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Holistic Dermatology differs from standard MD Dermatology as it aims to evaluate the “Root Cause” of the Dermatological condition rather than apply medication to the skin or take medicine to attempt to control the itchy annoying skin message the body is sending that something is out of balance.
Did you know I purposefully picked this picture of me handing a beautiful bag of nasturtiums, ginger, and orange blossoms to a patient to fool you? While I may give you herbs in my Holistic Dermatology practice for acne, eczema, psoriasis, dandruff and itchy skin… that is just generally not what I do in my “Dermatology Detective” process as it does not achieve success. Patients with skin conditions are frustrated enough with their skin.
They often have depression or anxiety that they cannot get their skin under control and are already feeling hopeless and helpless. Most of my patients have already been to multiple dermatologists and tried multiple prescription drugs topically and orally to no avail.
Their skin may continue to get worse and worse without answers. I know well how frustrating things can be in dermatology land, as I once suffered too with acne and eczema as I tell in my “Hormonal Acne” story. So, I never want to waste anyone’s time unless they understand what exactly I need to do with them as a dermatology process to understand the adverse messages the skin is sending so that we can work to find a permanent resolution and remove the trigger or imbalance.
As a Bastyr trained Naturopathic Doctor I was always trained to look first at “The Root Cause” of disease and dig deep.
My professors always asked why I and wanted to push us harder to understand the true “why” as to what was going on.
This is when I finally began to understand the principals of Functional Medicine and that giving herbs was not always going to be effective in dermatology just as giving drugs is not always effective.
While applying things to the skin works sometimes for things like lice and ringworm, it is not a good long term solution for chronic conditions like acne, eczema, psoriasis, hives, and itchy skin.
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Holistic Dermatology differs from standard MD Dermatology as it aims to evaluate the “Root Cause” of the Dermatological condition rather than apply medication to the skin or take medicine to attempt to control the itchy annoying skin message the body is sending that something is out of balance.
Did you know I purposefully picked this picture of me handing a beautiful bag of nasturtiums, ginger, and orange blossoms to a patient to fool you? While I may give you herbs in my Holistic Dermatology practice for acne, eczema, psoriasis, dandruff and itchy skin… that is just generally not what I do in my “Dermatology Detective” process as it does not achieve success. Patients with skin conditions are frustrated enough with their skin.
They often have depression or anxiety that they cannot get their skin under control and are already feeling hopeless and helpless. Most of my patients have already been to multiple dermatologists and tried multiple prescription drugs topically and orally to no avail.
Their skin may continue to get worse and worse without answers. I know well how frustrating things can be in dermatology land, as I once suffered too with acne and eczema as I tell in my “Hormonal Acne” story. So, I never want to waste anyone’s time unless they understand what exactly I need to do with them as a dermatology process to understand the adverse messages the skin is sending so that we can work to find a permanent resolution and remove the trigger or imbalance. As a Bastyr trained Naturopathic Doctor I was always trained to look first at “The Root Cause” of disease and dig deep.
My professors always asked why I and wanted to push us harder to understand the true “why” as to what was going on.
This is when I finally began to understand the principals of Functional Medicine and that giving herbs was not always going to be effective in dermatology just as giving drugs is not always effective.
While applying things to the skin works sometimes for things like lice and ringworm, it is not a good long term solution for chronic conditions like acne, eczema, psoriasis, hives, and itchy skin.
Book NowFrequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of conditions do you treat successfully in Holistic Dermatology?
Hormonal Acne, Eczema, Hives, Psoriasis, Seborrheic Dermatitis, Autoimmune, Rosacea and itchy annoying rashes are the most common conditions improved by Holistic Dermatology. They are also the least likely to improve from conventional medicine over time and generally require I work with the patient via my holistic detective process.
What type of Dermatology conditions do you not treat?
We do not treat skin cancer or vitiligo patients as it will not be safe and is also considered dangerous in the event of skin cancer. We do not provide skin cancer screenings or treatment and recommend you see a board certified Dermatologist annually for screenings or to confirm your diagnosis and bring that information to the doctor. The name of your condition is very important in Holistic Dermatology and oddly many of our patients cannot recall what they were diagnosed with so calling the office that conducted your skin biopsy, labs, or visit to get the name of your condition is always important, especially in rare rash situations such as Scleroderma or Itchy scalp has many different causes such as Psoriasis, Eczema, Seborrheic Dermatitis, and Hives. We also have not been successful treating Vitiligo and we refer to an MD Dermatologist for faster success, as we do not want patients frustrated that they cannot receive a successful outcome when we have not seen great progress in our Vitiligo patients using the same techniques that work for Acne, Psoriasis, Eczema and Itchy Skin patients. We just want to be honest and not waste your time!
How long until my skin improves with Holistic Dermatology?
Most patients improve in a three to six month timeline. Some patients are better after just one appointment and are generally seeing improvement with their skin in a month. To realistically resolve long term chronic inflammatory conditions such as hormonal acne, eczema, psoriasis, hives, rashes, seborrheic dermatitis, and itchy skin we recommend planning to work with the doctor over three to six months and always hope to achieve resolution sooner. However natural methods to improve the skin take time and the body needs time to reset and heal from the inside out as we work to remove individualized and inflammatory triggers. Most patients see the doctor, have labs and then follow up monthly until they are resolved as she adjusts their treatment plan, removes skin trigger foods, and implements a nutrition plan that does not aggravate the patient’s skin.
Is Holistic Dermatology Safe?
Yes, using natural medicine and functional medicine to treat your skin is safe and healthy for the long term. We simply recommend you have already been evaluated by an MD Dermatologist and properly diagnosed to rule out the rare incidence of an ongoing rash or itchy patch being a sign of cancer. Most of our patients are already frustrated from prescription medication, and have already been to multiple Dermatologists and are seeking out a different direction for understanding what is wrong with their skin. Our patients want answers and that is what we work to find them so that they can heal their skin themselves from within. The majority of our patients seek holistic dermatology for acne, eczema, psoriasis, dandruff, and itchy skin and are happy to have simple, cost effective natural solutions and long term nutritional answers.
What type of Dermatologist Provides Holistic Dermatology?
Dr. Nicole Sundene is not a Dermatologist but has worked in Dermatology both Holistic and Conventional for over 26 years. The first 8 years of her career in Dermatology she worked for three conventional MD Dermatologists. In 2007, upon becoming a Naturopathic Medical Doctor she has since practiced Holistic Dermatology for over 17 years as a Naturopathic Doctor. Dr. Sundene is not a board certified Dermatologist. She highly recommends patients visit an MD board cerified Dermatologist prior to working with her to confirm their skin rash diagnosis.
Can the Doctor Prescribe Medicine?
The doctor can provide integrated care as she understands prescription treatments for Dermatology that can be prescribed while we are resolving the internal issue causing the acne, eczema. Psoriasis, dandruff, or itchy skin. For patient in Arizona the Naturopathic Doctor can prescribe your medications. Otherwise the doctor will write up recommendations for your own dermatologist, OBgyn or Family Doc to write for you.
What Does the Holistic Dermatology Process Involve?
Dr. Sundene works to discover the root cause of the skin condition and resolve it holistically with nutrition, herbal medicine, and natural hormones. Dr. Sundene uses a Function Medicine approach to all chronic disease management and does not prescribe medication directly for the skin condition but instead works with the patient as a “Dermatology Detective” process of evaluating the patient’s Dermatology condition from a nutritional, hormonal, and mind/body/spirit perspective as oftentimes mental health conditions can cause skin conditions and itchy annoying skin problems can cause anxiety and depression or insomnia from itching at night. The process begins with labs conducted at Labcorp or Sonora Quest. We do not do Saliva Testing for Hormones.
Can I Receive Holistic Dermatology services virtually?
Yes, our clinic offers telemedicine and in clinic visits with our naturopathic doctor as long as you have a Labcorp or Sonora Quest near you for your hormone and nutrition testing we can help you. Many patients in Rural areas such as Flagstaff, Payson, Pine, Sedona, Lake Havasu, Chandler, Tempe, Mesa, Queen Creek, Yuma and Fountain Hills are happy not to have to drive so far to see us! If you are out of state we can still help you we just would need your doctor to prescribe any medicines as discussed above, although that is generally not required and part of the process as we are studying the symptoms of the skin…we do not want to heavily suppress them otherwise we will fail to understand what makes the skin better and what is making it worse.
How Do I get started with Holistic Dermatology?
Simply book your visit with the doctor on our SCHEDULE page or call our clinic for assistance with scheduling. Dr. Nicole Sundene (480) 837-0900
