. Problems like these have to be cleared from the inside. Only by clearing the inside first will the outside skin condition be overcome.
*3\147\2*
