It Is Used For Dri And Wet Type Skin Disorders And Benign Tumors
By Daniel Cho, L.Ac. (email: [email protected])
*Yi Yi Ren: Symptom Indicator Score+, Frequency of Use+
▷Main Symptoms (Mostly in Ma Xing Yi Gan Tang and rarely in Yi Yi Fu Zi Bai Jiang San)
- Dry-type skin disorders: atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema with dry skin, flakes, scleroderma, lichenification, discoloration and such, or
- Wet-type skin disorders: skin-colored lumps that don’t produce pus and only clear/yellowish discharge when squeezed, i.e., seborrheic verruca, hand eczema, pimples and such
▷Possible Symptoms: benign tumors of internal organs. (in Wei Jing Tang, Yi Yi Fu Zi Bai Jiang San)
Pharmacological Hypothesis of Yi Yi Ren
Underlying mechanisms of Yi Yi Ren’s symptoms
Disturbance in skin turnover cycle → thickening of keratin layer due to accumulation of dead cells → lack of moisture in keratin layer → dryness, flakes, hardening, lichenification, discoloration of skin →
- Dry-type skin disorders: atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema with dry skin, flakes, scleroderma, lichenification, discoloration and such, or
- Wet-type skin disorders: skin-colored lumps that don’t produce pus and only clear/yellowish discharge when squeezed, i.e., seborrheic verruca, hand eczema, pimples and such
- In rare cases, metaplasia of intestinal membrane cells causes benign tumors of internal organs.
Clinical Signs of Yi Yi Ren
In Shang Han Lun and Jin Kui Yao Lue, Yi Yi Ren is used in 4 formulas of Ma Xing Yi Gan Tang, Wei Jing Tang, Yi Yi Fu Zi Bai Jiang San, Yi Yi Fu Zi San. The latter two are rarely used. Yi Yi Ren has a low indicator score, which means its clinical signs are oblivious and hard to find.
Main Symptoms
Dry-type skin disorders: atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema with dry skin, flakes, scleroderma, lichenification, discoloration and such
Yi Yi Ren is widely used for various dry-type skin disorders caused by the thickening and dryness of the keratin layer. As such, it is often used for atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, pityriasis rosea and such that accompany dry skin, flakes, scleroderma, lichenification, discoloration and such.
Clinical Signs
①Dry skin: The skin is dry and rough, with visible flakes. Sometimes, the skin surface looks like snake scales, with hexagonal shapes that shine like vinyl.
Skin thickening: Skin keratinization, hardening and thickening, resembling pine bark or elephant skin, with layers of rough, dead skin cells. →Yi Yi Ren prevents flaking or hardening of the skin. <The actual treatment of herbal medicine by diseases> Darkening of the skin: i.e.) skin may become discolored and pigmented due to skin disorders such as pityriasis rosea. I have a case of pityriasis rosea that was successfully treated with Ma Xing Yi Gan Tang. (Roh, Eui-joon)
With systemic skin disorders, in which related antigens are present in the blood, skin lesions appear symmetrically all over the body, with uneven borders. But Yi Yi Ren skin disorders are localized skin disorders. The thickening of the keratin layer causes them due to disturbance in the skin turnover cycle. In such cases, skin lesions are localized, with even clear borders.
②Wet-type skin disorders: skin-colored lumps, which don’t produce pus and only clear/yellowish discharge when squeezed, i.e., seborrheic verruca, hand eczema, pimples and such.
Abnormal skin turnover and buildup of dead skin cells can lead to wet-type skin disorders. Yi Yi Ren is often used for skin-colored lumps, which don’t produce pus and only clear/yellowish discharge when squeezed, i.e., seborrheic verruca, hand eczema, pimples and such.
-Tip: Yi Yi Ren is used for skin disorders that produce large amounts of clear, watery discharge.
-Tip: Yi Yi Ren’s therapeutic effects for treating warts are well-known.
Possible Symptoms: In rare cases, benign tumors of internal organs (in Wei Jing Tang, Yi Yi Fu Zi Bai Jiang San)
A buildup of abnormal cells can occur in the skin, but also in internal organs as well, albeit rarely. In such cases, swellings or benign tumors can be formed. They are also water-type swellings without pus. For example, Yi Yi Ren is sometimes used for benign tumors of the uterus, large intestine, lungs and such.
*Yi Yi Ren + Bai Jiang or Dong Gua Zi → Yi Yi Fu Zi Bai Jiang San, Wei Jing Tang. If Yi Yi Ren is used with Bai Jiang or Dong Gua Zi, Yi Yi Ren’s therapeutic effect of expelling pus will be strengthened, thereby treating tumors.
