White Dead Skin Cells Accumulating on the Skin, and the Red Attention | Incheon Psoriasis Korean Medicine Clinic
Table of Contents
Hello, this is Baekrokdam Korean Medicine Clinic.
White dead skin cells piling up thickly on the skin and red spots. And on top of that, the uncomfortable gazes of people around you. Clothing becomes longer, and the heart gradually shrinks. Fearing that it might be misunderstood as a contagious disease, one begins to keep their distance first.
“It is itchy, but more than that, it is harder when others stare. I feel so dirty myself, and I lose my confidence.”
Psoriasis is not simply a disease where dead skin cells form on the skin. It is a problem that makes the heart sick, isolating me amidst the misunderstandings and prejudices of the world, and making me wear thick armor over the version of myself that should shine the brightest.
Causes and Symptoms
Skin's time, running too fast
Our skin cells are usually born, grow, and old cells naturally fall off as dead skin in a cycle of about 28 days. This is the time of healthy skin. However, psoriasis is a state where the body's immune system malfunctions and presses the acceleration switch for 'skin cell growth.' A process that should take one month ends in just 3~4 days. Immature skin cells pile up in layers and disorder on the skin without having time to shed. This is the reality of the thick dead skin of psoriasis and the red spots caused by inflammation beneath it.
Perspective of Korean Medicine
When 'Blood (血)' becomes hot and dry: In Korean medicine, the skin is viewed as the 'earth (大地)' that receives nutrition and moisture from the river called 'blood (血液, 血)'. Clear and moist skin is evidence that the blood is clean. Psoriasis is seen as a state where this 'river' itself becomes hot (Blood Heat 血熱) and dried up (Blood Dryness 血燥). Unnecessary heat accumulates in the blood due to stress or poor eating habits, and that heat evaporates the moisture in the blood, making it increasingly dry. A hot and dried-up river can no longer keep the land by the river (skin) moist. Eventually, the land heats up red (red spots), cracks open (thick dead skin), and turns into a desert.
Therefore, Korean medicine treatment does not simply remove dead skin from the skin, but helps the skin recover its own luster by 'cooling the heated river (Clear Heat and Cool Blood 淸熱凉血)', 'replenishing insufficient water (Nourish Yin and Blood 滋陰養血)', and restoring the fundamental health of the blood.
Lifestyle Management
3 Principles to Stop the War on the Skin
Efforts are needed to reduce factors that irritate the skin in daily life and restore the body's balance.
Principle 1: Stress Management
Stress is the most certain trigger that worsens psoriasis. Finding your own way to relieve stress, such as meditation, exercise, or hobbies, to manage the 'heat' of the mind is the first step in managing the 'heat' of the skin.
Principle 2: Skin Protection
If a wound occurs in the psoriasis area, the lesion may spread to that area. Physical irritation, such as scratching the skin or scrubbing off dead skin, should be minimized, and the skin barrier should be protected by applying sufficient moisturizer.
Principle 3: Anti-inflammatory Diet
Greasy foods, instant foods, and alcohol can promote inflammatory reactions in the body and worsen psoriasis. Please reduce the sparks of inflammation in the body with a healthy diet centered on fresh vegetables and fruits.
Prognosis and Golden Time
Sparks that started in the 'skin', before they spread to the 'joints': Psoriasis is often neglected, thinking of it as a simple skin disease. However, the essence of psoriasis is a 'systemic inflammatory response of the immune system.' Leaving these sparks unattended is the path toward 'psoriatic arthritis,' where inflammation that started in the skin spreads inside the body and attacks the joints. This is a serious problem that causes pain and deformation in the fingers, toes, and spine. Correcting the skin problem now is the most important prevention that goes beyond simply regaining clean skin to prevent the spread of deeper inflammation that may progress in invisible places and protect the health of my joints and the entire body.
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