Looking at the Complexion

It is a diagnostic method by which the color and luster of the skin are observed. Since the face ix full of lood vessels, nourished by qi and blood of the zang-fu organs, and its color and luster are easy to observe because of its thin skin,Clinically, the face is regarded as an important part during the examination.

Admin wrote:       It is  a diagnostic method by which the color and luster of the skin are observed. Since the face ix full of lood vessels, nourished by qi and blood of the zang-fu organs, and its color and luster are easy to observe because of its thin skin,Clinically, the face is regarded as an important part during the examination.

2.1.2.1 Principles of Looking at the Complexion
(1)Implication and significance of color and luster: In traditional Chinese medicine, in complexion diagnosis, the color and luster of the skin are observed. Basically, there are five colors: red, white, yellow, blue and black, The luster of the skin refers to changes in five colors:red, white, yellow, blue and black. The luster of the skin refers to changes in breghteness, i.e. lustrous or wizened.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, qi results from the activities of the zang-fu organs and nourishes the complexion.Lustrous skin is an indicator of abundance of qi of the zang-fu organs.Therefore, whatever color it is, normal and lustrous complexion shows zbundance of qi of the zang-fu organs;normal but dry and lusterless complexion suggests discomfiture of qi of the zang-fu organs. Compared with color, luster is more important indgment of the condition and prognosis of a disease.As for the complexion in any of the five colors mentioned above ,ludttous complexion means abundance of qi while lusterless complexion failure of qi.
(2) Facial parts and the zang-fu organs:The face is divided into several parts and each part represents the condition of organ, so observation of the color and luster of a part tells the codition of the corresponding zang-fu organ. In Huang Di Nei Jing (Huangdi's Canon of Medicine), two types of division are elaborated:1 Ling Shu(Spritual Pivot)division" Names are given to each part, see Table 2-2 and Fig.2-1.2 Su Wen (Plain Questions )sivision: forehead" heare, nose:spleen, left cheek: liver, right cheek: lung and chind:kidney.
These two divisions can be used as reference in diagnosis. During the examination, priority should be given to the general color and luster of the face while the face while the color and luster of the individual parts are taken as the secondary reference only Ling Shu division is often used indiagnosis of internal jijuries while Su Wen division is often used for external affection.

2.1.2.2 Healthy Complexion and Sickly Complexion

There are two types of complexion:healthy and sickly.
(1)Healthy complexion: It refers to the color and luster of the complexion of healthy people. It is characterrized by luster and concealment.Luster of the complexion is a sign of vitality indicating abundance of qi, blood and body fluides, and the sound condition of the zang-fu organs. Concealment means that theluster is not totally exposed but of the zang-fu organs. Concealement means that the luster is not to totally exposed but concealed in the skin, a sign indicating abundance of stomach qi, and qi and essence, Due to differences in physique, season, climate and enviromnment, healthy complesion can be described as the chief color and secondary color.
1)chief color:It refers to basic complesion since birth. Of individual trait, it is unchanged in life. However, for facial and prenatal difference, there are five colors: reddish, white, blue, yellow and black, For example, the Chinese are of th yellow race, th chief color of whom is yellow=reddish, lustrous and concealed.
2)secondary color:The secondary color of the complexion changes temporarily under the infulence of external factors(such as season, day and night, and climate).Being one type of the healthy color, the secondary coloris also featured by luster and concealment,Its change andliable to restore tothe hief color, For wxample, the complexion in spring, summer, long summer , autumn and winter is bluish reddish, yellowish, whitish and blackinsh respectively. The complexion slows down, These changes are in the normal range,Keen observation is needes in diagnosis.
Besides the above changes, the complexion may change with emotional exciterment, sports wine drinking, environment, coccupation and solarization, but it is still normal as long sa it is lustrous and concealed.
(2)Sickly complexion:Sickly complexion appers when one falls ill Appearance of sickly complexion and luster is related to multiple factors such as the conditio, location and nature of the disease. It is important to distinguish betweenfavorable color and unfavorable color.
1)facorable color:When an obviously morbid color appears in a patient's face and the luster remains, it is a favorble color, indicating that the disease is mild, qi in the zang-fu organs is still abundant and atomach qi is able to run upward to mourish the face. It is often seenin patients with a recent sisease, mild diseases and yang syndrome, which is easy to cure with fair prognosis, For wxample , the complexon of a patient with jaundice is "as yellow and bright as the skin of oranges", belongs to the favorable color.
2)unfavorable color: When an obviouslty morbid color appears in a patient's face and there is a dull look, it is the unfacorable color, implying that it is a sevre condition, qi in the zang-fu organs is exhausted and stomach qi is unable to run upward to nourish the face. It is often seen in patients with protractes or severe diseases or a yin syndrome, which is hard to cure and the prognosis is poor. For example, the complexion of patients with tympanites is" yellowish black and dull"and it is an unfavorable color.

2.1.2.3 Diagnostic Significance of the Five Colors
Sickly complexion has five colors: red, white, yellow,blue and black, seen in disorders of the zang-fu organs. According to traditional Chinese medicine, five colors correspongd to the five zang-fu organ-fu organs, i.e red to heart, white to lung, yellow to spleen, blue to liver and black to kidney. In terms of the nature of a disease," blue and black color is found in pains, pellow and red color in heat syndrome and white color in a cold syndrome." It is discussed in detail below.
(1)Red color:It suggests a heat syndrome of floating-yang syndrome, usually caused by heat which dilates facial blood vessels and accelerates flow of qi and blood to the face, or by upward movement of deficiency yang, An excess heat syndrome is characterized by flushing in the afternoon. In chronoic or seriously ill patients, there is cccasionally migratory red color as heavy make-up in a pale face. It is the "floating-yang syndrome". or acritical condition.
(2) Yellow color: It implies spleen deficiency or dampness, usually caused by deficiency or discomfiture of yang and excess of cold, failure of qi and blood to flow to the face. The blood deficiency syndrome or loss of blood is characterizad by pale and lusterless complexion, and the yang deficiency sydrome by pallor Floating pallor means the yang qi or excess of yin cold.
(3)Yellow color: It implies spleen deficiency or dampness, usually acaused bu deficiency or malutrition of the spleen, or retention of dampness or dysfunction of spleen in transportation and transformation,The deficiency syndrome is marked by sallow complexion due to qi deficiency of the spleen ad stoach. Edema with yellow color indicates deficiency in the of the spleen and stomach, Edema with yellow color indicates deficiency inthe spleeen and retained dampness.Yellow face and eyes imply jaundice,which isclassified into two categories:yang jaundice and yin jaundice.Patients with yang jaundice due to damp-heat have a fresh and bright yellow color, dimilar to the color of an orange on the face, while those with yin jaundice appear as dark yellow as if blackened by smoke.
(4)Blue color:It implies a cold syndrome, pain, qi stagnation, blood stasis and convulsion, usually caused by coagulation of cold ,qi stagnation and obstruction of channels.Light blue or bluish black complesion indicates excess cold or acute pain. Bluish purple face andlips imply deficiency of heart qi or heart yang, or acute pain. Bluish purple face and lips cold likmns suggests collapse of heart yang and impeded flow of blood in the heart. Bluish yellow complexion points to deficiency in the liver and spleen. In infants, blue color between the eye brows. over the bridge of the nose or around the lips in often accompanied by convlsion due to high fever.
(5)Black color: It implies deficiency in the kidney, a cold syndrome, retention of fluid or blood atasis, usually caused by deficiency in the kidney, failure of blood to nourish vessels. contraction of vessels and impeded flow of blood. Blackishand dullcomplesionindicates deficiency of kidney yang. Blcakish and dry complexion suggests kidney yin deficiency, Blackish color around the orbit implies deficiency in the kidny and retention of fuluid, cold or dampness or morbid leukorrhea. Blackish complesion and squamous dry skin suggest long-term blood stasis.

2.1.2.4 Precautions in Looking at the Complexion

(1)Sickly complexion byomparison:Based on a comparison between patients' compalexion (or skin color) with the complexion of healthy people a correct judgment can be made.When the color and luster of a part on the patients.When a patient's original complexion is too cark to discern the sickly complexion or when the disorder is so complicated that the complexion does not agree with the disease,it is essential to observe the color and luster of other parts of the body (e.g the tongue), combined with other diagnistic methods to make a comprehensive judgment to avoid misdiagnosis.
(2)Focus on the overall color and luster:In the examination, priority should be given to the overall color of the face (or skin) and the complexion is used to determine the severity and prognosis of an illness . In practice,four diagnostic methods should be flexibly combined.