🧬 Eczema and Psoriasis: What Do They Have to Do with Gut Health?

If you're struggling with eczema or psoriasis, you’ve likely tried creams, steroids, and maybe even biologics. But if the flares keep coming back, it’s time to ask a deeper question:

“Could this be coming from inside my body?”

More and more research points to a powerful gut-skin connection—especially in inflammatory skin conditions like eczema (atopic dermatitis) and psoriasis.

At Sheen Vein & Cosmetics, we take a functional medicine approach that goes beyond treating the surface. In this blog, we’ll explore:

• The link between gut health and chronic skin inflammation
• What leaky gut, dysbiosis, and food sensitivities mean for your skin
• Why conventional treatments often fail long-term
• How to support your gut for clearer, calmer skin

🌿 What Are Eczema and Psoriasis?

Eczema (Atopic Dermatitis):

• A chronic inflammatory condition causing itchy, dry, red patches
• Often appears in childhood but can persist into adulthood
• Commonly linked with allergies, asthma, and immune dysregulation

Psoriasis:

• An autoimmune skin condition where skin cells grow too fast, leading to scaly plaques
• Often affects the scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back
• Associated with systemic inflammation and increased risk of joint issues (psoriatic arthritis)

While both are categorized as skin disorders, their root causes are internal, especially involving immune dysfunction and inflammation—which are deeply connected to gut health.

🦠 The Gut-Skin Axis: How Your Gut Talks to Your Skin

Your gut and skin are in constant communication through the immune system, nervous system, and microbiome. This is known as the gut-skin axis.

When the gut is imbalanced or inflamed, the skin often reflects it. This can manifest as:

• Flare-ups of eczema or psoriasis
• New skin rashes, acne, or hives
• Slow wound healing or sensitivity
• Chronic itching or dry skin

🔎 1. Leaky Gut and Skin Inflammation

Intestinal permeability, or "leaky gut," happens when the lining of your gut becomes damaged and allows undigested food particles, toxins, and microbes to leak into your bloodstream.

This triggers the immune system and contributes to systemic inflammation—a key driver of both eczema and psoriasis.

Leaky gut is often caused by:

• Processed foods
• Gluten or dairy sensitivity
• Alcohol overuse
• Infections (like candida or SIBO)
• Chronic stress or medications (NSAIDs, antibiotics)

Once the gut barrier is compromised, your immune system goes on high alert, which can trigger skin autoimmunity or hypersensitivity reactions.

🧪 2. Dysbiosis: When Your Gut Bacteria Are Out of Balance

Your gut is home to trillions of microbes that regulate:

• Inflammation
• Nutrient absorption
• Immune function
• Skin barrier health

When these microbes become imbalanced—a state known as dysbiosis—it can fuel both eczema and psoriasis by:

• Increasing production of pro-inflammatory compounds
• Reducing short-chain fatty acids (like butyrate) that heal the gut
• Weakening the skin barrier
• Triggering immune overreactions to harmless substances

Studies have shown that people with psoriasis and eczema often have reduced microbial diversity and a higher load of inflammatory bacteria in their gut.

🍽️ 3. Food Sensitivities and Skin Flares

Many people with eczema or psoriasis have underlying food sensitivities that contribute to gut inflammation and immune overactivation.

Common triggers include:

• Gluten
• Dairy
• Eggs
• Soy
• Corn
• Sugar
• Nightshades (in some with autoimmune tendencies)

These foods may not cause immediate allergic reactions, but they can drive low-grade inflammation and disrupt gut integrity—leading to chronic skin flares.

An elimination diet or IgG food sensitivity testing may help identify triggers.

🔥 4. Chronic Inflammation: The Common Denominator

At the core of eczema, psoriasis, and gut dysfunction is chronic inflammation.

Whether it’s driven by poor gut health, toxin exposure, stress, or poor diet—chronic inflammation leads to:

• Overactive immune responses
• Tissue damage (in the gut and skin)
• Poor detox capacity
• Skin hypersensitivity and reactivity

Healing the gut lowers systemic inflammation, which can reduce skin reactivity and autoimmunity.

🩺 Why Topical Creams Alone Don’t Work Long-Term

Steroid creams, moisturizers, and biologic drugs may suppress symptoms, but they don’t fix the underlying drivers of skin inflammation.

If the gut remains inflamed, leaky, or dysbiotic, flare-ups will continue.

Long-term reliance on steroids or biologics also carries risks:

• Skin thinning
• Suppressed immune function
• Increased infection risk
• Nutrient depletion
• Masking the true root cause

✅ Functional Medicine Approach: Heal the Gut, Calm the Skin

At Sheen Vein & Cosmetics, we help patients address eczema and psoriasis from the inside out.

Our process includes:

1. Comprehensive Gut Testing

We assess for:

• Leaky gut (zonulin)
• Gut inflammation (calprotectin, secretory IgA)
• Pathogens (candida, parasites, H. pylori)
• Dysbiosis or SIBO
• Pancreatic enzyme insufficiency

2. Food Sensitivity Identification

Through:

• Guided elimination diets
• IgG or MRT testing
• Nutritional rebalancing

3. Gut Repair Protocols

Using:

• L-glutamine, zinc carnosine, aloe, and collagen to heal the gut lining
• Probiotics to rebalance the microbiome
• Digestive enzymes to improve nutrient absorption
• Anti-inflammatory herbs like turmeric and quercetin

4. Immune and Skin Support

We support skin healing through:

• Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA)
• Vitamin D optimization
• Antioxidants (glutathione, vitamin A, selenium)
• Targeted microbiome restoration

🧠 The Bottom Line

Eczema and psoriasis are not just skin conditions—they’re signals of internal imbalance.

The gut and skin are deeply connected through inflammation, immunity, and the microbiome. If you’ve tried every cream or medication with no lasting relief, it’s time to look beneath the surface.

Healing your gut can be the missing piece that finally calms your skin, restores your confidence, and gives you lasting freedom from flares.

🩺 Ready to Heal Your Skin from Within?

At Sheen Vein & Cosmetics, we specialize in identifying and treating the root causes of chronic skin issues like eczema and psoriasis. Our gut-focused protocols go beyond symptom management and empower your body to heal.

📍 Schedule a functional medicine consult today or
🌐 Visit our website to learn how our gut-skin programs help patients reclaim their health—naturally.

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