Eczema, Psoriasis and Vitiligo
Recommended Treatments
Chinese herbal medicine is generally considered to be the most effective treatment for dermatological problems such as eczema, psoriasis and vitiligo. Some patients also respond very well to acupuncture treatments which Lily highly recommends if your symptoms are strongly associated with stress. This can be administered by itself or alongside Chinese herbal medicine.
After your initial consultation, Lily will be able to recommend the course of treatment she considers to be the most effective for your condition. The exact treatment that you will receive can then be agreed upon after discussing with you your personal preferences as well as what treatments you feel most comfortable with.
How Can Chinese Medicine Help?
Skin disorders in Chinese medicine are caused by a combination of factors, the most common reasons being:
• Problems with the circulation of Qi, or energy, in the body (common symptoms: skin condition is stress-triggered, depression, irritability, headaches)
• Heat present in the Blood (common symptoms: skin condition is triggered by alcohol or spicy foods, skin feels extremely hot, skin flushing)
• Deficiencies in Qi and/or Blood (common symptoms: skin condition is triggered by periods of hard work, dry itchy skin, tiredness, poor appetite, loose bowels).
Chinese medicine can help your skin condition by treating the underlying disorder as well as the presenting skin symptoms. This allows your body to become rebalanced and ensures that your skin condition is resolved effectively and to prevent further relapse.
Clinical trials on Chinese medicine for skin disorders have suggested that certain Chinese herbs can help by exhibiting a range of effects on the body:
• Anti-inflammatory - reduces inflammation in cases of acne, dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema.
• Antiproliferative - reduces rapid turnover of new skin cells in psoriasis.
• Immunomodulative - changes the way the immune system attacks its own cells in psoriasis, eczema and vitiligo.
Chinese Herbal Medicine for Eczema, Psoriasis and Vitiligo
Chinese Herbal Tea
The first choice of treatment for skin disorders is commonly Chinese herbal tea, the most potent form of Chinese herbal medicine. After reviewing your symptoms and asking you questions regarding your medical history, Lily will write a Chinese herbal prescription for you. This is a personalized prescription usually containing between ten and fifteen different herbs with each herb carefully chosen for their specific effects on your individual symptoms. The medicine will be provided to you in separate bags and is typically prepared by boiling one packet of herbs per day. Owing to the herbs being dried in their original form and the flexibility of altering the herbs to suit the patient's requirements, Chinese herbal tea remains the most effective form of Chinese herbal medicine used amongst practitioners today.
Chinese Herbal Tablets
Lily currently offers two forms of Chinese herbal tablets.
Powder Prescription Tablets
Like herbal tea, powder prescription tablets are personalized for your symptoms and needs after Lily has assessed your requirements. Powder prescription tablets are made-to-order by approved Chinese medicine suppliers who use only quality-assured herbal ingredients. The process involves mixing together the powdered form of each herbal ingredient in the prescription before compressing them using advanced tabletting methods. Whilst powder prescription tablets are not as strong as herbal tea, they are extremely popular because they are convenient to administer and remain individualized in nature.
Patents
Patents are Chinese herbal medicines that have been manufactured based on a common prescription. These medicines come in boxes of tablets which are usually taken on a daily basis. Patents are the least personalized form of Chinese herbal medicine and are the gentlest form of treatment, designed to exert a slow and lasting effect on the body. Lily is most likely to prescribe patents for those who have suffered from skin conditions for a long time and who may require a gentler treatment approach.
Acupuncture for Eczema, Psoriasis and Vitiligo
Acupuncture treatments are usually recommended for stress-related skin complaints due to its ability to regulate serotonin levels in the body which play an important role in helping us to cope with stress. Acupuncture points for dermatological conditions are chosen depending on the underlying mechanism of your skin complaint. For example, points are located on the hands and feet which help improve the circulation of Qi and Blood in the body and for stress-triggered conditions. Points on the elbow, around the knee or on the back can help with clearing inflammation whilst some points on the wrists and back can help stop itching. You may also have particular problems with other aspects such as sleeping or digestion that will require points in other areas. This allows the acupuncture treatment to be completely tailored to you so that it can target the root of your condition and resolve it in the most effective way.
External Herbal Medicine for Eczema, Psoriasis and Vitiligo
External herbal medicine is used to treat the skin condition topically and works best in concert with herbal tea or tablets by tackling the problem from dual aspects.
Lily may prescribe you a separate Chinese herbal tea for you to boil and use the tea to bathe the affected areas. Alternatively, you may be provided with a patent cream or ointment to use on a daily basis which can also yield excellent results. You should apply the external medicine at night just before you sleep as this allows the body to absorb the ingredients in the medicine through the skin most effectively.
Course Of Treatment
Patients respond most quickly to Chinese herbal tea as this is the most powerful form of herbal medicine with most reporting improvements to their symptoms within two weeks of administration. Patients taking Chinese prescription tablets may require three or four weeks of administration before they begin to see beneficial effects whilst those taking patent medicines will usually see results within five weeks. All patients are however advised to complete a six week course of Chinese herbal medicine in order to give the herbs sufficient time to work on the skin. Once your skin condition has been stabilized over a consistent period of time, you will be able to slowly reduce the dosage of the herbal medicines you are taking or stop taking the herbs completely. Most patients however choose to continue with their herbal medicine in order to prevent a relapse or to reduce the severity of a future relapse.
Patients can also respond to acupuncture treatment quickly, some as quickly as within two sessions, but most reporting improvements after five or six weekly sessions. Again, once your skin problem reaches a much more manageable level, you may reduce the frequency of your acupuncture treatments or stop your treatment altogether. Depending on the severity of the original skin complaint, patients may return only if they suffer from a flare-up of symptoms or they may choose to continue with monthly top-up treatments to reduce the severity of another relapse.
Self-Help Techniques
• Keep a note of what triggers your skin condition and avoid these as best you can. Common food triggers include alcohol, dairy products, spicy or deep fried foods, eggs, peanuts, wheat, food additives and seafood.
• If stress is a known trigger, try to reduce stress by delegating tasks out or making to-do-lists. You may also benefit from relaxation therapies such as yoga or Tai Chi.
• Wear natural fibres such as cotton next to the skin and avoid rough synthetic materials.
• Try to shower in lukewarm water rather than hot water.
• After showering gently pat the skin dry rather than rubbing it vigorously to prevent further irritation.
• Keep the skin moisturized to soothe the skin, particularly after showering to keep moisture within the body.
• Ensure there is a cool temperature in the bedroom to prevent your skin from getting hot and irritated at night.
• Keep hydrated by drinking plenty of water - try to drink around six to eight glasses a day.
• Wash your bedding weekly and at high temperature (60 degrees) to prevent house dust and house dust mites from aggravating your symptoms. Keep the house vacuumed and dusted.
• Minimise skin contact with chemicals - wear gloves to protect from water and detergents, avoid using soaps and perfumes.
• Sun exposure during the summer can help to clear psoriasis but some people who are sensitive to the sun find it causes a flare-up.
• Low humidity can aggravate dry skin - humidifiers may be helpful, especially during the winter when the heating stays on for longer.
References
Tan BB, Weald D, Strickland I, Friedmann PS. Double-blind controlled trial of effect of housedust-mite allergen avoidance on atopic dermatitis. Lancet. 1996 Jan 6;347(8993):15-8.
Tse WP, Che CT, Liu K, Lin ZX. Evalulation of the anti-proliferative properties of selected psoriasis-treating Chinese medicines on cultured HaCaT cells. J Ethnopharmacol. 2006 Nov 3;108(1):133-41.
Walling A. Therapeutic modulation of the psychoneuroimmune system by medical acupuncture creates enhanced feelings of well-being. J Am Acad Nurse Pract. 2006 Apr;18(4):135-43. Review.