Spotlight on Skin - British Homeopathic Association

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Spotlight on Skin
The skin is the body s largest organ; an av erage persons skin weighs 4kgs (9lbs) and cov ers an area
of 2 square metres (22 sq f eet). These f igures are not so surprising when we enumerate the skins
many f unctions. Some are f airly obv ious: protection against chemicals, radiation, microbes etc;
preserv ing a balanced internal env ironment by keeping us warm, prev enting us f rom dry ing out; and
the sensation of touch in all its v ariety. But the skin has less obv ious f unctions: subcutaneous f at is
a major reserv e of energy, v itamin D is sy nthesised in the skin when exposed to ultra-v iolet light. The
skin also has important social and sexual f unctions: it secretes pheromones which play an important
role in sexual attraction, while the hair and lips play a more conscious social and sexual role.
The skin has two main parts: the superf icial epidermis whose thickness ranges f rom 0.1mm on the
ey elids to 1mm on the soles of the f eet. The epidermis contains no blood v essels, its most
superf icial lay er is the dead, dry horny lay er which is constantly shed, contributing to the dust in our
homes. The dermis lies beneath the epidermis supporting and nourishing it and prov iding immunity
and other f unctions.
Whats more, skin problems are common: surv ey s suggest that 20-30 per cent of us hav e a skin
problem which deserv es medical attention, but that most of us do not see doctors about them,
pref erring to treat them ourselv es. Skin problems are among the commonest reasons f or which
people, especially children, seek homeopathic treatment. Of course, as alway s with homeopathy, it is
important to be sure that homeopathic treatment is appropriate it is f or many f orms of skin disease,
but there are important exceptions. The most conspicuous is malignant melanoma. This is an
aggressiv e f orm of skin cancer whose incidence is increasing (although f ortunately it remains rare)
because of greater sun exposure and thinning of the ozone lay er. The warning signs are a mole,
which grows, bleeds or is irregular in shape or colour. It is better to be saf e than sorry, and hav e any
such skin lesion remov ed surgically.
Eczema
Also known as dermatitis, eczema is among the commonest f orms of skin disease, and it of ten
responds well to homeopathic treatment. It af f ects up to 20 per cent of schoolchildren and sev en to
eight percent of adults. Children tend to grow out of it and the majority improv e greatly by their
mid-teens. It is an inf lammatory condition in which patches of skin become red, inf lamed and itchy.
The af f ected areas may also be cov ered in small, f luid-f illed blisters. There are a number of dif f erent
f orms of eczema.
The commonest f orm is atopic eczema, an inborn condition which usually starts bef ore the age of
two, and may continue to f lare up throughout adolescence and adulthood. Atopy means an inherited
tendency to allergies, including eczema, asthma and hay f ev er. It runs in f amilies and is getting
commoner f or reasons that are not entirely clear. A currently popular theory, known as the hy giene
hy pothesis suggests the reason is basically that kids today are too clean (try telling that to the
mother of an av erage eight y ear-old boy !). It is based on the observ ation that children who grow up
on f arms and the y ounger children of large f amilies are less likely to be atopic. The theory is that
such children are more likely to be exposed to certain kinds of bacteria and that this stimulates their
immune sy stems to mature. But not all the scientif ic ev idence agrees on this and the jury is still out.
Contact dermatitis is caused by contact with a substance to which an indiv idual is sensitiv e, such as
nickel, rubber or v arious plants. It can occur at any age. Nickel is one of the commonest skin

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sensitisers it can usually be spotted by the areas it af f ects: earrings and jean buttons of ten contain
nickel.
Seborrhoeic dermatitis occurs in adult and inf antile f orms. In babies it is of ten known as cradle cap
because it af f ects the scalp, although it may also af f ect the nappy area. The adult f orm usually
af f ects the f ace and scalp.
Finally v aricose eczema occurs mostly in older people, as the name suggests it is of ten linked to
v aricose v eins: the blood stagnates in the lower legs resulting in a poor supply of oxy gen and
nutrients. The skin becomes dark, itchy and inf lamed. If lef t untreated the skin may break down,
f orming an ulcer.
Psoriasis
This too comes in sev eral v arieties, but all inv olv e reddened areas of skin cov ered in large, adherent
silv ery scales. The basic problem is excessiv ely rapid div ision of the horny cells of the epidermis,
probably prov oked by inf lammation whose cause is currently unknown. Psoriasis tends to run in
f amilies; it most commonly comes on in late teenage or early adult lif e. It can be triggered by some
medicines, including antidepressant, antihy pertensiv e and antimalarial drugs, and inf ections with
streptococcus bacteria.
The main types of psoriasis are:
Plaque psoriasis: the patches appear ty pically on the knees, elbows, lower back and scalp.
Unlike eczema, the patches of ten appear on the extensor (outer) sides of knees and elbows.
The nails may dev elop small pits, or more serious def ormity.
Guttate psoriasis, where the patches are scattered, small and roundish, may f ollow a
streptococcal inf ection, ty pically a sev ere sore throat.
Pustular psoriasis, a sev ere but rare ty pe af f ecting mostly the palms and soles.
Homeopathic treatment
From the point of v iew of prescribing homeopathic treatment, eczema and psoriasis can be
considered together. They nicely illustrate some of the principles of homeopathy : one of three
homeopathic medicines will help in many cases, but the treatment must be indiv idualised if it is to
succeed. The three medicines are: Arsenicum album, Graphites and Sulphur. Homeopathy is holistic:
to treat a skin problem, one has to look at the whole person, not just at their skin.
Traditionally we homeopaths classif y the whole in three parts: the locals (in the case of a skin
problem this means the characteristics of the skin problem), mentals (including the personality and
psy chological f eatures of the person) and the generals (phy sical f eatures of the person as a whole).
In terms of skin sy mptoms Arsenicum album and Sulphur are quite similar: intensely itchy rashes
which burn af ter scratching. Rashes likely to respond to Arsenicum tend to be in small, roundish
patches and f lakey, while those which respond to Sulphur ty pically occur in large, red areas, but these
distinctions are of ten not clear-cut and it is of ten dif f icult to be sure which medicine is indicated on
the basis of the locals alone.
Howev er, there are marked dif f erences in the ty pes of people who respond to these medicines: the
ty pical Arsenicum patient is tidy, f astidious, rather anxious (mentals) and f eels the cold excessiv ely
(generals). Sulphur patients are the v ery opposite: of ten untidy, they tend to be extrov erts who relish
a good argument (mentals). They are of ten warm-blooded (f eel the heat) and particularly hav e hot
f eet (generals). But hav ing said that, one has to be f lexible.
Graphites cases can of ten be recognised by the character of the rash alone: it tends to crack, and

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ooze clear or y ellowish, sticky liquid when scratched. The rash of ten af f ects particular areas such as
behind the ears or nipples, in women the eczema may get worse around the monthly period; while the
mentals and generals may not be particularly marked.
There are a number of other important medicines f or psoriasis and eczema: the deep acting
constitutional (whole person) medicines include apart f rom Arsenicum album, Graphites and
Sulphur Arsenicum iodatum, Ly copodium and Sepia. The two Arsenicums are ty pically used f or
guttate psoriasis: the plaques tend to be small, rounded and f lakey. Arsenicum album may also be
v ery helpf ul in pustular psoriasis. Arsenicum iodatum has less of the constitutional f eatures of
Arsenicum album and ev en may be positiv ely hot-blooded, but these patients f requently also hav e
sev ere hay f ev er and other allergies, af f ecting the ey es particularly.
In contrast to Graphites, local characteristics of skin problems which respond to Ly copodium and
Sepia are not v ery specif ic and these medicines are prescribed mostly on the basis of the mental
and general f eatures. The ty pe of person who ty pically responds to Ly copodium clav atum is
reserv ed or shy, and there may be underly ing anxiety or depression. They f requently hav e stomach
problems. Odd but characteristic f eatures include a sweet tooth and a bad period in late af ternoon,
f eeling better later. It can be usef ul f or a range of skin problems including psoriasis and acne.
Sepia of f icinalis is most of ten indicated f or women. Ty pically the patient is emotionally f lat, f ed-up
and snappy with her f amily and partner. She resents others pry ing (as she sees it) into her problems
and may hide her f eelings. Of ten, as with Graphites, the problem seems to hav e come on f ollowing
some ev ent of a womans reproductiv e cy cle, such as the start of a girls periods, childbirth and
menopause. There is usually loss of sex-driv e. An odd f eature is the temporary improv ement f rom
exercise (dancing, working out). Again it may be usef ul f or many skin problems including psoriasis
and eczema.
Howev er constitutional homeopathy is not the only kind of homeopathy and unless one of the
pictures described abov e really seems to f it, is perhaps best lef t to a practitioner. There are a
number of small homeopathic medicines which work well prescribed on characteristic sy mptoms,
sometimes called key notes. These include Petroleum (made f rom crude oil). The key note f or this
medicine is the marked deterioration in winter. It is v ery usef ul f or children who get thick cracked skin
of the knuckles in winter. Many patients helped by this medicine hav e told me that, although they
hav e been prescribed steroid creams, they f ind Vaseline just as ef f ectiv e and use it rather than
steroids. Vaseline is, of course, made f rom Petroleum! A f av ourite medicine of mine f or gardeners
contact dermatitis is Rhus v enenata. Ty pically these are keen gardeners who get a v ery itchy,
blistery rash, presumably f rom contact with a plant, although it is usually dif f icult to work out which
one. The key note here is that the only thing that reliev es the itching is bathing the hands in v ery hot
water.
Acne
Most teenagers hav e some acne and it can cause great emotional distress at an age when many are
v ery self -conscious; it is much less common in other age groups. Linked to androgens, male sex
hormones, that are present in both boy s and girls, acne v ulgaris, as this ty pe is known, af f ects
particularly the f ace but may also appear on other areas, especially the upper back, chest, shoulders
and neck. It is caused by the ov erproduction of a natural grease called sebum, which is secreted by
glands in the skin. Sebum normally drains into the hair f ollicles and f lows out through the f ollicle
openings on the skin surf ace, lubricating the skin and keeping it supple. But in acne, excess sebum
blocks the f ollicles by hardening into plugs. Bacteria multiply in the blocked f ollicles, causing the

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surrounding tissue to become inf lamed.

Less common f orms of acne include occupational acne, which may result f rom exposure to certain
industrial oils; and drug-induced acne, of ten caused by steroids. Rosacea is a related condition
occurring most of ten in middle aged women. The main problem is dilatation and instability of the blood
v essels. It does not usually cause black- or white-heads.
Homeopathic treatment
Two of the most commonly indicated homeopathic medicines are Sulphur and Silica. And again it is
illuminating to compare and contrast the local, mental and general f eatures. We looked at the Sulphur
ty pe bef ore. The main local f eature of acne which responds to Silica is that the pustules nev er seem
to discharge: they sit under the skin f or weeks without bursting, of ten f orming cy sts. The Silica
constitutional ty pe is v ery dif f erent f rom the Sulphur, like the Arsenicum ty pe they are usually chilly
and f eel cold ev en in a warm room. They tend to be pale and thin, with f ine hair and weak, ridged
nails. They will of ten mention that their hair has changed, becoming f iner and f alling out since they
hav e been ill. Their hands and f eet are cold y et clammy. Mentally they complain of f eeling tired and
washed out and y et are stubborn and niggly ev en sometimes obsessional.
Pulsatilla is another medicine which may be v ery helpf ul in acne, particularly (but by no means
exclusiv ely ) in girls when crops of spots dev elop in the premenstrual period. It is prescribed mostly
on constitutional grounds the characteristics of the person rather than the name of the disease.
Ty pically Pulsatilla ty pes are mild tempered or sweet-natured, and indecisiv e. They are of ten weepy,
cry ing when they talk about their problems, but quickly cheered up by a f ew reassuring words (unlike
Sepia patients who may also be weepy when talking about their problems, but they resent probing and
discussion the best thing is to mov e on to another topic). Strangely, although the Pulsatilla ty pe
easily f eels cold, she likes f resh air (prov ided she is well wrapped up) and hates stuf f y atmospheres.
Other medicines which may help in acne include Kalium bromatum; with this medicine the suf f erer
complains of poor sleep, of ten disturbed by bad dreams. They may be mentally slow, hav e
dif f iculties with memory and thinking and be f idgety. Calcarea sulphurica has large y ellow pustules
which are slow to heal, as with Sulphur they may be itchy. Acne spots which respond to Hepar sulph
are v ery sensitiv e to touch or painf ul as they erupt.
Lachesis is the most commonly indicated homeopathic medicine f or rosacea. Ty pically the rash is
dusky red and worse in hot atmospheres. The onset may be associated with the menopause, but if
bef ore the menopause, it usually gets worse bef ore the period and eases quite abruptly when the
bleeding actually starts. The ty pical Lachesis patient is talkativ e and may be suspicious or jealous.
An odd sy mptom is that they hate tight clothes, especially round their necks polo necks, scarv es
etc.
As usual with homeopathy, indiv idualisation of treatment needs a skilled practitioner. Howev er, I am
against being too precious about this: the use of a homeopathic complex consisting of sev eral of the
homeopathic medicines most likely to be indicated is of ten helpf ul and v ery unlikely to do any harm.
The most commonly used complex f or acne, well worth a try if a good homeopath is not av ailable,
is Sulphur, Silica and Carbo v egetabilis, combined in a single pill of ten known as SSC.
Dose
As a general rule, all these medicines should be started in a dose of two pills of the 6c dilution, twice
daily. Aggrav ations a temporary f lare-up of the problem at the beginning of treatment are quite
common with homeopathic treatment of skin problems. They are generally considered a good sign,

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indicating the treatment is prov oking a reaction. If y ou get an aggrav ation y ou should stop treatment
until it has completely settled down, dont be in a rush to restart. You may get another aggrav ation on
restarting, but normally it will be less sev ere and will die out altogether af ter three or f our stop-start
cy cles. In terms of creams and other topical applications, Calendula (marigold) cream is of ten used
by homeopaths f or eczema, it has a gentle soothing action. It is of ten helpf ul in weaning of f steroid
creams, gradually substituting Calendula f or them.

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