Interview with Dr. Julia Laemmerhirt (MD), a dermatologist in Vienna, Holistic Acne-Expert
My story
As a dermatologist I have never been quite satisfied with the fact that conventional medicine treats acne only at the surface level. But that’s just what we learn as doctors: to prescribe creams and lotions or perhaps some pills in more severe cases. The lifestyle component is not taught at medical school at all!
For myself and for my patients it was always frustrating to experience a skin problem improving or even disappearing while under medical treatment, but then returning after the treatment had stopped.
Don’t misunderstand me: I am totally convinced of the importance of conventional medicine! It has its undisputed place in the treatment of diseases and in pain relief. For me though this was never enough, I wanted more …
As a teenager I had a variety of health issues (stomach problems, vertigo,
tinnitus, just to name a few) with which mainstream medicine could not help me. But alternative remedies like homeopathy, herbal medicine and acupuncture did not provide lasting solutions for my problems either.
So I started to read all the books I could get my hands on regarding holistic medicine. Above all, I fell in love with Ayurveda (Ayurveda literally means: “The knowledge of life”), the traditional Indian form of medical practice, because its premise is that we have the power to heal ourselves through nutrition and lifestyle.
Finally I realized that various medical treatments and natural remedies were not enough to stay healthy but that it was necessary for me to take responsibility for my body and health:
I realized, that ultimately only I can heal myself!
After I had completed my medical training in General Medicine and Dermatology, it was time for me to study Ayurveda further. I decided to do a course in Ayurveda not focusing on the medical part of Ayurveda but on the healing lifestyle that Ayurveda teaches.
To this day I have not stopped educating myself further in everything that has to do with making healthy lifestyle changes and I continually upgrade my own way of living. Today I enjoy a healthy and vibrant life that in no way even compares to that of my teenage years and my years in medical training in hospital.
Health is just so much more than the absence of disease!
The knowledge that changed my own health and my life is now passed on to my patients to help them heal themselves. In my dermatological practice I help patients with acne to heal from the inside. For over five years now I have successfully helped my acne patients to be permanently free from acne. This knowledge has now become the basis for my Skin Balance Program that I specifically created for women with adult acne.