Acne, Digestion, Questions

[New Dime]

Hello bloggers and health enthusiasts. I've posted on AskShelley before, and I've never been disappointed with the help I've received. I hope my new query will be answered with the same level of sophistication.

I'm 21, going on 22, and I deal with acne. It's a minor case, nothing resembling the horror stories of accutane testimonials. I'd classify myself as a Proactive-commercial acne sufferer but less gullible. Most of my acne appears on my chin, sometimes as small, red dots and other times as whiteheads trapped beneath the skin. How they mock when I press my tongue against my lower lip, revealing their presence. Sometimes, however, I get inflamed 'soars' that never develop a whitehead and slowly fade away. Most recently I've noticed the accumulation of small, grainy bumps on the sides of my nose, underneath my eyes. They just sit patiently reminding me of my continuing battle with acne.

I use Tazorac, Benzol Peroxide, and Neutrogena soap as products in my daily regimen.

Most recently I bought Dessert Essence 'Blemish Touch Stick' with Tee Tree Oil and Queen Helene's 'Mint Julep Masque,' but I'm afraid to use them. My skin is sensitive, and I don't know how it will react to new products.

Also, about a year ago I began having digestive problems. I don't have regular BMs without the assistance of carrot juice. I've tried incorporating Kefir and yogurt into my diet, but I'm terribly sensitive to milk. Within a week I begin to develop the 'soars' mentioned earlier. I maintain a fairly good diet consisting of various healthful oils and lacking copious amounts of wheat. I'm well versed in contemporary alternative health, and I've read through Shelley's FAQs several times. I've self-diagnosed myself as Pitta Dosha, although I might be mistaken, and I've attempted to follow Pitta diet guidelines.

Yet, I continue to suffer from irregular BMs and acne. I know I'm not providing sufficient information, although I'm afraid I've already written too much. My brother is four years my minor and suffers from a similar case of acne. I recognize myself at 18 in his condition, so I'm assuming this is somewhat hereditary. My uncle had acne when he was younger and it slowly went away by the age of 23. I'm hoping I can speed the process. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[kaleidoscope]

Have you done any liver cleansing, flushing? A congested liver can cause both acne and digestive problems. I think the fact that carrot juice helps your BMs indicates that it really is a liver issue.

My acne is not gone but has greatly improved with 6 liver flushes (and counting...). I've also taken a bottle of Chinese Bitters which may have contributed to my improvement.

[New Dime]

The only problem is that liver flushing is such a daunting activity. I cannot wrap my head around it. I don't know what I should be doing first, and how I should be doing it. My diet is rather good as it is, although I went crazy this fourth of july. I'm planning on fasting for three days.

Can I do a series of the extended, week-long liver flushes instead of the purges? If so, how long do I wait between flushes? What should I be looking for after the flushes?

I am very interested in beginning a cleansing routine. I'm just a bit reluctant to start because of the amount of information available.

[kaleidoscope]

I guess I know where you're coming from because it took me a year to start doing liver flushes after I found out about them. But as soon as I did my first one I wondered why I hadn't started them sooner. It's really not that hard!

I once tried the week-long "flush" but my skin just started breaking out more than normal with that, even though my bowel movements were regular. I think that the overnight flush is better, at least for people with acne.

If you want I can post exactly how I do my flushes.

[shelley]

You can cleanse your liver any way you are comfortable, they are all effective, it's just that the olive oil/lemon juice flush very quickly gets rid of stones.

You have to read up on managing the digestive system in the FAQ. That's all you have to do - manage digestion, cleanse the liver and bowels, establish normal healthy bowel movements, increase digestive enzymes and stomach acids, take B vits, lecithin and blood cleansers, and the acne will disappear on its own. Eat the candida diet or totally fast for quickest results.

[New Dime]

Yes, Kaleidoscope, posting your routine would be very helpful. I'm on my third day of fasting and it hasn't been as difficult as I imagined. Although I'm intensely craving savory food, the smell of oil slowly roasting a chicken raised under a generous bed of carrots and potatoes. Or the blast of steam that escapes from a pork tamale as you unwrap its succulent, hidden morsel.

So, I'm confidently on the road towards recovery, looking forward to the many rewards which await. I'd like to do a liver flush and see what happens. I've already experienced a series of self-administered enemas and that wasn't so awful. Sure, the first time was rather traumatizing but now it's a simple operation.

Thanks for any additional help. Also, how do I ensure normal BMs after my fast. I've begun to take digestive enzymes with meals, and I drink carrot juice regularly.

[kaleidoscope]

Okay, here's what I do for my flushes:

Stone dissolvers (I use Gold Coin Grass and malic acid pills) for at least a week prior.

On the day of the flush:

No food*. Just drink water and maybe apple juice all day.
Take 1 tablespoon of Epsom salts in a glass of water at 8:00ish.
Drink 1/2 cup of olive oil mixed with 3/4 cup of grapefruit juice at 10:00ish.
Drink a bit of ginger tea (optional, to help nausea).

The next day:

Do a salt water flush early in the morning.
Get a colonic in the afternoon OR do a bunch of enemas throughout the day/next few days.

*The reason that I don't eat the day of the flush is that your intestines have to be pretty much empty to do a salt water flush, and sometimes I have digestive problems/constipation. I like to use the SWF because it flushes the small intestine as well as the large (colonics and enemas only clean the large inestine).