TCM.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an alternative healing practice that can be effective for treating dermatitis. A course of TCM may include herbal preparations in oral, topical, or injectable form; acupuncture; auriculotherapy (ear acupuncture), and other treatments. The emphasis in Chinese herbal medicine is on combinations of different herbs based on the individual and their specific condition. The three basic functions that Chinese herbal medicines perform are detoxification and elimination, health building, and health management and maintenance. The aim is to correct imbalances throughout the body, not just in the skin.

One of the first Western studies evaluating the use of Chinese herbal medicine to treat dermatitis was conducted in London on both children and adults. Patients were given a daily herbal mixture of ten different herbs for a period of two months. The researchers found that compared to the control patients, those taking the herbs had significant improvement of scaling, redness, inflammation, itching, and other symptoms. Most importantly, they followed up with those patients who continued to use the herbal medicine, and a year later found that their improvements had continued. Those who discontinued use had declined and experienced a return of symptoms. Lastly, they found that those continuing their use of the herbs were able to minimize their dose and eventually discontinue the treatments without reoccurrence of symptoms.

As effective as Chinese herbal medicine can be, it is important to note that there have been cases of serious side effects. Liver and kidney toxicity have been reported as a result of taking a regimen of Chinese herbal medicine. There have been cases of both liver and kidney failure, resulting in transplants and even death. Unfortunately, because of the high variance in the herbs used in these cases, it has not been determined which herbs caused the toxicity.

The herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine are not regulated by the US FDA, so contamination and impurity are potential concerns. Nonetheless, many dermatologists and other medical providers in the US are becoming increasingly familiar with Chinese herbal medicine due to high demand for effective alternative healing modalities. When making a decision about whether to use this form of alternative medicine, it is important to work closely with a qualified practitioner and make certain you are being screened for any toxicity that may arise.

The leaves of the tea plant, a native to the Orient, have also been found helpful for treating dermatitis. A study in Japan showed that drinking tea can lead to moderate improvement in symptoms. Over 100 patients with recalcitrant (not responding to treatment) dermatitis symptoms were instructed to drink tea three times daily so the total amount equaled one liter. (The type used was oolong tea, a specialty tea produced by partial oxidation of the tea leaf, intermediate between the process for green and black teas.) Positive results were shown after one or two weeks, with moderate improvement coming after a month. Tea does contain caffeine, which can increase anxiety levels in certain people. Anxiety has been noted to trigger dermatitis outbreaks, so tea should be taken cautiously, or decaffeinated version sought out. Decaffeinated teas may contain a lower concentration of the antiallergic constituents.