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Acne
Acne is a condition of infection and inflammation of the sebaceous glands of the skin, most commonly the face, shoulders and back.
It can be divided into several types:
- Toxic Heat–excess heat and toxin in the Blood causes red, inflamed pimples with yellow centers; there will be dry stool or constipation, yellow urine, red tongue and a yellow coat with a fast or big pulse.
- Blood Heat, Heat in the Blood–red, inflamed pimples with less yellowish center (pus) than the former; this is commonly associated with hormones and maybe cyclical in females, increasing before period. Complexion is bright with reddish cheeks. Tongue tip or edges are red, pulse will be full
- Phlegm–pimples have little or no redness and have more pale or white fluid, not yellow. Tongue and face are pale, pulse is low or slow.
- Melancholy, Blood Stasis–nodular, cystic and scarring types of acne; dry skin with bad complexion; dirty white or yellowish tongue coat or a dry, maybe cracked tongue. If blood stasis is more pronounced, there is cyanosis around the acne, the nail beds and lips. If Melancholy is more prevalent, the acne is dark.
Treatment
Treatment primarily aims to remove Heat and Toxin from the Blood. This can be achieved through dietary changes, purging, alterative medicines and bloodletting.
Bloodletting around the affected areas can be very effective. Points such as the tip of the nose, between the eyebrows, mid eyebrows, corners of the mouth and center of the chin are typically bled. Likewise, Leeches can be applied similarly.
Cupping the shoulders, upper back and base of neck (C7) may also be indicated.
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Western Tradition
Simples
Formulas
Decoction for Skin Disease Decoction for Boils and Abscess Decoction to Purify Decoction of Fumitory of Andernacus Opening Hepatic Decoction Syrup of Fumitory Lesser (Mesue) Syrup of Fumitory Greater Syrup of Chicory and Rhubarb Decoction of Fumitory (Mesue) Special Powder for Memory (Wirtzung) Toxic Heat / Bile Red, inflamed acne with yellow heads, red tongue with yellow coat Syrup of Fumitory Lesser (Mesue) Syrup of Chicory and Rhubarb Opening Hepatic Decoction Phlegm Pale, with fluid or thin pus, damp in digestive system; pale, wet tongue Syrup of Five Opening Roots Decoction to Purify Hepatic Decoction (Hoffman) Melancholy Nodular; cystic; dark-colored, scarring; reddish, dry or dirty dry tongue coat Decoction of Fumitory of Andernacus Syrup of Fumitory Lesser (Mesue) Syrup of Fumitory Greater Decoction of Fumitory (Mesue) |
Chinese Classification
Simples
Toxic Heat
Red pustules, forming yellow heads, prone to infection, dry stools or constipation, scanty and yellow urine, red tongue with yellow coating. Fang Feng Tong Sheng Wan Huang Lian Jie Du Tang Dang Gui Long Hui Wan Blood Heat Acne especially around the nose and mouth, dry stools, yellow urine, red tip tongue with coating; often increases before period Si Wu Tang + Huang Lian Jie Du Tang Dan Zhi Xiao Yao San Blood Stasis Dark colored deep and painful nodules, prone to form cysts, scarring, headache, slight fever, purple tongue, lips and nails. Dang Gui Shao Yao San Tao Hong Si Wu Tang |