Acne is mentally and emotionally devastating. It can take an attractive, successful woman and turn her into a shadow of her former self in no time. It happened to me, and I see hundreds of women that are stuck in the same traumatic place.
When my acne first flared up after stopping the birth control pill I had no idea what hit me. I had been managing my acne for years with topical medications and the birth control pill, and I really didn’t pay much attention to my skin. I was having a great time – working hard in a career I loved with tons of friends. Things were good.
And then, inspired by my yoga practice and world travels, I decided to toss my birth control pill and live in harmony with nature. What happened instead changed the course of my life forever. My skin flared up and my personality changed.
I was no longer out-going and confident. I stopped wanting to meet people. I started to become reclusive. I was embarrassed whenever I saw my friends and family. I even quit my successful advertising career. I honestly had no idea who I was or what happened to me. All I know is that I felt ugly and unlovable.
What I didn’t know was that acne had literally taken over my mind, and the results were actually causing more acne. My stress and anxiety were sky-high, which triggers three separate hormonal pathways that lead to acne. That’s right. THREE!! Increased cortisol, prolactin and substance P are all a result of stress and anxiety, and all of them can lead to increased DHT, the hormone that directly increases sebum production in the skin. A vicious cycle was being created.
But most importantly – I felt awful. Acne had changed my personality and hijacked my normally positive mental outlook. My life was out of my control because my mind was out of my control. Acne had taken over.
The moral of the story – it is so important to not fall into the mental trap that acne so often sets for us. One of the most important tools that you have in your battle with acne is your mind. Modern quantum physics, ancient buddhist philosophy and the wisest people to ever walk this earth all agree – we are what we think. The observer creates her own reality.
This is incredibly exciting, because it means that you can use your mind to move beyond your acne. It might sound a little crazy, but this is proven, powerful science!
Okay, so how do you harness your mind and manifest clear skin?
- Write down 3 things that you love about yourself on a sticky note. This is going to be easy, because I know you are amazing. A great smile, killer legs, wicked sense of humour? Kind heart, generous, stunning blue eyes?
- Stick this note on your bathroom mirror and read it every morning and evening. Once you have read your note, close your eyes and say three times “I am beautiful.” Really mean it.
- Even during the day, whenever acne is starting to mess with your mind and make you feel less than – think about the three items on your sticky note, close your eyes and say three times “I am beautiful.
This is a critical exercise in your acne journey that will rewire the neural pathways in your brain and make you feel beautiful – which is what you are! Consequently, the hormone pathways that lead to more acne will be calmed down, your skin will clear and your intention will manifest.
Mind-body medicine is truly the medicine of the future, and science is proving that it might be the most critical piece of the puzzle in attaining health and balance in the body. It does take time, but the results are astounding! This work has the power to impact your life in so many ways. So, please, give this a try! Let me know what you think, because I truly care about helping you get rid of your acne so you can live the amazing life that you were meant to live.
xo,
Dr. Stacey
