How does traditional Chinese medicine treat acne? Stir-fried bitter melon and preserved egg and lean meat porridge are also effective!

Author: Duan Xingwu, Chief Physician, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine

Reviewer: Chen Yong, Chief Physician, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University

Nowadays, people pay more and more attention to skin management, and acne is well known as a very common skin disease.

There are many names for acne in Chinese medicine. For example, in ancient books, it is called facial sore and facial pimples, but the most common name is generally acne, and some are called lung wind acne, or wine acne, all of which refer to acne. Including what we ordinary people call acne, pimples, and pimples, they all refer to acne.

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From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, there are four main causes of acne: heat accumulation in the lung meridian, damp heat in the gastrointestinal tract, phlegm and blood stasis, and liver depression turning into fire.

The treatment varies depending on the cause.

1. What are the characteristics of acne caused by “heat accumulation in the lung meridian”? How to treat it?

Heat accumulation in the lung meridian is mainly due to excessive lung heat. This lung heat and lung fire rises along the lung meridian, to the face, accumulates in the facial skin and causes the occurrence of acne.

The clinical manifestations are mainly acne and small papules, which are mainly distributed around the mouth and nose, especially around the nose, because this is where the lung meridian runs.

For acne caused by heat accumulation in the lung meridian, the classic prescription we most commonly use is Loquat Lung Clearing Drink, which is used for treatment.

2. What are the characteristics of acne caused by “gastrointestinal dampness and heat”? How to treat it?

Gastrointestinal damp-heat is mainly caused by people overeating spicy, fatty and sweet foods, which generate dampness and heat, which also go up along the meridians and get blocked in the facial skin.

It usually grows on the forehead, front face, and oily skin areas. The symptoms are mainly papules and some small pus heads. In addition, these patients are often accompanied by constipation, that is, dry stools and difficulty in defecation, and some patients have bad breath.

For this type of patient, when we treat him, we can usually choose Yinchenhao Decoction and combine it with Huanglian Jiedu Decoction, which is also a commonly used prescription in traditional Chinese medicine, to treat him.

3. What are the characteristics of acne caused by "phlegm and blood stasis"? How to treat it?

Phlegm and blood stasis block each other, usually causing facial acne with cysts and nodules as the main features.

Because traditional Chinese medicine believes that nodules are caused by qi stagnation and blood stasis, and cysts are generally caused by damp heat or accumulation of phlegm and dampness, so if acne is mainly characterized by cysts and nodules, it is generally believed to be caused by the mutual obstruction of phlegm and blood stasis.

When we treat him, one is to dry out dampness and resolve phlegm, the other is to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis. We also use traditional prescriptions, such as Erchen Decoction to dry out dampness and resolve phlegm, and Xuefu Zhuyu Decoction to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, combining these two prescriptions to treat him.

4. What are the characteristics of acne caused by “liver depression and fire”? How to treat it?

Liver depression and fire are mainly manifested by being easily angry and anxious. According to Chinese medicine, all five emotions can turn into fire, and emotional disorders can turn into fire. Generally, female patients are more likely to suffer from liver depression and fire, especially after puberty, and those over 25 years old may see more. Generally, they will also be accompanied by irritability, menstrual disorders, breast pain, etc.

Acne caused by liver depression and fire transformation is mainly distributed on both sides of the cheeks, which is where the liver meridian runs. Generally, there are more dark red papules, which may also be combined with individual nodules, cysts, or small acne.

Generally, when we treat her, we will give her some drugs to relieve liver and depression, such as Xiaoyao Powder. Because if the Qi is not smooth, it can often lead to blood stasis, so when we use Xiaoyao Powder, we will often use some Taohong Siwu Decoction to regulate her.

5. What foods are good for treating acne?

Generally speaking, everyone knows that bitter melon can clear away heat, reduce fire, and dry dampness. We can stir-fry bitter melon and add some ingredients such as shrimp to it. Because fish and shrimp are rich in zinc, supplementing zinc is actually beneficial for the treatment of acne.

In addition, we can also make some porridge, such as adding some coix seed and hawthorn to the porridge. People know that hawthorn can reduce fat. These are all very good ingredients, and they taste good. Of course, preserved egg and lean meat porridge is also very good, because some ingredients in lean meat are also good for treating acne.

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In addition, acne patients can also eat some foods rich in vitamin A, because vitamin A can improve keratinization, and the hair follicles of acne are over-keratinized. Common foods such as carrots, spinach, and animal liver are relatively rich in vitamin A.

In addition, we can also eat some foods rich in B vitamins, such as apples, bananas, chicken, fish, etc. Because vitamin B, especially vitamin B6, is also good for sebum metabolism.

Therefore, proper dietary adjustment will definitely be beneficial for acne patients.