Chinese medical dermatology represents one of the oldest continuously-practiced specialities in the world, with records describing doctors as trained skin specialists since at least 300 BC. Much experience has thus been gained over these past few thousand years, allowing doctors to offer herbal treatments that are both effective and safe – a major reason why it is now practiced in hospital settings all over the world, right alongside western medicine. I know this first hand because many of the doctors I trained with in England, while finishing my dermatology training, were western trained physicians – from countries like Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland – who had switched over to herbal medicines as their primary treatment choice. These doctors saw first hand the limitations of pharmaceutical medicines and, like me, are now using herbal medicines with good success to treat such complicated disorders as psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, acne, and much more.

“Whenever those in the state are afflicted with illnesses, with ulcers on the head or with wounds to the body, he [the chief physician] visits them, and then sends to them physicians with an appropriate specialty to cure them.” –Rites of Zhou, 300-200 BCE (Translated by Nylan, M. (2001). The five Confucius classics. Yale University: New Haven, Connecticut)

Anyone who has suffered with skin disease, or has tried to treat it, knows first hand just how difficult it can be to overcome. For some people merely avoiding certain allergic foods may improve their situation, while for many others changing the diet does little to alleviate their problem. Steroid creams may offer relief in the initial stages of a skin flare, but are actually a poor long term solution, as their side effects can do more damage than good. Thus the time tested methods of properly prescribed herbal medicine serve a very good place in the management of skin disease.

This past autumn I was visited by a young woman who had been suffering with terrible eczema all over her body for many years. She had tried eliminating many foods in her diet and had used many different kinds of vitamin supplements, but unfortunately she found no relief. The itchy rash was disturbing her sleep and lowering the quality of her life. She didn’t know what else to do except to go back to using steroid creams, which she did not want to do. From a Chinese medicine perspective this woman’s particular skin problem was due to deep-seated heat in her blood, which needed to be cooled through the use of a specially constructed herbal medicine formula. Within a few weeks her skin was virtually clear, for the first time in years. Her itch was gone, her sleep was better and her outlook on life had become very positive. I kept her on herbal medicines for another couple months so as to help prevent the eczema from coming back. Many months after stopping, she happily reported back to me that her skin was still clear.

Eczema on the upper back

Eczema clear after herbal treatment

When it comes to managing skin disease everyone needs options that are safe and effective. With such a long history, herbal medicines are a good choice, but are best used through the guidance of a registered practitioner who, like the doctors of ancient times, has received specialty training in dermatology.

Wishing you health,

Dr. Trevor Erikson