What Young People with Acne Should Watch For
Acne, commonly called fenci ("powder spots"), is a skin disease that troubles the young.
In TCM, the condition is held to be tied to lung-heat, so the Pipa Qing Fei Yin (Loquat Lung-Clearing Drink) with modifications is commonly used. A general decoction: pipa leaf 12 g (de-haired), sang-pi (mulberry-root bark) 15 g, huangqin, jinyinhua, lianqiao 10 g each, xiakucao, haifushi 30 g each, raw gancao 6 g — taken in three doses a day. If pustules are present, use pugongying, zihuadiding, yejuhua, jinyinhua, lianqiao 15 g each — decocted and taken in three doses. Beyond herbs, three points deserve note.
1. Wash the face often with soap and warm water — it reduces facial oil and is an important means of preventing and treating acne. When the sebaceous glands secrete heavily, the follicle openings drain poorly, and acne is slow to heal.
2. Eat more fresh vegetables and fruit — it helps the condition. Drinking alcohol, smoking, and eating spicy and stimulating foods all worsen the case; greasy and sweet foods should also not be eaten in excess.
3. Build sound daily habits, especially regular daily bowel movement and ease of passage — this too matters in preventing and treating acne.