Here’s How A Functional Wellness Doctor Can Help Your Skin Health

Because skin care is more than about aesthetics.

Sep 27, 2021

When it comes to issues involving the skin, hair, and nails, it’s a no-brainer that we run to the dermatologist for help. A derma, after all, is trained to identify and treat over 3,000 conditions of the skin and body—like eczema, acne, and psoriasis, among many others—and is licensed to address cosmetic issues to improve one’s physical appearance.

But given all that we’re dealing with today, it’s no longer enough to simply choose a doctor with clinical knowledge and by-the-book expertise. In this day and age when “overall wellness” is the ultimate goal, we can all benefit from a holistic approach when addressing health issues—skin care concerns, included. This is where functional medicine comes in.

Functional medicine, explained

According to the Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM), functional medicine is a systems biology-based approach towards diagnosing a patient. Dr. Maximin Navarro, Bella Pelle Skin Solutions’ resident dermatologist and a practitioner of functional medicine, further explains: “It is an individualized approach that focuses on identifying and addressing the causes of disease—a strategy that looks into a person’s genes, environment, and current lifestyle to further dissect a medical condition and reverse its effects, if possible.”

Simply put, a doctor in functional medicine works holistically, taking into consideration your physical, mental, emotional, and sometimes even spiritual health. They don’t just look at diagnostic tests and lab results; they consider factors such as diet, genetics, hormonal changes, and other lifestyle components.

Quick example: Let’s say you have a chronic acne problem, which you try to treat with the usual pimple solutions—topical treatments, oral meds, an anti-acne regimen, the works. But no matter what you do, the breakouts don’t stop. Why? Chances are you’re simply addressing the symptoms, and not really targeting the root of the problem and all the factors contributing to it.

How functional medicine helps in dermatology

At Bella Pelle Skin Solutions, Dr. Navarro employs functional medicine in his practice of dermatology. Through this approach, he addresses each patient as a whole person, and not just a set of symptoms. “I spend time with each patient, listening to their histories, and looking at the interaction between genetics and environmental and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and chronic diseases.”

His strategy utilizes the five R’s of functional medicine, which are basically rooted on improving gut health in order to achieve better overall health. “The five R’s are Remove, Restore, Repair, Reinoculate, and Relax.”

Remove – This entails removing all food items causing any negative effects to the body, especially processed food loaded with chemicals.
Restore – This means reintroducing the “good stuff” to your body and restoring what is lacking, like vitamins and antioxidants.
Repair – This focuses on optimizing the body’s natural healing powers.
Reinoculate – This is all about bringing back good bacteria into the body (specifically the “gut”) to promote good health from within.
Relax – This emphasizes the importance of the mind-body connection and how caring for our mental and emotional health affects our physical health.

To help in the implementation of the five R’s, particularly “Restore,” Dr. Navarro usually recommends dietary supplements to aid in boosting one’s overall health. Here are some examples, which are available at Bella Pelle Skin Solutions:

Metagenics PhytoMulti, P2,200	Metagenics UltraFlora Spectrum, P3,000
Metagenics Immune Active, P2,300	Metagenics D3 2000 Complex, P1,500

Click here to shop for more supplements.

This way to wellness

Keen to achieve overall wellness while improving your skin, nail, and even hair health? You can start by booking an online consultation with Dr. Navarro, a fellow of the Philippine Dermatological Society, here.

In partnership with the Skin + Nutrition Clinic and Global Medical Technologies, Bella Pelle Skin Solutions also refers patients for Nutritional Evaluation and for diagnostic tests such as Food Intolerance Testing, FABER test, and organic acid tests, among others, to help in the management and treatment of conditions.

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