Skin complaints — eczema, acne, psoriasis, dermatitis — bring a steady stream of people to my door, usually after years of creams that manage without resolving. The homeopathic view of skin is different enough from the conventional one that it’s worth spelling out.
The skin as outlet
Homeopathy has always read the skin as one of the body’s preferred outlets — a place where an internal disturbance can express itself relatively safely, out at the surface. That’s why I say people with visible complaints are lucky: the disease is showing itself where we can watch it, rather than sitting silent and deep. It’s also why a homeopath treats the person with eczema, never just the eczema — the skin is the messenger, and we’re interested in what sent the message.
Skin and bowels go together
In my mind they’re a pair — if the skin is struggling, I always ask about digestion, because a body that isn’t eliminating efficiently will find another exit. There’s a story on my home page about a young man whose facial spots led, by way of two remedies, to the discovery of something else entirely his body needed to be rid of first. The skin cleared in its own time, from the inside out. That’s the direction homeopathy expects healing to travel — digestion and skin often improve together.
What about steroid creams?
Keep using what your GP or dermatologist has prescribed — that’s always my answer, and any change belongs in a conversation with them, not with me. I’ll simply say that homeopathy’s traditional concern is with what happens when a surface expression is quieted without the underlying picture changing, which is exactly why we work on the whole case: the history, the family pattern (eczema travels with asthma and hay fever through generations), the stress, the gut.
Patience, honestly
Skin is slow tissue. A picture that took years to establish doesn’t clear in a fortnight, and I’d rather tell you that now than have you disappointed at the first follow-up. Months, not weeks, with the itch and the sleep and the mood often improving before the surface does — that’s the usual shape of skin work. Children’s skin tends to respond faster; there’s more on that in homeopathy for children.
If your skin has something to say, call me on 07956 217 276 — in person in North London, or by video, where I promise the camera is kinder than you think.
Homeopathy is a complementary approach: it sits alongside, and never replaces, the care of your GP or hospital team. If you have new, severe or worrying symptoms, please see your doctor or call NHS 111 first — and keep taking any prescribed medication unless your prescriber tells you otherwise.