Understanding Eczema: A Chinese and Western Medicine Perspective

Soothing the Skin from the Inside Out

Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes redness, dryness, itching, and irritation. It can affect people of all ages—from infants to adults—and often comes in cycles of flare-ups and remission.While Western medicine manages eczema with creams, steroids, and antihistamines, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) looks deeper into the root causes, offering a gentle, whole-body approach to relieve symptoms and prevent recurrence.

🔹 What Are the Symptoms of Eczema?

Dry, red, itchy skin

Oozing or crusted patches

Thickened or cracked skin from scratching

Flare-ups triggered by weather, stress, allergens, or certain foods

Commonly affects the face, neck, elbows, hands, knees, or behind the ears

Eczema is often associated with allergic tendencies, asthma, or hay fever and may worsen with stress or immune imbalances.

🔹 How TCM Understands Eczema

In Chinese medicine, eczema is often classified as a “Wind-Rash” or “Damp-Rash”, and involves imbalances in Heat, Dampness, Wind, and Blood.Common TCM patterns include:

Damp-Heat: Oozing, sticky lesions, yellowish crusts, and strong itching

Wind-Dryness: Itchy, dry, flaky skin that worsens in dry weather

Blood Heat: Red, inflamed patches with intense itching and restlessness

Spleen Qi Deficiency: Poor digestion contributing to dampness and weak immune defense

Liver Qi Stagnation: Emotional stress worsening flare-ups and itching

Rather than just soothing the surface, TCM treatment aims to clear Heat, expel Dampness, nourish Blood, and regulate internal balance.

🌿 How Chinese Medicine Treats Eczema

✅ Acupuncture

Acupuncture calms inflammation, strengthens the immune system, and reduces stress-related flare-ups. It helps:

Stop itching

Clear internal Heat

Promote better sleep and reduce anxiety

Support digestive health (often linked to eczema)

✅ Herbal Medicine

Herbal formulas are tailored to each patient’s pattern and may:

Clear Damp-Heat from the skinCool the Blood and stop itching

Strengthen the Spleen to reduce damp accumulation

Nourish Yin and moisturize dry skin

Common herbs used may include Bai Xian Pi, Ku Shen, Sheng Di Huang, Dang Gui, and others, depending on the presentation.

✅ Diet & Lifestyle Guidance

TCM recognizes that food and digestion play a key role in skin health. We often advise:

Avoiding dairy, fried foods, sugar, and shellfish during flare-ups

Incorporating easy-to-digest, warm meals

Staying hydrated

Managing stress and regulating sleep

✅ The ZiQia System for Skin Health

At our clinic, we integrate Dr. Pan Xiaochuan’s ZiQia Self-Consistent System, which uses pulse-based diagnosis and constitutional assessment to tailor herbal and acupuncture treatments. This system allows us to support both acute relief and long-term internal correction, particularly helpful in chronic or stubborn eczema.

💬 Healing Is Possible—From Within

Eczema doesn’t have to rule your life. With Chinese medicine, we look beyond the surface to understand and treat the underlying imbalances contributing to your skin condition.Whether you’re managing childhood eczema, adult flare-ups, or steroid dependence, we’re here to help you restore comfort, confidence, and calm—naturally and holistically.