A colonic for clear skin? Experts say that's a load of …

Health

Meghan Holohan TODAY contributor

1 hour ago

Colonics, the celebrity-endorsed practice, is gaining in popularity among a new group of fans: people seeking clearer skin. But flushing your body with colon hydrotherapy can cause risks that are definitely not pretty, experts warn.

Better skin is one of the main reasons clients request a colonic, says Tracy Piper, owner of The Piper Center for Internal Wellness in New York City. Most of her clients do three sessions in a few weeks with two follow-up maintenance sessions.

Photographer: Comaniciu Dan / Comaniciu Dan

Skin and gut health can sometimes be connected, but theres no evidence that the body processes toxins by pushing them through the skin.

Your skin is your outer mirror so it is telling you what is going on from the inside, Piper says. She claims that hydrotherapy prevents a build up of toxins in the colon from seeping out the skin, adding that if people are constipated, its like pooping through your skin.

A colonic is an enema-like procedure that uses water to flush out the colon, causing bowel movements.

Several years ago, Tammy Texi McLeans skin erupted with plaque psoriasis and eczema. McClean visited a natural health professional in Pittsburgh to start twice-weekly sessions of colonics, along with a new diet. Soon, she noticed that her skin started to clear.

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