Acne skin: Acne skin is common in the epipubertal stage. It has a long course and the skin is dark and rough, accompanied by single or patches of inflammatory lesions. The lesions may occur in a single pore or multiple pores connected into a patch, with white or yellow secretions in the pustules.
1. What causes acne?
External reasons: poor personal hygiene, wearing clothes that are too tight and cause excessive friction with the body, and using creams and cosmetics that are not suitable for you.
Internal causes: genetics, hormone metabolism disorders, stress (emotional aspects), malnutrition, drug (cortisone) overdose.
The main cause of many cases is internal problems, while the appearance is manifested on the face, chest and back. However, most people mistakenly adjust their appearance through various cosmetics;
2. Acne and bacterial factors:
a. The activity of local bacteria causes an increase in fatty acids;
b. The openings of sebaceous glands are blocked by shed epidermal cells and fat debris;
c. Increase in keratin.
3. The source of human disease (symptoms/physical causes) can be located by location
Small pustules on the forehead/small intestine--constipation;
Shiny small pustules/liver, bladder--detoxification system (excessive vitamins);
Acne under the eyes/kidney--bladder problem; cheek area/stomach--digestive system;
area next to the nose/large intestine--intestinal problem;
Loose skin under the cheeks/lungs--problems with the oxygen supply of the skin;
Pustules under the chin/imbalanced hormone metabolism;
Small shiny pustules under the chin/large intestine--problems with the storage function of toxins;
4. Traditional Chinese medicine formula for acne treatment
[Prescription 1] 15 grams each of Fritillaria fritillary, white monkshood, chrysanthemum leaves, saposhnikovia, Angelica dahuricae, talc, and 10 grams saponin. Make the 6 flavors into fine powder, steam it with saponins to remove fascia, pound it into pills with the same medicine, and rub it on your face in the morning and evening. This prescription dispels wind and clears away heat, and is suitable for acne and freckles.
[Recipe 2] 20 grams of adzuki bean, 6 grams of asarum, 3 grams of ephedra, 10 grams of silver flower, 8 grams of Alisma, 15 grams of poria, 8 grams of plantain, 15 grams of Shenqu, 3 grams of safflower, and 6 grams of licorice. Decoction instead of tea, 1 dose a day, and clean the affected area with medicinal liquid, once in the morning and once in the evening. This prescription has the function of eliminating acne and is suitable for acne.
[Recipe 3] 30 grams of Smilax cocos, 15 grams of Sanguisorba rawiae, 10 grams of red peony root, 15 grams of Phellodendron cypress, 10 grams each of dandelion and madder, 15 grams each of kochia, honeysuckle and isatis root. Decoction in water, 1 dose per day. This prescription clears heat, detoxifies, activates blood circulation and removes dampness, and is suitable for patients with acne.
[Recipe 4] Appropriate amount of ginkgo. Wash the medicine, cut it, squeeze the juice, take the juice and apply it to the affected area frequently. After it is dry, apply it again until the juice is gone. Take 2-3 more pills every day. This recipe detoxifies and expels pus, smooths acne and removes skin, and is suitable for acne patients.
[Fang Wu] Divide sulfur and Sichuan Army into equal parts. Grind the two herbs into fine powder and mix with cold boiled water to apply on the affected area. Treats acne.
[Recipe 6] 0.5 mg of viper bile, 500 g of alabaster. Mix the two ingredients thoroughly, wash your face with warm water every morning and evening, and apply to the affected areas after drying. This formula is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, dissolves sebum, depigments and relieves itching, and is suitable for acne.
[Recipe 7] 60 grams of Gua root. Pound finely into powder, mix with slurry water and grind it into paste, store it in a porcelain basin, apply it after washing your face while lying down. This prescription relieves heat and eliminates blood stasis, and is suitable for acne.
Treatment of Acne with Traditional Chinese Medicine
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, yin deficiency is one of the main causes of endocrine disorders, which is mainly caused by blood congestion, external toxins eroding the body, obstruction of blood vessels and other physical problems. These symptoms are more common in women, and female endocrine disorders are also a common sub-health manifestation in women. Prescribe the right medicine, and Chinese medicine also uses these points to regulate endocrine problems. Unblock qi and blood, activate blood circulation and remove blood stasis, smooth blood circulation and eliminate toxins from the body. In addition, liver function declines and is damaged, often showing symptoms such as kidney deficiency, qi and blood deficiency, etc. At this time, methods such as tonifying the kidneys, nourishing blood and replenishing qi are indispensable to improve liver function.
Western Medicine Treatment of Acne
From the perspective of Western medicine academic circles, acne is mainly caused by improper keratinization of sebaceous gland ducts and hair follicle funnels, and microbial decomposition causes sebum to begin to produce free fatty acids, which stimulates skin inflammation or tissue destruction and other problems.At this time, Corynebacterium acnes and the cellular immunity and humoral immunity mediated by Corynebacterium acnes are heavily involved in the inflammatory response in this part. However, treatments that often directly interact with cells do not have significant results. Endocrine is often the direct factor that hides recurring attacks.
5. The correct way to deal with acne:
a. Light diet and food supplement: avoid fried foods, butter, cheese, various milks, ice cream, salads, chocolate, fatty meats, cocoa and coffee, candies, preservative fruits; eat more fresh fruits, drink plenty of water, fresh vegetables, fish, lean meat, chicken, cereals, complex carbohydrates, and maintain a regular diet;
b. Maintain a positive attitude when facing acne-prone skin. A cheerful attitude is helpful in treating acne. Choosing professional anti-acne products can effectively treat acne. At present, cosmeceutical products are mainly popular on the market. Compared with ordinary skin care products, cosmeceutical anti-acne products are more effective and safer than ordinary skin care products. For example, French anti-acne cosmeceuticals are only marketed after their effects have been verified by the market.
c. Bromide, iodine and tea essence in food can stimulate the endocrine system, which in turn can increase the amount of oil secreted by sebaceous glands;
d. Vitamin A and zinc have a certain control effect on acne, but they should be taken strictly according to the instructions.
6. Effects of hormones on acne-prone skin
a. Puberty: The anterior lobe of the pituitary gland secretes hormones during adolescence, which can promote the development of sexual organs. In addition, the adrenal cortex also plays a role in adolescence. These two glands are stimulated to produce a large amount of steroid hormones that enter the circulation system, promote the development of the human body and even the growth of hair, and also play a certain role in the generation of acne. Acne cannot exist without hormones. A very small amount of hormones can stimulate the overgrowth and secretion of skin glands.
b. Heredity: People with oily skin and acne have active steroid hormone converting enzymes in their bodies, which are more involved in the synthesis of adrenal gland-steroid hormones and directly act on the glands to release more oil components. This hormone is also believed to act on glands to counteract the effects of hormones and eliminate acne. However, it is a difficult problem to eliminate acne without damaging the normal human body. Genes can cause acne to run in families, similar to webbing around the glands to determine their secretion.
7. Adult acne: Usually adult acne is a signal of abnormal pituitary gland. This condition is accompanied by other symptoms of hormone excess, such as irregular menstrual periods, facial hair growth, and low voice. If there are no other reasons, it can be considered the cause of acne. In states of mental anxiety and stress, body signals prompt the pituitary gland to release more hormones to meet the challenge, which then stimulates the adrenal cortex to release corticosteroids into the blood system. Of course, not everyone develops acne under stressful situations, but stress makes those who are emotional have a greater chance of acne irritation. If the uneasiness lasts for a long time, the scope and depth of acne will be deeper and more complicated. It has been found that fatty acid synthesis also increases under stress conditions.
8. Pregnancy and menopause: During pregnancy and menopause, because the production of female hormones is suppressed by the ovaries, the secretion of the anterior pituitary gland is affected, and the growth of hair is also affected accordingly. If the hormone secretion of the ovaries is affected, the secretion of the adrenal glands will be uncontrolled, resulting in excessive hormone production, excessive oil content and hair growth.
Identifying True and False Acne
Acne and acne, commonly known as acne, are the most common inflammation of the pilosebaceous glands in adolescence. They usually heal or reduce automatically after adolescence. In life, many people will have small pimples on their faces, which look very similar to acne, making it difficult to distinguish them. In fact, these false "acne" are manifestations of certain skin diseases:
Occupational acne: It is closely related to occupation and working environment, such as long-term contact with gasoline, diesel, various lubricants, paraffin, chlorine-containing compounds, etc., which can easily cause occupational acne.The distribution of the rash has its own characteristics. Typical locations are near the eyes and cheekbones. It can also appear on the perineum, back of the hands, limbs, and trunk. Common ones include blackheads and folliculitis, and some people feel itchy. If blackheads are present for a long time, the skin can become gray; severe folliculitis can cause abscesses, leaving scars and affecting the beauty of the appearance.
Trichoderma dermatitis: It is a chronic inflammation caused by Trichoderma parasites in the hair follicles or skin glands of the skin. People with oily skin are prone to it. Papules and abscesses appear on the facial erythema, which can be scabbed and squamated, but there is no acne.
Acne-like drug eruption: caused by certain drugs, such as taking iodine, bromine, isoniazid, corticosteroids, etc., follicular papules and abscesses may appear on the skin and trunk, which will disappear on their own after stopping the drug.
Rosacea-like tuberculosis rash: related to infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, erythema appears on the face, capillaries are dilated, and the rash is the size of a millet and appears light red or yellowish brown.
Clustered periorbital acne: Large clusters of acne appear on the outside of the eyelids and cheekbones, mostly in men and women aged 30-50 years old. Most patients have actinoelastosis.
