Acne is one of the most commonly seen skin disorders in the world, with almost everyone experiencing some degree of it in their life, especially during their teen years. It generally peaks between the ages of 16 to 18, often declining by age 20. However, there is a significant percentage of people who suffer from adult acne which starts in their 20’s and 30’s.

Internal imbalances due to genetic reasons, hormone imbalances, stress, certain medications (like corticosteroids), and occlusion or pressure on the skin can lead to clogging of the glands, causing the formation of little bumps called comedones (white and black heads). Over time these comedones become inflamed turning into the typical pimple, pustule, or zit we are all familiar with.

Chinese medicine has a long history of successfully treating acne, traditionally calling it pink/ white thorn (Fen Ci).

Symptoms

Acne most commonly appears on the face but may also be on the neck and back. Due to its visibility, acne can cause a lot of social anxiety and affect self-esteem. Oily skin (due to the over production of sebum), large pimples, nodules and cysts are common symptoms of acne. Some people experience pain and itching as well.

Treatment

As with all skin disorders, Chinese medicine targets the underlying cause of the condition. Treatment, which is an herbal preparation consumed as a tea, is tailored to correct the patient’s own internal imbalance. Topical pastes made of herbal medicines are also useful to help speed up the effects of the internal treatment.

Success

You should expect to see positive results within the first few weeks of consuming the herbal medicines. Patients often report their complexions appear less greasy and that they have fewer outbreaks of pimples after a few weeks of treatment. By 8 weeks most patients see noticeable results.

For woman with hormonal acne, which tends to worsen in cyclic ways related to their menstrual cycles, it may take a 2 or 3 cycles to really see significant change.

A typical full course of treatment may be anywhere from 3 or 4 months for mild cases of acne, to over a year for the nodular-cystic types. The treatment of acne deserves patience, as results are often obtainable, but can take time to appear.

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“I was at first skeptical that Trevor could help my skin, but he changed my mind very quickly!
Within one month of herbal medicine, my acne significantly improved.”

Tricia