Episode 77

A Functional Medicine Approach to Treating and Healing Acne

With Dr. Robin Berzin

Our skin is a reflection of what’s going on with our health beneath the surface. Acne and other skin problems are signals that something is off in our body. Conventional medicine deals with symptoms, so their solutions for acne include lathering on potions and lotions, popping and pricking pimples and taking antibiotics or strong liver-damaging medications. There’s got to be another way, right?

Fortunately, there is with Functional Medicine, which addresses the problem’s root cause. From this lens, we can understand that numerous factors contribute to acne, including nutrition, stress, toxicity, inflammation and hormonal and gut imbalances. That’s actually good news because it empowers us to make dietary and lifestyle changes that reverse acne and improve our overall health without the adverse side effects of pharmaceuticals and other invasive procedures.

On today’s Broken Brain Podcast, our host, Dhru, talks to Dr. Robin Berzin, the founder and CEO of Parsley Health. A Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Robin completed medical school at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, and trained in Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. She has also trained in Functional Medicine with the Institute for Functional Medicine. In 2011, she co-founded the physician communication app Cureatr and subsequently has advised numerous startups in the healthcare space. Robin founded Parsley Health in order to make whole-body, transformative medicine accessible to everyone through better services and smart technology.

In this episode, Dhru and Dr. Robin Berzin dive deep into the topic of acne. They talk about the gut-skin connection and what role our gut health plays when it comes to acne. They discuss why conventional acne treatments don’t actually work, and often end up doing more harm, and how to treat acne without medication. They also talk about how the cosmetics we use on our skin can increase inflammation which in turn leads to acne, and the best skincare routine and products for someone suffering with acne.

I know you’ll love this episode of The Broken Brain Podcast as much as I did.

PS – Learn more about Parsley Health’s new LA Flagship at https://www.parsleyhealth.com/la and its national services at https://www.parsleyhealth.com/online-doctor.

Interested in joining Dhru’s Broken Brain Podcast Facebook Community? Submit your join request here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2819627591487473/
For more on Dhru Purohit, be sure to follow him on Instagram @dhrupurohit, on Facebook @dhruxpurohit, on Twitter @dhrupurohit, and on YouTube @dhrupurohit. You can also text Dhru at (302) 200-5643 or click here https://my.community.com/dhrupurohit

I hope you enjoyed this conversation as much as I did.
Wishing you health and happiness.
Dhru Purohit

In this Episode, you will learn

  1. Dr. Berzin shares her personal struggle with acne
    (2:09)
  2. The most common underlying causes of acne
    (5:31)
  3. The connection between gut health and skin issues
    (15:45)
  4. The problem with topical antibiotics
    (25:55)
  5. How omega-6 fatty acids may have a direct impact on acne development
    (27:56)
  6. The connection between hormones and acne
    (38:55)
  7. How cosmetics and personal care products alter your skin’s microbiota
    (45:39)
  8. Lab testing for skin issues
    (58:03)
  9. The problem with food sensitivity testing
    (1:01:32)
  10. Learn more about Dr. Robin Berzin and her work
    (1:12:32)

Guest

 
Dhru Purohit

Dhru is the host of the Dhru Purohit Podcast, a top 30 health podcast with over 30 million downloads.

As an entrepreneur, Dhru is also the CEO Dr. Hyman Enterprises, Farmacy and the UltraWellness Center, a functional medicine based clinic that specializes in treating chronic disease through personalized medicine.

 
Dr. Robin Berzin

Dr. Robin Berzin is the Founder and CEO of Parsley Health. A heathcare startup dedicated to transforming medicine as we know it. The practionares at Parsley, under Dr. Berzin’s leadership, combine the best of conventional primary care with a functional approach to health. And just yesterday Dr. Berzin and team made a very special announcement that they completed their second round in funding and received $10 MM to help them take functional medicine to the next level. Super exciting!

Dr. Berzin lives in New York City with her husband, son and 2 rescue dogs. And because she’s amazing and a featured expert on our broken brain series we’ve invited her to our new podcast to dive deeper into topics around brain health, bio hacking and how to feel good.

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