Sex, Drugs and Skincare
Comedian and esthetician, Nicky Davis, along with side kick/boyfriend/assistant Sandro Iocolano, interviews comedians, actors and other practitioners as we learn about the latest, as well as the oldest techniques for staying young. We get weird but educational.
Sex, Drugs and Skincare
Biofilm: The Hidden Culprit Behind Stubborn Acne
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Struggling with acne that just won't quit, no matter what you try? You might be dealing with biofilms - the secret bacterial fortresses making your breakouts impossible to treat.
In this enlightening conversation with comedian and personal trainer Bridget Sell, we dive deep into the frustrating world of treatment-resistant acne. Bridget shares her personal journey with what dermatologists identified as "Accutane resistance," a rare condition where even the most potent acne medication fails to provide lasting results. The culprit? Bacterial biofilms.
These slimy protective shields form when bacteria build communities deep within your pores, creating barriers that medications can't penetrate. If you're dealing with deep, painful cystic acne that never comes to a head, constantly recurs in the same spots, or only responds temporarily to treatments, biofilms might be your unseen enemy.
We explore the science behind these bacterial strongholds and discuss why they're so difficult to eliminate. Bridget candidly shares her years-long battle, including the embarrassment of dealing with severe acne while attending acting school and the various treatments she's tried. From professional procedures like Fraxel and Decadot to prescription retinols that cause the dreaded "retinol uglies" before improvement, her story offers hope for those struggling with similar issues.
The episode also covers practical solutions, including enzyme treatments, specific essential oils, and internal approaches that support gut health. We discuss professional options that can break through these barriers and finally allow your skin to heal.
Whether you're currently battling stubborn acne or supporting someone who is, this episode provides valuable insights into a commonly overlooked cause of persistent skin issues. Subscribe now and join our community of skincare enthusiasts who believe in combining science with a healthy dose of humor!
Welcome to Sex, Drugs and Skincare
Speaker 1You are listening to, watching, hearing, smelling, tasting and feeling sex, drugs and skincare. Like and subscribe. Hey, welcome back to Sex, drugs and Skincare. I'm Nikki Davis Jr, a licensed comedian, stand-up esthetician. I've been doing skincare for 25 years and you don't need to know how long I've been doing comedy for, because then you'll be like why isn't she better?
Speaker 2You don't know, I don't know, know either, but I'm glad that you got all the information right.
Speaker 1that's good, that's correct oh, hit the subscribe button if you like comedy and skin care, because that's what we do. We're the only podcast out there that I know that does comedy and skin care. I refuse to know any other podcast yeah, unless somebody copies me immediately and just out of spite, and with me is always is my boyfriend sherpa set decorator? Uh, what else?
Speaker 2uh listener you're a listener avid listener I'm an avid listener to what you say, not to me, no, no I listen to podcasts on mute and then I uh, no, I'm just hanging out, I'm just chill. You know, I did this, I put this together.
Speaker 1I forgot to ask you if it was cool or not, but I figured you sat down, so you agreed with it he tries to like make it so who's you know see who's going to look nice with what they're wearing, which I think is very nice.
Speaker 2Thank you very much, thank you and his name is. Sandro Yocolano and. I smoke pot, and then I do the couch.
Speaker 1By the way, you're allowed to talk, say anything you want. You're just not on camera yet.
Speaker 2Oh, okay, yeah, but just so you know, just so you know, I forgot to tell you, I just want to give you just right now because I love you. Uh-huh, you're giving like a. You have a cocaine speak.
Speaker 1Okay.
Speaker 2So bring it down. A cocaine, okay, because obviously if we did cocaine, we wouldn't be here. That's way more fun than this, um, but uh, so I just want you know. I know you're excited, okay, I know that you just got a brand new uh set of underwear. They're really tight on you, but you just chill out, you're good. All right, you're good to go.
Speaker 1Um, if we are doing coke speak, I would just maybe do. Would you like to start a business? Maybe?
Speaker 3yeah, that's the best kind. Yeah, and it's not just the coke talking I, I promise.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, that's like the best thing right, I had a boyfriend who wrote me this long note. We had stayed at a hotel somewhere in like Glendora or something.
Speaker 2Ooh Glendora.
Speaker 1Yeah, well, he hadn't completely separated from his wife and he was like 12 years older than me. I didn't realize. No, it was somewhere far away, glendela. No, but he wrote. He wrote me this long letter and, uh, this guy was in his 30s. And then, you know, after like professing his love to me and you know you're so this and that and whatever, and you know I was like 21 at the time or something like that and then he wrote at the bottom he goes and this isn't and he was serious as a heart attack.
Speaker 1You wrote and this is not just the coke talking which is always a nice way to sign off on a love letter.
Speaker 3Wait, are you guys scared? You sound like you're on coke. What's that did you just say? You sound like you're on coke he said, it sounds yeah, I was teasing with you.
Speaker 1Yeah, because I could tell you're excited, I'm excited and I'm probably talking a little faster because the art next two episodes are going to be. We're just trying a new format where we're going a little bit less time, shorter, a little bit shorter, yeah, we're talking faster.
Speaker 3We're talking faster, but we're gonna impart the same amount of information delusional things. It's very kooky.
Speaker 2It says you know, it's all part of just what they call filling time. Got it and conversation and such, but no, that's hilarious and that's just not the coke talking.
Speaker 1Yeah, he was so on coke that he actually wrote his thoughts like I think it was even on like a hotel, like one of the hotel papers. It was like the comfort inn or you know yeah, oh man, yeah, oh it was the embassy suites, oh my god. Well, you know the embassies.
Speaker 2They're big on coke. Um, that's really funny that's ridiculous well, that's. You know, that's a good story that you have now. Yeah, that's. I'm glad that I brought up the fact that you sound like a cokehead, because now we have that story.
Speaker 1Yeah, that's perfect um well, uh, let's. So now we have to cut our interest slightly shorter so uh, do you have anything else you'd like to say before we excuse you?
Speaker 2no, um, I will say that I'm excited for today's podcast because this guest, uh, we got to perform in the same comedy festival so that's pretty dope, and that's it. I'm excited to talk to comedians.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, super excited, all right. Well, coming to the couch right now is our special guest, bridget Sell.
Speaker 3Hello, Hi, thanks for having me. Thanks for arriving here. I did arrive here, yeah.
Speaker 2Thanks for arriving.
Speaker 1I made it to the building she actually made it before we did so, which is not uncommon for us. I went to catholic school, so, oh yeah, I want to get a demerit or slapped on the wrist yeah, exactly late was like. This is always a bad thing is it like was it super it?
Speaker 3was just like they. They made you feel horrible, like and like, like and at that point in your life, like that is the end of the world.
Speaker 1So yeah, yeah, yeah, as an adult, I'm really on time. I feel like that's part of the training when you're working at start the shame early. Yeah, yeah, start the shame early, that's on. That's the school motto. Yeah, exactly, purely well, this is cool. Where did you come?
Speaker 3from um to here. Yeah, um, just my apartment, are you?
Speaker 1not from california, though. Oh no, I thought you no I know, I did mean the other thing. See, I'm talking. No, I'm not from, I'm not from california.
Speaker 3I'm from uh, baltimore, maryland oh baltimore, so grew up there, moved out here 12 years ago and, yeah, I've been doing comedy, but I'm a personal trainer see, I could have, we could have included that.
Speaker 1All right, right, so cool. Now we know.
Speaker 3Yeah, I mean I talk about it all day. We're good, it's kind of nice to just maybe. I'll listen to you more, nah.
Speaker 1There's nothing. I don't think I have anything that you don't know. Nikki, can I ask you a question?
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1What's today's episode about. I know it's going to save time.
Meeting Guest Bridget Sell
Speaker 2Today's guest. Yes, it is. It's a very good question.
Speaker 1Today's topic with our guest Bridget Sell is what is biofilm? The reason why I chose this is because I asked her if she had any skin issues. Yes, and you had mentioned that you had an issue. Tell me about what your skin was doing.
Speaker 3So OK, when I was in college I started to experience like intense acne and was immediately put on Accutane and I was. They started to realize I was Accutane resistant, which is kind of rare but it does happen. And what they did realize years later, when I went to a different dermatologist, was that it was actually a bacteria trapped under my skin and in a very deep layer that was producing I think it's called nodules, no, nodules, nodules, yeah um, that were like too deep to pick, but it was like the bacteria kept recreating it's cystic right, it's cystic acne.
Speaker 3But it's from.
Speaker 1Basically, something was popped in college that spread throughout a layer under my skin that's why I always tell you guys do not pop, do not pick, never, because it will spread yeah, so it's called a biofilm, because it's not just one zit.
Speaker 3It's like you. You have like basically a poisoned layer of skin that's intense. Yeah, it was pretty crazy, because I remember crying at the dermatologist because I was like why is this getting worse for macutane? Yeah, so, yeah, then, um, I just it basically had to be handled through what you do, which is just like intense cleaning and and controlled. Um, what's the thing where you pull it out? Extract extractions that aren't like look, I just stuck a pin in my face on your own face.
Speaker 1Yeah, exactly, or you?
Speaker 3know this doesn't want to come out, but I'm gonna make it come out yeah, so like you know you go against everything. A skincare specialist would tell you not to do it's your own face.
Speaker 1It's a scorched earth campaign. What's that?
Speaker 2yeah, you see it, you're like and then you feel. Then you feel satisfied, like doing it. You don't think that you're touching with your fingers and moving it, or yeah, yeah, I mean, that's what you were eating earlier, totally yeah, so it was definitely a learning lesson.
Speaker 3I still haven't fully recovered, but it was like whoa, just don't pick your face.
Speaker 1Yeah, don't, yeah that's a good lesson to every single person out there. Yeah, um, so I looked it up because I was like, what is biofilm? I had an idea of what it was, just in general, but I didn't know how it related to skin so much. So, um, in my notes, uh, it's a protective film layer that's formed by communities of bacteria, so you got to think of it kind of like a bacteria building a little slimy apartment over a complex to protect themselves.
Speaker 2It is so slimy. I know some of those slime wards. I absolutely know them. Slime wards. Yeah, they come in. They have the hair slicked back. It's like those Lamisil commercial where the germ is the old Italian guy with the wife beater.
Speaker 3He's like those Lamisil commercial where the germ is the old Italian guy with the wife beater. He's like I'm going to go into your nails.
Speaker 2That's what lives at the biofilm.
Understanding Biofilm and Cystic Acne
Speaker 1That's why we let them in because they're toxic. Yeah, exactly, they're so toxic. You get it. You understand me? Just slimy little toxic whores we understand each other. If it was clean and tidy, we would just be like we're like no, not fun you have to have something to do. I get it yeah, like fight, okay it's sticky. So okay, yeah, so it's sticky. What'd you say? I just saw it's sticky oh yeah, it's sticky.
Speaker 1Um. It's often invisible because it's under the skin and it's made of proteins, polysaccharides and your dna. And what it does is it allows the bacteria underneath to communicate and share resistance. And so all of the little bacterias are talking, saying, hey, we're not going to be, we're going to be resistant to the things that are coming in here. It's like a little network, and so it can hide from your immune cells. It resists antibiotics and, like you were saying, it resists accutane at times yeah, which everyone is like.
Speaker 3It's a miracle worker, like those fake instagram things where they've had so much acne and then suddenly they're perfect yeah, I don't think those are real ever with the acutane. Yeah yeah, I'm like. I don't think anybody's just now has no scars from it, nothing, yeah, you know that's definitely the perception that wants you, they want out there.
Speaker 2It's like, oh my god, look at how beautiful. All I had to do is take this magical uh prescription filter on my face.
Speaker 3Prescription filter, yeah exactly, but also not to like disregard the fact that when you're on accutane, you have to get blood work once a week once that's right totally and you have. They recommend a therapist because most people are suicidal on it how did? You do, uh, I, I took myself yeah, because the reason why you feel that way is because it flares up everything.
Speaker 1But then if it can't clean it up, it's just created a mess I have a theory that, like it shrinks down like your glands and maybe even some of like your, maybe like your, the glands that control, like your hormones and glands, and then like in your brain, and so therefore, it would make you depressed yeah, that could be true because all your you know, these are all oil glands and so if it's drying out, why would it just directly only go to the skin?
Speaker 3yeah, I mean, I was 21 when I took it, so I didn't quite understand, like the science behind, why it caused depression or like what exactly it even did. I just thought, thought like, oh, here's the thing that's going to fix everything.
Speaker 2Right, that's how they market it, for sure.
Speaker 3Yeah, for sure. It's like the miracle drug.
Speaker 1Oh, I was going to say something else about it, but we'll come back to it.
Speaker 2That's good improv, by the way. I like that.
Speaker 3The shrinking of the glands. I never thought of it like that.
Speaker 2Also, what did you say?
Speaker 1Oh, I said that's good improv.
Speaker 3Which one? Yeah, we're doing bad improv. I like the flow here.
Speaker 1That's another good improv at the end.
Speaker 3I like the flow here.
Speaker 1Yeah, cool flow you just acknowledge the improv as it's happening.
Speaker 3Yeah.
Speaker 1All right. So let's go on to how does it form in your acne? So if you have acne-prone prone skin, which I'm assuming that you did, there's certain different types of bacteria that get trapped in your um, your pores that are filled with sebum. Cool, not the other thing fun that's the oil um. So instead of being killed because the little biofilms around them that you aren't able to get in there and I know there's other things in the body that can I feel like what's the girl that was climbing all over the thing and she was telling us about somatic? She sounds like fun.
Speaker 3Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1I think she was talking about a biofilm as well, maybe in your gut.
Speaker 2In your gut. Yes, that was Sue Gisser. Sue Gisser, that's right. Yeah, Interesting.
Speaker 1So it's not limited to just the skin. Yeah, okay.
Speaker 3Yeah, because I feel like I've heard it in other realms.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, it sounds like a movie, like a Mad Max movie.
Speaker 2I thought it was a Pauly Shore movie.
Speaker 1I thought it was biofilm.
Speaker 3The whole time I was like oh man.
Speaker 1So I guess what happens is they can form really deep inside your pores, like you were saying, which is causing the cystic acne, because they're clogged. And so if it's clogged, you're going to put saran wrap over it. It's not going to have a chance to breathe and uh and heal, you can't get air to it, it's not going to heal. Yeah, did you try to?
Speaker 3pick them. So I did try to pick them. Um, I will say we'll get to. We'll get to my current situation okay, yes, right yes, but a topical cream did start to help oh okay, all right.
Speaker 1good, so when we get to like the things that help yeah yeah, it's the topical cream that always helps.
Speaker 3I'll give you that hint.
Speaker 1It's so topical.
Speaker 3Yeah, it's just such a topical topical.
Speaker 1It's too timely. It's kind of the like the most famous topical. All right, I have a feeling I know what it is. Yeah, I think you do too. Okay, I like how confident you are, that I think you do too.
Speaker 3Well, you said you've been doing this for what? 25 years, something like that. Yeah, I definitely know.
Speaker 1Yeah, I hope so, but maybe not. You never know.
Speaker 2There's a lot of stuff I don't know.
Speaker 1Okay, so that's why the topical products and even the oral medications aren't able to get in there, because you can't really get inside the the, the poor. So basically that's yeah, whatever.
Speaker 3That's another good improv. Yeah, that also works. Being less anxious helps.
Speaker 2Yes, yes or whatever.
Speaker 1Okay, so why does it create Accutane resistance? So Accutane reduces your sebum and it shrinks your oil glands, like we were saying, and it's going to also change the cell turnover in your skin. But if the little bacterias are hiding, did you have something you wanted to add?
Speaker 2No, I was just going to say the cell turnover. Is that like an apple turnover? Yeah, Okay.
Speaker 3I wasn. Is that like an apple turnover? Yes, delicious, it is less delicious, okay, thank you.
Speaker 2I'm so glad you asked me what I was going to say. I love the crust on those two. They're really good. Right Now I'm hungry.
Speaker 1Yeah, me too. Okay, so, yeah. So it can't get inside, which I already said. It's also going to block the immune cells, but it's going to make the inflammation even more. It's fighting, it's trying to get out of you I like I had never looked worse on it really yeah, it almost.
Speaker 3It made it worse whoa, I went on accutane and it caused a flare-up that I didn't even have before, and then that's how they left things. Guess you're accutane resistant? Oh thanks, oh wow, no, that's nice I had just gotten into acting school out here, so I was moving out here from Baltimore. Oh my God, I'm just like now. I want to be an actress. I can't even be on film.
Speaker 1You're like hi, I'm here for acting school.
Speaker 3Yeah, I know, I just remember being like of all the times. For that it was like a nightmare.
Speaker 1That's awful. And you Like what's life?
Speaker 3The drama was real. So sorry, this is so interesting, though, Like I really didn't do the research, I was just like guess a biofilm sucks.
Speaker 1Hey, sounds terrible, dude did you.
Speaker 3I think that's all you needed to know at the time. Yeah, I'm like thanks for doing this research. I'm loving it.
Speaker 1No problem, I was so excited I started my work.
Speaker 3They just like checked off a board with a box on it Like Accutane no work.
Speaker 2Yeah, they don't even know what it is, they're just like, it's just what it says.
Speaker 3They're like sorry about that, have a nice life.
Signs of Biofilm-Related Skin Issues
Speaker 1That's very typical dermatologist. They just they give you something to do and it either works or it doesn't work. They treat the there, you go all right, so let's move on. Um, so yeah, so it comes back, if it, if it goes away at all, it will come back in months, um, because it's not destroyed. Okay, so signs that you may have a biofilm related acne, signs you may have a biofilm related acne.
Speaker 1That's what we're going to put at the very bottom yes, so deep cystic acne that never comes to a head right yeah, it is so frustrating.
Speaker 3It's like sex without finishing yes, all night. I don't know how to say it why doesn't it poke through?
Speaker 2I get it.
Speaker 3Yeah it, it's like look I'm coming to a head, but just kidding, I'm seven layers deep it's horrifying, oh man, uh so breakouts that flare up during stress but resist the treatments.
Speaker 1Congestion that's a big word for it yeah, and then long-term congestion in the same spots. So if you're having like different but that also can be from certain things that are going inside your body, like this is usually like a hormonal spot, right but then you're having recurrences of those things in those areas yeah, it's, it's, it's.
Speaker 3I deal with flare-ups all the time you'll. You're giving me a facial on saturday. You're gonna be like what am I looking at? No, no, no, I know, I know what I'm looking at.
Speaker 1Okay, so in skin that only responds uh, temporarily, uh temporarily to antibiotics or accutane, is a sign that you might have the biofilm. Um, and if your acne improves with detox, gut healing, uh, which we were talking about, and just inflammatory protocols, I'm not sure what protocols those are. I'm not a doctor, but so basically, if you've got a bunch of jawline breakouts that feel deep and painful, it's very likely there could be a biofilm involved, and what's funny is it almost mimics like and it feels like swollen hair follicles.
Speaker 3Yeah, that's kind of what it mimics, I mean granted, a hair follicle is a pore, but it feels like I would just have a beard.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 3That's what I would always say, like this is what a beard would be you know, you get a beard of zits. Yeah, but is what a beard would be? You know you get a beard of zits, yeah, but it's a beard of zits. So you like I don't wonder, like is my face trying to have a beard? Like for years I was like is my face just like I want to have a beard, but you're a woman, I don't know what to tell you.
Speaker 3You want to get in touch with your Mediterranean side Exactly, and I did have like chin hair, so I was like maybe it's really trying hard to be a beard.
Speaker 1Well, that's what I'm saying. It's hormones.
Speaker 3There wasn't hormonal imbalance going on, totally, totally, I mean, and I've always had, like I mean, a lot of girls have chin hair, but like yeah, it was just. It got to a point where I was like it feels like it's just a combination of just like swollen hair, follicles and acne and it just was like who am I?
Speaker 1oh my god, it's like folliculitis, but you were saying.
Speaker 3But like you're saying too, every pore is a hair follicle yeah, it's like you kind of have to remember like lots of things can happen in there yeah, exactly, it's a party.
Speaker 1They don't just go straight down either, they go like this.
Speaker 3Yeah, oh yeah, I have one that's just stuck in here and it's so deep and I'll never get it. Damn it, and I can kind of see it. It looks kind of like the alien in independence day it wants to come out, but the glass is designed for it to never leave. Oh man, that's what I'm dealing with.
Speaker 2I've had those here and when I was younger I would just whatever it took to get it without slicing my throat open.
Speaker 1I was like it's so stupid.
Speaker 2I'm like now I'm like oh, just leave it alone, just cut your own head off?
Speaker 1yeah, pretty much. There's a hair sticking out of my neck, yeah, like a ponytail, yeah all right so I guess, um, we're doing really good on time, so what can?
Speaker 3be, that's good improv too. Yeah, we're doing really good on time. Really I love that answer.
Speaker 2It's like you sound like you sound like a dad on a car trip. We're doing good on time.
Speaker 1We're doing great on time For who, whatever for me, I love you too. I know I love you too.
Speaker 3It's cute. I didn't know you guys were together until the intro which was really sweet.
Speaker 1How long have we been together? We have time to ask this.
Speaker 2I would say at least 13 years.
Speaker 3We can't figure it out. Did you guys meet on the scene Like comedy yeah?
Speaker 1Oh cool. We met at Rock Paper, the Nike right.
Speaker 3I feel like 13 years ago the scene was probably so much better.
Speaker 2It was just more community. I would say that Everybody's more out for themselves now Makes me sad.
Speaker 1Are you talking about just in shows? I used to work at Burt's Back Room before the pandemic and that felt like, okay, makes me sad. Yeah, and all that are you talking about?
Speaker 3like just in show. Well, like I used to work at bert's back room, like before the pandemic and that felt like the high school of comics like everybody was there with their backpacks, like everybody had a different hosting hour and everybody was kind of on the same shows and like now it feels like oh cool that she got that show and but like you don't know anybody else, and it's just kind of like everybody stopped being as like close what do you think?
Speaker 3happened. I think the pandemic happened and I think people the pool got way bigger because during the pandemic that girl was like I think I'm gonna do comedy yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, and that guy was like I'm pretty damn funny you know so now that those 12 year olds have decided to do comedy. I mean, I'm not trying to be bitter, but like the kids are killing it these days they're all just different versions of vine stars and you're a child it's killing me. I'm like I'm 36 and I'm jealous of you.
Speaker 1They have chat gbt writing their jokes. So it's not. Yeah, these kids are. Yeah, these kids are born with ai. Have you tried that?
Speaker 3though I'm I'm really bad at technology like this, it's really talented that somebody can do this she's referring to cameras when he was like setting it up and he was like, yeah, that's what we do here. I was like that is a great profession, really, really smart people like my mom doesn't even have a laptop, like we're my mom and I are just like we don't. Cool. What's ChatGPT? Can I Google it? Can you tweet it? Is it a tweet?
Speaker 1It's going to change your life. Yeah, my sister called me the other day. She goes okay, this has changed my life forever. She had like a legal issue. Oh yeah, and I mean I've asked it so many different things relationship problems, uh, you know anything you can think of.
Speaker 3Isn't it like sucking away from the universe, though, and like pockets, or something?
Speaker 2is it.
Speaker 3Somebody told me it's using energy that like we can't get back. Oh, god I mean apparently saying please and thank you to it, like uses millions of like yeah, that's what they say like I don't understand how that works, but I just heard that.
Speaker 3I think it's just a cumulative of like that actually going yeah yeah, it's like excess okay, like it's like the old saying, like if something comes too easily, something else is being trained you know, that's true yeah, but yeah so you ask it questions, and I I mean caitlin, who's been on this podcast before, says it. It's like really good at advice.
Speaker 1It really, is really good, like in between therapies. I'm on it all the time. Unbiased advice, unbiased. Do you still go to a?
Speaker 3person for therapy.
Speaker 1Yeah, okay, I wouldn't recommend giving up on that. Yeah, and we have a couples counselor as well. Good.
Speaker 3Good. I believe in therapy.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 3Just don no life experience and fake empathy. Yeah, and they. It's actually an echo chamber chat gbt. They're more so I heard telling you what, what you are like okay, yeah, it's just like you like to hear this, so I'm gonna say this you know, okay, so that's how it's like learning yeah, it's kind of learning you.
Speaker 1It does learn you. Yeah fun, yeah, you should try it. Yeah, I mean you should try to learn me, I should learn you. Okay, good, I'll. I mean you should try to learn me, I should try to learn you. Okay, good, I'll do that, I'll try to learn you.
Speaker 2I was going to say because if I don't Chat, gbt's got it wrong, because I don't even trust myself. Yeah, so it has no idea what it's saying to me. Yeah, like I worry for the day for chat gbt, gbt.
Speaker 3She loves me more, yeah. Yeah, here's a nice wordly, wordly, timely letter that's got chappy gbt, chat, gbt. Is it gbt or gpt? I think I just had an ai glitch I think you might I think are you a robot? Yeah, blink twice. I don't think I'd know if I was. That's kind of true yeah.
Treatment Options for Biofilm
Speaker 1All right. So what can be done about biofilm? So obviously I'm not a doctor, there's no miracle fixes, but what?
Speaker 2You're not a doctor.
Speaker 1I forgot, did I not tell you that I'm not a doctor? Well, all right, we'll talk about it later.
Speaker 3That's like second date talk, it is.
Speaker 2That's a pirate flag. It's not a red flag. What's that? It's a pirate flag, not a red flag. Yeah.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, oh my God, so you can use a few different things that are biofilm disruptors. You want to disrupt them?
Speaker 2right.
Speaker 1So enzymes like bromelain, something called natokinase. I'm not sure what that one is, but I know bromelain is made. From what is it? Is it papaya or pineapple?
Speaker 3Might be pineapple. I'm learning, I'm like bromelain sounds like a Harry Potter house or name or something. It does sound like that, bromelain, come in here, you know.
Speaker 1So basically like a fruit enzyme peel, cool. So it digests the dead skin and it gets in there so it's able to sort of work into your skin a little bit.
Speaker 3I like the word digest yeah, digest, is you want it to just go away like pac-man, just get at it yeah um so sulfur and iodine based cleansers. I'm not sure why the iodine, but the sulfur I know is sort of anti-inflammatory yeah, I always wonder what sulfur is for skin, because I I know is it sulfate Like. Is that the same thing?
Speaker 1I don't know. Like sodium, lauryl sulfate is a different animal altogether.
Speaker 3Okay cool, Because you know you don't want that in your shampoo.
Speaker 1No, you do not want that Sulfur is like when you go to those baths that you sit in. It's a sulfur bath. Oh sulfur, you know like yeah, yeah, kind of smells like like farting. Yeah, I mean, I think of why I don't eat eggs it's because I don't want sulfur. Oh yeah, oh right, yeah, but it's good for you apparently all right.
Speaker 1So essential oils that have penetrating ability interesting yeah, okay, tea tree oil, oregano, um, and both of those use really sparingly. You usually want to put it with a carrier, like a jojoba oil, or if you're going to do it, just put it just on the actual place that you want it, because it'll dry the shit out of your skin.
Speaker 3Yeah, tea tree oil isn't kidding yeah, did you use a lot of that. Uh no, I had a boyfriend who used it on a cyst or on a skin tag and I didn't like what happened to that skin tag whoa really what happened. It just it. It uh burned his skin and then it uh it left a scar. Oh, wow so he probably put too much on because he wasn't very smart. But like I do also, that did scare me into, like I don't want to hurt my skin.
Speaker 1Oh my god, you have all the lessons today to learn from. I've learned so much in the worst way. It's just so sad well, I'm so glad you were able to come yeah, I know, I'm like really getting educated right now.
Speaker 1I'm loving it so, as far as internal help, you can take nac um, that's a new thing that people are talking about or they're getting like nac, I think like ibis berberine I'm not sure what that is, but gut health support and you, basically, you want to like um, you want to increase like the good gut bacteria and then I guess it will help to get you know I heard like water, like one thing that was recommended to me as far as like eating was watercress oh interesting, yeah, like they were like they said that that'll help your gut.
Speaker 3If that's what's causing the inflammation in your face.
Speaker 1I know why I think it's a prebiotic. Okay, just like apples are a prebiotic, it makes the environment for the new gut bacteria a good place to live.
Speaker 3There you go Like a good flora fauna balancing act happening. But yeah, I remember I tried everything. I'm sure you poor thing. Yeah, I mean I still deal with it. But like I go to a dermatologist and she's like you don't have any like active acne right now. You just kind of have like a bit of a graveyard. Which is cool that she said that.
Speaker 2That's nice.
Speaker 3She's like like ghosts come around every once in a while, but it's not super active, Great.
Speaker 1Thanks, you're the best. Where do I write the check to? Okay, so, and then professional help there, you go, I love it.
Speaker 2I say get help. It's very general Talk to someone Anyone. Yeah, you need a plumber, I get it.
Speaker 1Like what? There's certain things that an esthetician can do, like a chemical peel, a high frequency, which is like a little zapper, and that gets it. Did you ever have anything with that?
Retinol and Professional Treatments
Speaker 3oh, I mean I can tell you everything I did. Yeah, I mean I did like zapper stuff during, like facials but, then I started doing like fraxel, something called decadot, yeah, um, just things that basically cause trauma to your skin so that it would rush to form new collagen okay I also get microneedling every three months, but the big thing, that kind of kicked me off was retinol.
Speaker 1Is it the prescription?
Speaker 3um yes it was the like the cream. So after so what? What my doctor did was she first did a decadot treatment, which was like the severe trauma, and then, when that was done and I, this new layer was kind of revealed, she had me doing the um retinol, uh, two nights a week. It was a very strong retinol. Okay to the point where I got what they call the retinol uglies where, like everything, you look like a deadpool, kind of like things are just coming up.
Speaker 1Oh, it's like bringing stuff to the surface and you're peeling.
Speaker 3It's like a real turnover, you're peeling things are coming to the surface and and you things look kind of scurry or like it looks like melasma a little okay so. But then it starts to kind of settle down.
Speaker 1But first it's like trauma on top of trauma on top of ah, it gets worse before it gets better.
Speaker 3Yes, but I did it during the pandemic, which was a great time.
Speaker 1Perfect timing.
Speaker 3I was like I don't have to see anyone else. I was staying at my parents because I could do work from home, so it was perfect.
Speaker 1I love that. I'm so glad you have it under control. Yeah, I have it more under control.
Speaker 3It's still a fight every day because I don't want anyone to think like I beat it. Good luck. You know I still, I still get everything done possible.
Speaker 1There's no hope, yeah.
Speaker 3So you know, there's no hope for you. No, but it really is a battle. Like I respect people that, like one thing I have been missing, though, which is totally serendipitous is the girl that I used to go to for my face moved to Palm Springs and I haven't had a facial in a year and a half oh my god, I know it's time. Yeah, we'll get you. It'll be fun. Like when you were like I do all this, I was like where have you been.
Speaker 1I told Caitlin I was like yeah, caitlin, apparently Nikki does this.
Speaker 3She was like oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you about that.
Speaker 2I was like dude, that's such a hilarious expression. I was like dude. I'm like do you know a friend that can help me with my jaw?
Speaker 3He's also a facialist. She was like.
Speaker 1I got to think on that I can't All right, I'm going to have a little chat with her.
Speaker 2Yeah, a little test we're at the moment where the parking lot turns into meter maids. So where can people find you?
Speaker 3online, you can find me sorry to cut you off. I'm trying to be quick no, good, good come on man at Bridget sell comic. That's my Instagram and. Bridget is spelled like Bridget Jones. Sell is spelled like buy and sell Bridget sell spelled like Bridget Jones Cell is spelled like buy and sell Bridget Cell comic very funny comic.
Speaker 1Definitely follow her.
Speaker 2I think she needs to come back for a part two on some stuff. I think so too.
Speaker 3I live right down the street. Perfect, I live on Laurel. Make sure you tell everybody on.
Speaker 1Laurel. Oh my God, Make sure you tell everybody on there there's a Laurel can, of course, of course, all right, so this is going to be out Wednesday at 3 am because we don't have any in the bank, and we'll see you guys next week. Bye, bye.
