Dr Terry

13/01/2023

If you suffer from acne, do you know your skin triggers?

My new YouTube video may be able to help give you some clues.

In this video, I share 10 reasons why your acne may not be clearing. I see these in my practice as an Integrative Skin & Hormone Doctor when I work with wome...

08/01/2023

One of my 2023 focus is to reignite my YouTube Channel.

My plan is to post once a week on topics on skin, hormones, powerful ageing and personal growth. If it resonates with you and you like my style, I invite you to subscribe.

In this video I share the 5 reasons why I'm returning to Youtube after a 7-year break. It's part of my focus for 2023 where I want to find more fun and exper...

07/01/2023

Words can heal or destroy.

It can help us focus and direct our intentions for the life we want or don’t want.

Words can help us change our old patterns and rewrite our future. It can help us navigate through life with a little more awareness, ownership and courage.

Words can make peace or war. Within us or outside of us.

It can stir emotions, sometimes without warning. Delirious joy or overwhelming sadness.

Hormones balancing, tears clearing, energy flowing and skin glowing - Words can be a powerful part of the healing journey.

Do you have a mantra for 2023? Here’s some of mine. Feel free to take what you need if it resonates with you.

05/01/2023

Happy New Year everyone!

I’ve been a sloth the last few months, recharging my batteries. My body craved the slower pace.

I’ve let go a lot of the hustle in 2022. This January 2023, my focus is to find a new rhythm and laying the ground work for more self-expression, more fun and more health.

We often know what will bring us more joy but it can be uncomfortable asking for it, trying it and even experiencing it at first. We almost have to get better at feeling more at ease being ourselves. The part of us when we are healthy, happy, confident and full of love.

When we are align with ourselves and expressing from our heart desire or soul calling, there will be less conflict within us, less disconnection and less dis-ease.

Stress hormone, cortisol slowly drops.
Our skin glows from within.
Our eyes twinkle.
Food taste yummier.
We sleep better.
We feel calmer.
We feel life more.
We see more possibilities and opportunities than problems.

Ask yourself: What will be uncomfortable but you know will bring you more joy this year?

It will not be easy at first and probably many times after.

Take baby steps.
Create a safe space to express yourself.
Prepare, visualise (not you succeeding but you trying & still alive) and give it a go.
If you feel nervous, move your body and get out of your head.
After each try, celebrate it.
Give yourself a pat on the back.
An “I am so proud of you for trying.”

Learn to be your own cheerleader and your own best friend.
A compassionate and encouraging one.
I’m rooting for you.

That is my wish for you in 2023.
To find more joy and fun in self-expression ❤️

20/09/2022

Sharing some of my favourite tips to balance sugar, improve insulin resistance (eg in PCOS) to help reduce breakouts:-
- Eat real whole food
- Eat breakfast with a lot of protein and healthy fats
- Low carb, grain free, ketogenic diet can help
- Cut out, sugar, alcohol, fruit juice
- Intermittent fasting can help
- Remove/ reduce stress
- Last meal 3 hours before bedtime
- Supplements can helps

✨
Extra help:-

🥑For great ketogenic
recipes , follow

☀️For information on intermittent fasting, follow .mindypelz

💊 For supplements, here are some recommendations. I am unable to give doses because
~ everyone is different
~ I don’t know your history
~ I can’t carry out a medical history over IG

But here it is for your information
~ Chromium Picolonate
~ Cinnamon (okay more of a spice)
~ Myo-inositol
~ Alpha Lipoic Acid
~ Berberine
✨
Have you tried any special diet to help with your skin? Did it help?

19/09/2022

The most popular diets that claim to be the best for hormonal imbalance like PCOS are keto diet, intermittent fasting and low carb diet.
✨
It may seem to help at the beginning - reducing weight, clearer skin, less cravings but I see it done too long and often see more problems after.

The reason why this occurs is these restrictive diets put the body in a lot of stress which increases stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol drives inflammation, weight gain and insulin resistance. Stress on the body affects the thyroid gland making it sluggish which slows down metabolism, resulting in weight coming back, feeling bloated and water retention. Restrictive diets can affect ovulation as the body doesn’t feel “safe” to procreate

Restrictive diets also becomes blurred in with eating disorders as whole macro food groups are removed and “bad” food are vilified replaced with “pseudofood”
✨
Every woman is different and instead of going on a diet, choose real food, eat more and enough nutrient dense food, unpack your cravings, eat at the right time and in the right conditions. If you choose to go on special diets, make sure you work with a practitioner who can guide you
✨
What special diet have you tried? Did it help or did it make things worst?

16/09/2022

Something to reflect for the weekend. How much space do you have in your day and life?

15/09/2022

I covered what is insulin resistance yesterday and how it can worsen PCOS symptoms. Today I cover how to improve it.
✨
1️⃣ Eat enough healthier food to balance blood sugar levels are so important!

I recommend my patients to have as the main dish vegetables, clean protein and healthy fats. Starchy carbs aim to keep the size of a side dish and keep simple carbs to a minimal. This is a guide. The aim is to choose more nourishing foods, rather than restricting foods.

2️⃣ Eat breakfast within an hour of waking.

3️⃣ Carry heavy stuff - weight training I mean. Muscles soak up the excess glucose in your blood.

4️⃣ Prioritise and improve sleep.

5️⃣ Keto and intermittent fasting can help BUT advised to do it with a practitioner as it may worsen problems afterwards if done too long or if you have underlying cond

6️⃣ 💊 For supplements, here are some recommendations. I am unable to give doses because
~ everyone is different
~ I don’t know your history
~ I can’t carry out a medical history over IG

But here it is for your information
~ Chromium Picolonate
~ Cinnamon (okay more of a spice)
~ Myo-inositol
~ Alpha Lipoic Acid
~ Berberine
✨
What special diets have you tried in hope to improve insulin resistance? Did it help?

14/09/2022

We often hear insulin resistance is common in PCOS which can lead to acne, high androgen and irregular/no ovulation. But what does having insulin resistance ACTUALLY MEAN?

Insulin is a hormone that is made and released by the pancreas. When you eat food, your body breaks it down to glucose in the gut, then it enters into your bloodstream. Insulin is the gate keeper that allows glucose to enter cells to use as energy or fuel. Insulin helps to regulate how the body uses glucose and balance blood glucose levels. When there’s too much glucose in your bloodstream (after eating a half of a pack of chocolate cookies), insulin signals your body to store the excess in the liver or fat to be used in the future when your blood glucose levels are low (when you’re stressed, in between meals or when you need an extra boost of energy)

Insulin Resistance is when no one is responding even when insulin is banging at the door to let glucose in. This results in glucose levels staying high while you feel tired (muscles are not getting fuel) and you start craving food because you feel hungry all the time (glucose is not being stored in the liver).

Your body then tries to compensate by pumping out more insulin (more delivery guys) in hope it can deliver the “food” to your body where it’s needed.

So you have a problem with high glucose levels and high insulin levels

High glucose levels lead to
~ increased inflammation
~ cellular glycation which basically means sugar crystals in your cells, damaging it
~ testosterone converting to DHT (5x more potent) which increases oily skin, breakouts & hair thinning
~ stored in fat cells instead so you put on weight

High insulin levels lead to
~ increase testosterone production by the ovaries
~ reduction in s*x-hormone binding globulin so more testosterone are active
~ reduction in ovulation
~ increase risk of Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, weight gain & heart disease

Hope this reel makes it easier to understand. Any questions, let me know.

13/09/2022

PCOS symptoms eg acne, weight gain, irregular periods or lack of ovulation can be reduced by the medicine of healthy food and lifestyle. Where necessary, supplements can help enhance your healing efforts.
Hope you find this post helpful.

12/09/2022

Inflammation is often the root cause of many skin and hormonal imbalances.

However, Inflammation is your body’s natural response to protect you from something that is causing you harm. But when it becomes uncontrolled or persistent, it causes problems
✨
To reduce inflammation, you need to:-

1️⃣ Look for, reduce & if necessary, treat sources of inflammation

2️⃣ AND equally important to increase your body’s resilience to future triggers
✨
EVERYTHING IN OUR ENVIRONMENT IS A POTENTIAL TRIGGER.

Our goal is not to be scared to be living in an inflammatory world but to learn, grow and become stronger to live in one
✨
Here’s a list of sources of inflammation you can work through. Some you may need professional support.

🔷External Environment (toxins, allergens, reactions)
* Air you breath / inhale
* Water you drink
* Food you eat
* Products you directly apply on your skin
* Products you use that can be absorbed through your skin
* Your physical space e.g. home or work
* People around you - relationships in person or online

🔷 Internal Environment
* Your genes
* Dental/ gum hygiene
* Gut and liver health (infection, infestations or imbalanced microbes)
* Nutritional need based on your lifestyle
* Mental health including trauma, stress
* Hormonal balance
* Quality of sleep and rest

Anything on the list that surprises you?

07/09/2022

PCOS is NOT a life sentence. It may be the bullet in the gun but you decide whether to pull the trigger. Your body. Your skin. Your choice to make how to move forward
✨
Focus on these fundamentals which will help reduce PCOS symptoms eg acne, weight gain and irregular periods.

1️⃣ Reduce inflammation (includes food, environment, skincare, lifestyle & people. Find source of inflammation eg oral, gut or va**na. Optimise detoxification)

2️⃣ Reduce insulin resistance & optimise sugar balance (through food, supplements & resistance weight training)

3️⃣ Supporting your adrenals (healing trauma, processing emotions, removing, reducing & managing stress. Optimising sleep, cut out HITT, running and long cardio workouts. Don’t go on restrictive diets, eat wholesome, eat enough food, support with supplements)

4️⃣ Optimise your cycles. Learn about cycle syncing and the moon cycle. Don’t work or train like a man. Work with your energy surges and rest when your body needs it. Slow down. Pace yourself. Be gentle. Simplify. Say no. Honour your boundaries
✨
Do you struggle with PCOS symptoms? What have you tried?

06/09/2022

How often do you say “My skin is so bad” when looking in the mirror?
✨
Words matter and it can hurt even when it’s not intended to. I know it comes out automatically like a knee jerk reaction because I do it too.
✨
Recently, I had to be extra aware of what I was saying to myself as I started to get eczema on my neck and my skin was “not good”. It was dry, itchy, red, swollen and sensitive. I was scared to use my normal products in case it made it worst. It got so bad that I had to go to A&E to get steroids when my eyes swelled and the skin on my neck started weeping.
✨
Whether we break out in acne, rosacea or eczema, we often dwell in the past, nit picking EVERY little thing we did or didn’t do that could have set the skin off. We feel guilty and we punish ourselves.

WORDS MATTER and THERE’S ENERGY IN WORDS.

🔹When we say “My skin is bad”, the energy that is given off the word “bad” feels like judgement, shame, sadness or loss. It only makes us feel worst and that’s not going to help.

🔹Saying “My skin is beautiful whatever it looks like” instead may be a little too much and can feel like toxic positivity when there is a difference to what we see and what we deem is “beautiful” enough.

🔹I feel saying “My skin is healing” is a healthier middle ground. It gives us hope, encouragement, possibilities and reminds us to be kind to ourselves.
✨
Your skin may not be where you want it to be but know it’s healing. Trust yourself to find the root cause of your triggers and to support your skin the best that you can. Trust yourself to find what you need and meet the people to help you along the way
✨
Remember. Your skin isn’t bad. Your skin is healing
:
:
:
:

05/09/2022

Women come to see me for hormonal acne and sometimes they’ve already been diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic o***y syndrome) while some have not ruled it out.

It’s called a syndrome because it’s a complex condition made up of a few signs and symptoms. Currently, there is no definitive test to diagnose it but instead, you could have PCOS if you have 2 out of the 3 criteria:-

1️⃣ No periods or irregular periods (more than 35 days).

2️⃣ Blood test showing high androgens (testosterone) which may present as cystic acne, hirsutism (excess facial hair) and male pattern balding. Although there is some argument that this still counts if you have androgen-like symptoms with normal blood levels.

3️⃣ Polycystic ovaries (> 12 between 2-9mm diameter) seen on ultrasound and/or ovarian volume > 10ml in at least one o***y.

From this criteria, it’s POSSIBLE to have PCOS without multiple cyst in the ovaries or without hyperandrogenic symptoms which are not the classic picture of PCOS
✨
PCOS is often misdiagnosed as the symptoms are similar to perimenopause, thyroid disease and high prolactin levels
✨
PCOS is common but it’s not normal. The exact cause is unclear but research have found factors that can worsen it:-
🔹 Inflammation
🔹 Insulin Resistance (poor sugar balance)
🔹 Adrenal dysregulation (which then affects other s*x hormones)
🔹 Birth control pill (although this may merely suppress it until it flares up on coming off the pill)
✨
September is PCOS Awareness Month so I will be sharing content around this. Let me know if you suffer from PCOS or wondering if you do have PCOS?
:
:

31/08/2022

I often say if we get our sleep right, we can solve almost 50% of our skin & hormonal problems. It may not be a s*xy topic but it’s a KEY INGREDIENT to help us look and feel s*xy.

3 Elements of Quality Sleep
1. DEPTH
Sleep is deep enough to be restorative

2. DURATION
The length of sleep

3. CONTINUITY
Sleep without fragmentation

Benefits of Quality Sleep
✓ Productivity and Focus
✓ Better Appearance
✓ More Social and Emotional Intelligence
✓ Preventing Depression
✓ Stronger Immune System
✓ Lower Inflamation

Sleep is an important component of everybody's overall health and well-being as it enabless the body to repair and be fit and ready for another day.

Getting adequate rest may also help prevent excess weight gain, heart disease, and increase illness duration.

30/08/2022

Have you heard of a woman’s period being the 5th vital sign to health? I wonder if the skin could be the 6th vital sign, giving us clues to how healthy we are. Similar to other vital signs - body temperature, respiratory rate, heart rate and blood pressure
✨
How our skin changes in our cycle can give us clues to which hormones are out of balance and what we may need to pay more attention too
✨
Which time of the month does your skin suffer the most?

27/08/2022

Have you ever been (or maybe currently are) in a cross road in your career, feeling what you’ve trained for isn’t what you’re inspired to do
✨
I was in my senior year training to be an Orthopaedic Surgeon with intentions of specialising in hand surgery back in 2007 when life had other plans and I started my journey as an aesthetic practitioner.

I was looking for a healthier work life balance and felt guilty all the late nights studying, training and working would all be wasted. I would miss the technical skill and also helping people in the surgical field
✨
But at the end as messy as it got in the midst of getting where I am now, I am grateful for the opportunities, growth and connections I made. And somehow, I know my career and my life’s work is still evolving
✨
So if you’re in the middle of a cross road, this is what I can share:-

🦋 The road ahead may not always be clear but take the best next step you know. The rest of the steps will slowly unfold.

🦋It will be scary yet exciting but know your brain won’t know the difference between the two. You can choose the meaning you give it.

🦋 There will be judgement and resistance from other people. Don’t waste energy trying to convince them but use that energy to focus on your new path.

🦋 Learn to trust your gut feeling / instinct. You can only do this if you give yourself space, slow down and shut out distractions.

🦋The traditional path of careers no longer exist and you can create WHATEVER you can dream of
✨
Have fun exploring and creating. What you might find will surprise you and maybe even better than what you ever could dream of. Wouldn’t it be grand if you could look back on your life and say “I did it my way” 🥰

25/08/2022

The past is the past. Don’t let regret stop you from living your life and designing your future