Acne Articles

All acne begins with one basic lesion: the comedo, an enlarged hair follicle plugged with oil, dead skin cells and bacteria. Chinese medicine looks upon acne generally as a result of the environmental force of heat. The typical name for acne in Chinese medicine is "fei feng fen ci", or "lesion of the lung wind."

In the theory of Chinese medicine, skin is closely related to the lung organ as it depends upon the lungs to supply the "essential substances of water and grains." The skin in turn can affect the normal process of respiration, as in the case when feng (evil wind) and cold gaining access into the body through the sweat-pores.

Chinese medicine generally categorizes acne into three types: the blood-heat type, the phlegm-accumulation type, and the toxic-heat type. The main symptoms and signs of the blood-heat-type are: There are red papules, tubercles, acnes and inflammatory infiltration around them, accompanied with burning sensation, red tip of the tongue with thin and yellow fur and slippery and rapid pulse. The main symptoms and signs of the phlegm type are: Skin lesion is mainly characterized by acne, indurative acne and cystic acne, accompanied with white and greasy fur on the tongue and slippery pulse. The main symptoms and signs of toxic heat type are: Malar flush, scattered inflammatory nodules, acne, abscesses and furuncles on the face, accompanied with red tongue with yellow fur and slippery and rapid pulse.

At the beginning, diseases were cured by individual herbs. As time progressed, formulas developed. The Acne Formula is an herbal formula. The formula of Chinese medicine consists of two parts: prescription of ingredients and preparation. Preparations refer to the forms of herbs prepared according to the prescription, such as soup, pills, powder, jelly, pillets, etc. Acne can be treated by the application of a well-prepared medicine.