When to Consider Testing for Skin Health

This post is an adapted transcript from an IGTV video post. If you’d like to listen/watch the reply, you can check it out here.

I love testing with people.

It's a great opportunity to get an in-depth look into what is going on in your body so we can identify and address root areas of dysfunction to understand why you are having skin concerns to begin with. 

You should always be considering testing. The opportunity to have access to testing at home is important, especially in our current times. You can go online and order your own gut microbiome test, so why not do it?!

The one issue lies in interpreting the results. I find, as a person with in-depth knowledge with interpreting tests, especially gut microbiome test results, some of the tests on the market today provide so much information to the point of confusion. It’s a good thing to be given so much information. The test results usually will provide some sort of treatment plan, what things to avoid in your diet and maybe some supplement suggestions. But ultimately, having someone interpret your test results and walk you through the information to make custom recommendations is going to be a lot more useful versus just following the guidelines given by the testing company.

Regardless of what test you choose to do, there are ways to interpret what’s going on. There’s the lower price options and the Cadillac price options. It’s kind of where your comfort zone is cost-wise with what type of test you’re going to get - you’re going to get what you pay for but regardless you’re going to get great information to work off of with any testing option.

In a perfect world, I personally prefer if clients can layer and do a few tests at the same time because then you are really going to get to see what’s really going on. No one test is perfect or going to provide you with all the answers you’re looking for so layering is ideal if it’s feasible.

The reason why you want to do testing goes way back to the gut/brain/skin axis that I talk about all the time.

The gut/brain/skin axis is a term coined about 10-15 years ago in the literature identifying the association between your gut health (as in your gut microbiome, elimination and detox pathways, gut lining health, etc.), your brain (as in your hormones, neurotransmitters, your mindset/mood, sleep/wake cycles, stress levels etc.) and their influence on your skin. The amount of research on the gut/brain/skin axis is huge. It’s a fascinating area of research, and continues to improve as time goes on.

There are a few microbiome tests that I see out on the market.

One is Viome. Viome is pretty cool. The more that I dig into it, the more appreciation I have for the test. At first sight the test kit is pretty, the user interface is great and it even comes with an app. The test results will give you recommendations, such as foods to avoid, foods to minimize and superfoods for you specifically based on the results of your gut microbiome (it is not a food sensitivity test). It will also give you some basic supplement recommendations, but this is where I feel that working with someone to help enhance the customization will make it more beneficial to you and your primary concerns.

Another microbiome test is from EasyDNA. It’s going to give you more specifics as to the overgrowth or undergrowth of specific types of bacteria, which can be really handy when you are wanting to target or get a deep understanding as to why you might be having one specific issue for example, and knowing the specific bacteria that’s overgrowing can be really handy. 

The third test is the GI-MAP from Diagnostic Solutions. This test can only be obtained through a health care provider who is literate in how to interpret the test, whereas the previous two you can order online yourself. The GI-MAP is definitely a Cadillac version, and this is where you require someone who has a deep knowledge in gut microbiome test results to give you an in-depth interpretation of it. You will not be able to interpret the GI-MAP test results yourself.

Ultimately, what I like to see is someone do the Cadillac version of testing, then maybe one or two other types of testing to overlap the results and give a complete picture of what’s going on in your gut health, to help heal your skin with a holistic functional approach.

If you’d like to learn more about how to support the gut/brain/skin axis or have someone help interpret your results for you, we provide all of this for you in the Skincare Lab.