One of the most resilient and yet vulnerable organs of our body is our skin. Skin disorders, though, rarely deadly, can be quite uncomfortable and may lead to long term ailments. Besides that, the obviousness of these conditions can highly affect you psychologically.

There are more or less 11 million Americans who suffer from skin conditions each year. These problems cause some of the most stubborn and frustrating symptoms that are difficult to cure. A lot of pharmaceutical products offer instant relief but rarely do they provide a long-term solution, if not a cure. Furthermore, these products are loaded with toxins that weaken the immune system and the other organ systems of the body. These toxins also tend to accumulate in the body causing all sorts of health conditions. These days, a growing number of individuals are going for natural and alternative modes of treatment that are known to be safe and effective. These treatments also target the root cause of the skin problem as well as, of course, the symptoms rather than merely masking the symptoms as pharmaceutical products tend to do.

Do Certain Chinese Medicine Modalities Work on Skin Disorders?

The simple answer to that is yes. The fact is, for thousands of years, the Chinese have turned to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of skin disorders, for the improvement of the skin, and for the maintenance of skin health. Records kept showed that as early as 1100BC, the Chinese have already been using certain TCM modalities to treat various types of skin disorders.

Since TCM is relatively unknown in the United States, many patients are stuck with skin medications that were merely meant to cover up the symptoms. They are extremely dissatisfied with the products they are using. The TCM treatments of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture in Palm Harbor can provide them with an effective, safe, and natural solution to their skin problems.

A lot of Americans suffer from itchy or dry skin, psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, rosacea, and acne. These disorders can all be cured or at least treated with long lasting results with the use of Chinese herbs and acupuncture.

TCM practitioners consider the body as a complete system made up of interconnected parts. The external manifestations of skin disorders are just signs of underlying causes that are usually complicated. These causes include internal imbalances involving TCM concepts of yin, yang, blood, qi, and various energetic systems of the body. The symptoms of skin problems are often caused by a combination of external environmental factors (the weather, weather changes, pollens, animal dander, pollution, etc.) as well as internal imbalances (unbalanced emotions, genetic constitution, stress, unbalanced lifestyle, poor diet, digestive disorders, a weak immune system, etc.).

External factors that TCM recognizes cause skin disorders are as follows. These factors are usually seen in combination with each other.

Cold – This pathogenic factor is marked by symptoms that include purplish skin, open sores, a chronic skin problem, slow healing, and a wet discharge.

Dry – Marked by itchy scaly skin that gets dry during autumn or winter weather.

Damp – Symptoms of this pathological factor include a sensation of body heaviness and weeping or oozing skin. Dampness may also arise from internal factors exacerbated by eating dairy, oily, or rich foods.

Wind – Wind is distinguished by swift movement and onset of symptoms to various parts of the body including aversion to wind, and itchiness.

Heat – Marked by symptoms of heat or burning sensation, or reddish skin. This condition is exacerbated by hot weather, spicy and hot food, stress, anger, and alcohol.

How Do TCM practitioners evaluate the imbalance?

Besides the thorough evaluation of the affected part of the skin, vital factors need to be taken into account before the practitioner makes a diagnosis and formulates a course of treatment for the patient. These factors can include the frequency and the duration of the disorder, details about onset, the emotions or climates that trigger the symptoms, activities, foods, temperature, color, eruption as well other bodily manifestations that include the immune system, sleep, emotions, energy, and digestion.

Treatment

Every patient has its own unique constitution and symptoms and so requires a unique type of treatment. Daily use of Chinese herbs is very important and is combined with acupuncture and the external use of liniments. Moreover, dietary recommendations need to be followed since metabolism of certain types of food can also cause skin problems.

In treating eczema, for example, TCM practitioners need to do the following:

-Build the blood and yin. This aids in the repair and nourishment of damaged skin
-Remove toxins from the skin which leads to the treatment of red, itchy rash
-Treat the internal imbalances and balance the internal organ systems suspected of causing the eczema
-Bolster the immune system, thus lowering the body’s sensitivity to environmental or external hazards

Based on the magnitude and duration of your skin disorder, it may take a certain amount of time for you to resolve it. The results can be seen as early as a week post treatment although it usually takes a number of months for the disorder to be entirely resolved. TCM treatment often entails a long healing process because it uses natural means to solve a problem.

Based on TCM theory, when a chronic skin condition develops, it is a sign that the general health of the person has been weakened for such a long time. Using Chinese medicine to treat skin conditions is very much recommended since it will lead to a well- balanced body that eventually prevents skin condition from arising or recurring.