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Acupuncture and Acne
In Chinese medicine it is usually common to define the pattern of disharmony in skin diseases, by the shape and appearance of the affected skin lesions.1 Dark red and inflamed eruptions which resemble pustules and are chronic, are usually attributed to stasis of Qi and Blood. The dark red colour is a sign of heat in the blood, and the white exudate is due to pathogenic Damp. The body area on which the affected skin lesions occur is also of significance. Usually the upper parts of the body are generally considered to be mostly affected by wind pathogen, while the lower parts of the body, by dampness. Sometimes the lesions appear in the course of body segments, such as Tai Yang or Shao Yang, and this also may help in the understanding of the root of the imbalance.
In our case, as stated above, the shape and appearance of the lesions, suggested a pattern of Heat and Damp stagnation. The root of this imbalance lay, of course, in the uterus, as indicated by the time of the onset of the problem. The consumption during puberty of too much cold and milky products, may be a cause for accumulation of Damp-Cold in the lower Jiao. This may later give rise to disturbances in the normal functioning of the uterus, such as dysmenorrhea, vaginal discharge and the like. At the age of 14, as in our case, when menstruation begins, the Chong and Ren channels are energetically activated, and then Damp Cold may turn into Heat, which will travel upward along the routes of these two channels.
Ren May will thus carry Damp and Heat to the face, while Chong Mai might disperse this pathogen over the chest and upper back.2 In western medicine too, the pathogenesis of acne is understood mainly in terms of an imbalance of hormones.3 Acne begins at puberty when the increase of androgens causes a corresponding increase in the size and activity of the pilosebaceous glands. The pilosebaceous follicle becomes blocked and leads to the formation of the comedo acnes. These are composed of sebum, keratin and bacteria. Retention of the sebaceous secretions, and dilation of the follicle, may lead to cyst formation. Rupture of the follicle, and release of the contents into the surrounding tissues, induces an inflammatory reaction which is seen as the reddening, swelling and oozing of the affected lesions.
