Skin Conditions

Acne

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Choose the closest type which you suffer from the symptoms

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Due to hypersensitive SNS

We all know our body is highly sensitive to stress. Naturally, the sympathetic nervous system takes over the body when we are under tress, and hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline norepinephrine are secreted as SNS respond to stress. Sympathetic hyperactivity is easy to understand when we imagine confronting a bear in the woods. To 'fight or flight,' we require a large amount of blood supply to the muscle tissues, and our heart rate goes up to pump more blood. Stress hormones dilate blood vessels, which increase capillary permeability, thus cause the bodily temperature rise, especially the skin and muscles. The heat in the body increases sebum production in the skin. This type of acne patients has extra sensitive skin from the acute stress response, overreacting to external stimuli such as metal and cosmetic products.

Core Herb: Huang Lian (Rhizoma Coptidis)
Treatment points: HT 9, HT 3

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Due to the Suppressed Immune System

What would happen to your body when you are constantly under stress? Continuous release of the stress hormones inhibits your immune system from taking a break, triggering your body to feel as if under a constant attack of exterior pathogens. When the immune response is triggered by stress for a prolonged time, there will be confusion within the body in adjusting to daily circumstances properly. Your hormonal balance will be out of whack, which generates more acnes during a menstrual cycle, and your cravings can get out of control. This type of acne patients will manifest more psychological symptoms; suppressed immune system prevents smooth lymphatic flow that impacts the patient's overall mood and energy.

Core herb: Chai Hu (Radix Bupleuri)
Treatment points: SJ 6, GB 38

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Due to the Heat-Constitutional Type

Some people always feel hot and doesn't feel as cold when everyone else puts on extra layers of clothes. When the body temperature rise, the blood vessels and capillaries expand to self-regulate the body temperature. It is the body's natural heating and cooling system. The temperature difference expels excessive tissue fluid out of the vessels, and the body sweats out excess fluid to cool the body. The problem comes in when it's always; hot. Continuous dilation of the blood vessels exceed the rate at which sweat cools off the body, and the body constantly radiates heat. The skin's regeneration cycle accelerate and sebaceous secretion increase. The end-result is a fast build-up of dead skin cells and sebum starting to clog the pores. Thus, the main focus with this heat type patient is to regulate the body temperature.

Core Herb: Ge Gen (Radix Puerariae)
Treatment Points: ST 44, LI 11

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Due to visceral circulatory disorder - Constipated Type

Deep, painful and clustered acne? Painful menstruation? Constipated? They are signs of trouble that means your body's ecosystem is out of balance. Pain indicates problems in vascular flow in the affected area. Taking constipation as an example, we all know that water gets reabsorbed in the colon. When feces cannot excrete and linger in the intestinal tract, not only water gets absorbed back into the system, but electrolytes such as chloride and bicarbonate, and extra waste-end production from bacterial overgrowth return to the system. The body ecognizes these as foreign, and lead to inflammation as an immune response. Accordingly, the temperature of the body increases locally and systemically, resulting in the stimulation of sebaceous glands, build up od dead skin cells on the skin.

Core Herb: Da Huang (Radix et Rhizoma Rhei)
Treatment Points: St 40, Sp 6

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Symptom Group A

  • Skin gets red easily and pores are large and clogged
  • Extroverted, active, expressive and talkative
  • Strongly competitive with high self-esteem
  • Easily irritated and angry
  • Face often becomes red when stressed or in an argument

  • Strongly competitive with high self-esteem
  • Difficulty falling asleep
  • Sensitive skin
  • Experience heartburn with strongly flavored and spicy food
  • Chest tightness and frequent palpitation
  • Skin gets red easily and pores are large and clogged
  • Extroverted, active, expressive and talkative
  • Strongly competitive with high self-esteem
  • Easily irritated and angry
  • Face often becomes red when stressed or in an argument

  • Strongly competitive with high self-esteem
  • Difficulty falling asleep
  • Sensitive skin
  • Experience heartburn with strongly flavored and spicy food
  • Chest tightness and frequent palpitation
Read more
bodyMap

Due to hypersensitive SNS

We all know our body is highly sensitive to stress. Naturally, the sympathetic nervous system takes over the body when we are under tress, and hormones such as cortisol, adrenaline norepinephrine are secreted as SNS respond to stress. Sympathetic hyperactivity is easy to understand when we imagine confronting a bear in the woods. To 'fight or flight,' we require a large amount of blood supply to the muscle tissues, and our heart rate goes up to pump more blood. Stress hormones dilate blood vessels, which increase capillary permeability, thus cause the bodily temperature rise, especially the skin and muscles. The heat in the body increases sebum production in the skin. This type of acne patients has extra sensitive skin from the acute stress response, overreacting to external stimuli such as metal and cosmetic products.

Core Herb: Huang Lian (Rhizoma Coptidis)
Treatment points: HT 9, HT 3

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Symptom Group B

  • The least inflammatory type that are more pimples than acne
  • Dry Lips
  • Gets cotton mouth and dry, even bitter sometimes.
  • Dry, tired eyes and often dizzy

  • Frequent sighs
  • A sore throat comes first when catching a cold
  • Irregular period
  • Extroverted, more of a perfectionist type
  • Loses appetite when stressed
  • Strongly competitive with high self-esteem
  • The least inflammatory type that are more pimples than acne
  • Dry Lips
  • Gets cotton mouth and dry, even bitter sometimes.
  • Dry, tired eyes and often dizzy

  • Frequent sighs
  • A sore throat comes first when catching a cold
  • Irregular period
  • Extroverted, more of a perfectionist type
  • Loses appetite when stressed
  • Strongly competitive with high self-esteem
Read more
bodyMap

Due to the Suppressed Immune System

What would happen to your body when you are constantly under stress? Continuous release of the stress hormones inhibits your immune system from taking a break, triggering your body to feel as if under a constant attack of exterior pathogens. When the immune response is triggered by stress for a prolonged time, there will be confusion within the body in adjusting to daily circumstances properly. Your hormonal balance will be out of whack, which generates more acnes during a menstrual cycle, and your cravings can get out of control. This type of acne patients will manifest more psychological symptoms; suppressed immune system prevents smooth lymphatic flow that impacts the patient's overall mood and energy.

Core herb: Chai Hu (Radix Bupleuri)
Treatment points: SJ 6, GB 38

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Symptom Group C

  • Acne mainly on mandibular and neck area
  • More prominent in the younger age group and toned body type
  • Gets hot easily

  • Posterior side of the neck is always stiff
  • Nose gets frequently congested and blocked
  • Feels lighter and refreshed after sweating
  • Good energy
  • Feels psychologically stable
  • Acne mainly on mandibular and neck area
  • More prominent in the younger age group and toned body type
  • Gets hot easily

  • Posterior side of the neck is always stiff
  • Nose gets frequently congested and blocked
  • Feels lighter and refreshed after sweating
  • Good energy
  • Feels psychologically stable
Read more
bodyMap

Due to the Heat-Constitutional Type

Some people always feel hot and doesn't feel as cold when everyone else puts on extra layers of clothes. When the body temperature rise, the blood vessels and capillaries expand to self-regulate the body temperature. It is the body's natural heating and cooling system. The temperature difference expels excessive tissue fluid out of the vessels, and the body sweats out excess fluid to cool the body. The problem comes in when it's always; hot. Continuous dilation of the blood vessels exceed the rate at which sweat cools off the body, and the body constantly radiates heat. The skin's regeneration cycle accelerate and sebaceous secretion increase. The end-result is a fast build-up of dead skin cells and sebum starting to clog the pores. Thus, the main focus with this heat type patient is to regulate the body temperature.

Core Herb: Ge Gen (Radix Puerariae)
Treatment Points: ST 44, LI 11

greenleaf-check greenleaf-dot

Symptom Group D

  • Wakes up early in the morning(1am-5am) and hard to fall back asleep
  • Severe chest tightness (stuffiness)
  • Depressed AND anxious
  • Hard to express anger and holds it in often

  • Feels heat rising on the face (hot flash)
  • Often experiences dizziness
  • Consumes excessive alcohol OR cannot drink at all( or very little)
  • Heat sensation in local parts of the body such as hand and feet.
  • Most inflamed, painful, clustered type of acne
  • Painful menstruation (dysmenorrhea)
  • Dark blood with dense clots during period
  • Constipated

  • Bruise easily
  • Rough skin surface
  • Pain in the lower abdomen upon pressure
Read more
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Hyperactive Hepatic type - Due to hyper-metabolism of liver

Deep, painful and clustered acne? Painful menstruation? Constipated? They are signs of trouble that means your body's ecosystem is out of balance. Pain indicates problems in vascular flow in the affected area. Taking constipation as an example, we all know that water gets reabsorbed in the colon. When feces cannot excrete and linger in the intestinal tract, not only water gets absorbed back into the system, but electrolytes such as chloride and bicarbonate, and extra waste-end production from bacterial overgrowth return to the system. The body ecognizes these as foreign, and lead to inflammation as an immune response. Accordingly, the temperature of the body increases locally and systemically, resulting in the stimulation of sebaceous glands, build up od dead skin cells on the skin.

Core Herb: Da Huang ( Radix et Rhizoma Rhei)
Treatment Points: St 40, Sp 6

VARIOUS CAUSE OF ACNE

In western medicine, acne can be categorized into four types. First, the puberty-type, which is an excessive sebum production from the rapid increase of the male hormones, resulting in clogged pores. Second is the adult-type; when the dead skin cells clog inside the pores, it inhibits smooth sebaceous secretion. Third, the proliferation of P. Acnes, bacteria living in skin hair follicles that cause infection. That’s why antibiotics are used in the western treatment of acne. Fourth is when all of the above happen together, the sebaceous secretion increases, the pores become clogged, and P. Acne grows due to inflammation. Skin cell regenerates approximately every 27 days, and this means the rate at which inflammations are controlled is a direct variable of acne treatment and acne scar development.

Other factors may include hormonal fluctuation during the menstrual cycle and use of cosmetic products. 60-70% of female acne patients notice their acne worsen about a week before menstruation. And those who use cosmetic products that contain a higher content of milk fat or harsh chemicals are prone to acne. Seasonal factors also play a role, as people with skin that is sensitive to heat tend to have acne flare-ups in the summer.

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Why choose GreenLeaf Clinic?

Western medicine treats acne solely as an inflammation disorder, but Eastern medicine diagnoses and treat based on the root cause, whether it is inflammation associated with the gastrointestinal problem (gastritis, constipation) or the inflammation which is highly correlated with stress (physiological impoverishment, anxiety disorder, etc.) The GreenLeaf clinic boasts a high cure rate through accurate diagnosis and treatment methods.

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