Skin inflammations are quite common conditions, with atopic dermatitis or eczema affecting 10-20% of all children and 1-3% of adults (1) and psoriasis affecting between 2 and 2.6% of the US population. The prevalence of atopic dermatitis has doubled or tripled in industrialized countries during the past three decades. The visible and often disfiguring nature of skin inflammations leads to far greater levels of distress and depression than would be experienced with a more severe but less disfiguring condition. (2) Because a number of patients are suspicious of cortisone creams prescribed for them by their family practitioner or dermatologist, they may frequently present for Ayurvedic care as an alternative.
According to Ayurveda, skin has seven layers, corresponding to the seven dhatus. Similarly, in modern physiology, skin has been found to have seven layers, stratum corneum, on the surface, stratum lucidum, stratum granulosum, stratum spinosum, stratum basale, the basement membrane and the dermis. (For a diagram of the seven layers of the skin, click here.) At the same time, the epidermis of the skin, as whole, is seen as an upadhatu of rasa dhatu, and the dermis as part of mamsa dhatu. Skin belongs to bahya marga, the external pathway of disease, and as such is very vulnerable to toxins carried by rasa and rakta dhatus during the prasara stage of disease, accounting for the relatively common nature of skin inflammations.
Let us turn our attention first to atopic dermatitis (AD). Also called eczema, this condition is due to a hypersensitivity reaction in bahya marga, leading to long-term skin inflammation which creates itchy and scaly skin. Long-term irritation and scratching may cause the skin to thicken and develop a leathery texture. If the ear canal is affected there may be discharge from the ears. For pictures of atopic dermatitis, see below links.
For a picture of atopic dermatitis on ankles, click here.
For a picture of atopic dermatitis on arms, click here.
For a picture of atopic dermatitis in infancy, click here.
For a picture of atopic dermatitis on palm, click here.
A combination of genetic factors (adi bala pravrutta), doshic skin type (dosha bala pravrutta), exposure to environmental allergens (parya varana) and immunological reactivity (pittaja), come together to create the tendency to AD. (1) Vata skin is more prone to AD because of dryness and pitta skin because of its greater irritant response. Manasaja or psychogenic causes also play a part, as stress can trigger an outbreak of AD in both children and adults. Annaja or dietary causes are extremely important in AD, and so are agantu causes or infective agents. In one study, 56% of children with AD were found to have food allergies that could trigger the condition. (3) Major food allergens associated with AD are eggs, cow's milk, wheat, soy and peanuts. (1, 3) Most patients with AD are colonized with Staphylococcus aureus instead of healthy, normal skin flora. (1) Hence secondary (anubandha) Staphylococcus aureus overgrowths or infections are typical and can create AD relapses. (1, 4) Although AD is not in itself infectious, lesions infected with Staph. aureus can be passed on to others.
Because AD is a multi-factorial condition, it can only be addressed effectively in a holistic manner, taking into account emollients for doshic skin type, removal of environmental toxins, pacification of pitta and cleansing of pitta ama with a formula such as Blood Cleanse,dietary modifications to address annaja causes and ointments to address infective agents Soothing Skin Balm will act as an excellent pitta emollient as well as anti-infective agent. For psychogenic causes, counselling, stress management, yoga and meditation will be beneficial.
Patient A: A thirteen year old pitta prakruti girl presented in great distress with AD that affected her arms and face. As a teenager, she found an assault on her appearance to be unbearable. Fortunately for the practitioner, her exasperation rendered her a highly compliant patient. She agreed to use Soothing Skin Balm and to take Triphala and an herbal formula containing Guduchi, Turmeric, Neem and Manjista. She was even willing, in her desperation, to follow a one month exclusion diet, eliminating eggs, cow dairy products, wheat, soy and peanuts from her diet completely. We explained to her that exclusion diets are only effective if followed meticulously. "This is an experiment. You don't have to eat this way for the rest of your life." Within two weeks of the exclusion diet, her skin had cleared completely. She then began challenging the allergens, one allergen per week. The challenge process used was to eat a significant amount of the suspected item, wait two days and then eat it again. During this process, she learnt that dairy products were the trigger food for her unwanted symptoms. She thus became a staunch devotee of the casein-free diet. She continued her herbal regimen for three more months to ensure that pitta was pacified and pitta toxins removed, after which she remained symptom free by following her prescribed diet.
Patient B. A forty two year old pitta woman presented with eczema localized to the fourth finger of her left hand. The symbolism of this location was not lost on us and we explored emotional causes in detail. She had a history of relationships with unavailable men and had remained unmarried as result. Currently, she was in her first promising relationship, with a man who wished to marry her and adopt a family. It is worth noting that her AD remained intractable when treated with a similar herbal regimen to the one which proved highly effective for patient A. In her case, emotional toxins were of more significance than physical ones. Accordingly, we started her on Brahmi tea to help move the emotional toxins. On her third follow up she had an epiphany, realizing that she feared intimacy and had created the eczema, "To make sure I can't wear a wedding ring." Following this realization, her eczema rapidly cleared. I last met her in the grocery store. She was proudly wearing a wedding ring and carrying her adopted son in her arms.
Turning now to psoriasis; this is a condition opposite in many ways to AD. Psoriasis is a non-contagious, genetically based condition that typically appears as inflamed, oedematous skin lesions. The lesions are red and are covered with distinctive silvery white scales. (For pictures of psoriasis see here. See here plaque psoriasis photo. for psoriaisis photo. Click here for guttate psoriasis photo.
As an auto-immune condition, psoriasis requires a rather different treatment protocol than AD. It is not sufficient to clear pitta toxins and return pitta to its seat. In addition, anti-inflammatory herbs are needed, while pancha karma is necessary to reverse the disease pathways involved in auto-immunity.
Patient D: A forty five year old pitta woman presented with psoriasis on her scalp and extensor surfaces. She was vata provoked and under great stress as she was conflicted in her marriage and currently involved in an extra-marital affair. She was given a medicated ghee containing Ashwagandha, Neem and Manjista to apply topically, and an herbal formula which also included Ashwagandha and Manjista, but not neem, on account of her vata provocation. It is important to note the value of Ashwagandha in dry, scaly skin conditions such as psoriasis, and also the role vata provocation may play in flaring up the condition. She took Brahmi tea to help her depression and stress and Kaishore Guggulu as an anti-inflammatory formulation helpful in many auto-immune conditions. With this herbal regimen and a pitta-soothing diet, her psoriasis began to improve gradually. She then did seven days of pancha karma treatments using Neem Oil mixed with Pitta Massage Oil for abhyanga, Amlaki for virechan and decoctions of Dashamoola and Guduchi for basti. After this process, the psoriasis went into complete remission for the first time since its onset at the age of fifteen. She continued to maintain this level of improvement except for a small patch on her scalp, which would flare up whenever she stepped out of integrity with herself in terms of relationships. It was as if this remaining patch on her head acted as a kind of visible moral compass, calling her back to the journey of truth and compassion for self and others.
Both AD and psoriasis are quite prevalent inflammatory skin conditions which are very responsive to the holistic approach of Ayurveda. By combining topical and systemic herbs, appropriate diet and lifestyle, pancha karma therapies and emotional awareness, these conditions can be effectively cured or brought into remission.
Donald Y.M. Leung, Mark Boguniewicz, et al, New insights into atopic dermatitis J. Clin. Invest. 113(5): 651-657 (2004).