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Acne Vulgaris (Pimple)

General Introduction

Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammation of hair-follicle and sebaceous glands. It often occurs among boys and girls in adolescence. It is called adolescent acne. Its clinical characteristics manifest as papulae, nodules and acnes on the face. This disease is called “fei feng fen ci ” or “fenci” (acne) in TCM.

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MAIN POINTS OF DIAGNOSIS

Skin Lesion: At the beginning, they are papulae in normal skin colour. They gradually become red inflammatory papulae and nodules. The larger ones may from into acnes. Some white fatty substances can be squeezed out form them. When they further develop, they can turn into red and hard nodules, called acne indurata. If some acnes gather and coalesce under the deeper subcutaneous tissue, it is called acne conglobata. If they further develop, the fat substances inside will not be able to be discharged, then they may become small skin cysts, called dystic acnes. If they have secondary infections, they will form into small abscesses and ulcerations. And there will be scars left.

In mild cases, there will be no unusual feeling, but in serious cases there will be light itching and pricking pain.

This disease often occurs on the face, and the upper chest and back among teenagers. They can recover spontaneously after adolescence.

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DIFFERENTIATION AND TREATMENT OF COMMON SYNDROMES

Internal Treatment

1) Blood-heat Type
Main Symptoms and Signs: There are red papules, tubercles, acnes and inflammatory infiltration around them, accompanied with burning sensation, red tip of the tongue with thin and yellow fur and slippery and rapid pulse.

2) Phlegm-accumulation Type
Main Symptoms and Signs: Skin lesion is mainly characterized by acnes, indurative acnes and cystic acnes, accompanied with white and greasy fur on the tongue and slippery pulse.

3) Toxic-heat type
Main Symptoms and Sign : Malar flush, scattered inflammatory nodules, acne, abscesses and furuncles on the face, accompanied with red tongue with yellow fur and slippery and rapid pulse.`

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Therapeutic Principle

Adjust the balance of body Hormone and clearing away pathogenic heat, phlegm and toxic-heat.

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Recipe

Capejasmine fruit, Chinese angelica root, White peony root, White atractylodes, Poris, Prepared Rehmannia root, Dogwood fruit, Chinese yam, Honeysuckle flower, Indian dendranthema flower, Dandelion herb, Pinellia tube. & etc.

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