Acne in Chinese medicine

General information:

Acne is an unpleasant disorder of the skin that usually occurs during adolescence. It begins at puberty when, due to hormonal changes, the oil-secreting glands in the skin increase in size and become more active. The oil released by the glands helps remove old skin and keeps your skin soft.

Some of these glands become blocked, and the normal secretion (sebum) is trapped inside. It becomes thick and hard as it dries out and may also become infected. The gland, along with the surrounding tissue becomes swollen, red and itchy or painful and develops a pus- filled ¨head¨ This is the typical whitehead.

The other type is the blackhead , which is usually smaller and is simply the swollen outer opening of the gland filled with dried sebum.

Acne usually occurs on the face, neck and shoulders and tends to clear up during late adolescence or early adulthood.

Acne tends to run in families. It may be triggered by:

Greasy or  oily cosmetics and hair products, certain drugs like steroids,estrogen and phenytoin and humidity and sweating.

 Some other aggravating factors include: Food allergies, other diseases, cortisone therapy, vitamin deficiency, ingestion of halogens (chlorine, fluorine, or iodine), contact with various chemicals (such as tar or chlorinated hydrocarbons) and psychological factors such as stress, worry and depression.

Traditional Chinese perspective:

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) there are several different types of Acne; it is not simply a single disease that requires a uniform treatment. Two major factors are taken into consideration: one is the person’s body type or constitution, and the other includes all of the different external influences which affect the development of the disorder such as diet, environment, climate, life-style, mental and emotional state and medications.

Each individual’s body has different strengths and weaknesses and different tendencies towards imbalance. Often two people will react in completely different ways to the same thing, e.g. eating a bar of chocolate or being exposed to hot humid conditions like we sometimes have here. Therefore the TCM practitioner aims to understand the root of the problem (which is the individual’s basic constitutional make-up) as well as to distinguish which particular type of Acne the patient has.

In terms of TCM, Acne develops usually because of an excessive build up of internal heat. This heat may arise due to a combination of internal and external factors. Those who suffer most from acne generally have a constitution which predisposes them to become “overheated”. This may show itself in different ways, e.g. a low tolerance for hot temperatures, strong reaction to certain foods (such as hot spices, seafood or chocolate), or often having high temperatures when ill.

TCM treatment addresses both the Acne and the person’s underlying constitution, concentrating mainly on the symptoms in the beginning. Later on, once the symptoms have been relieved, treatment is aimed mainly at correcting the underlying constitutional imbalance and preventing recurrence.

The time it takes for successful treatment varies from person to person, but, like all skin conditions takes time and patience. In my practice I treat this condition with a combination of Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal medicine.