Skin Health

Overview

This overview explores how Integrative Health can support prevention and treatment of skin problems.  Each of us may have different reasons why skin health is important in terms of our Meaning, Aspiration, or Purpose (MAP), and of course, all of this must be considered within the bigger picture of a person’s values and goals.

What are some of our options?  Every aspect of self-care influences can influence skin health.  This includes Nutrition (e.g., eating a Mediterranean or DASH Diet), Mind and Emotions (e.g., stress management approaches), Recharge (optimizing sleep), and Physical Activity (e.g., coming up with a personalized activity plan).  It also includes Surroundings (pollution levels, work environment), Personal Development (growing and learning), relationships (Family, Friends and Co-workers), and Spirit and Soul (living with meaning and purpose).  Beyond self-care, professional care is also important, including conventional care, such as medications and procedures, as well as complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches like mind-body techniques, acupuncture, and taking dietary supplements.^1,2

Note that this overview focuses on reducing risk related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in general.  In addition, there are specific Integrative Health tools focusing on some of the most common skin problems: acne, skin cancer, rosacea, eczema, and psoriasis.  The narrative included in “Integrative Approaches to Skin Health” illustrates how Integrative Health for the heart could look, informed by the latest research we have.