The Skin: Treat It With Reverence

The skin has been much studied yet it still remains somewhat misunderstood. It is traditionally seen as a complex tissue made of three major layers: epidermis, dermis and hypodermis. The epidermis, the outside layer, is mostly an accumulation of dead cells. In the time of the moon cycle, the epidermis is entirely renewed.

There are about twelve pounds of skin on an average human body. Its thickness might vary from half a millimeter to a few millimeters depending on the part of the body it covers. An eyelid is thin like a piece of paper but heels can be thick like the soles of shoes.

The skin harbors an enormous amount of blood vessels, nerve endings, fluids and tiny oil glands. A square inch contains millions of cells to be fed and oxygenated and whose waste needs to be eliminated. Eventually, dead cells must make room for new ones.

In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), skin is viewed with great reverence. It is more than a barrier between the inside of the body and the outside environment. It is linked to the organ function of Lung (i.e. a breathing/eliminating function) and consequently, to the energy of the Metal element. But there is more: Your skin is particularly important because it is a reflexive organ that provides important telltale signs of what is going on within your body. Any skin problem reoccurring in the same area is an indicator of your health condition. Your skin's role as a provider of natural early warning signs can help you maintain or achieve an improved state of wellness.

Over-Processed Skin

A relatively new condition has evolved–over-processed skin. As its name implies, it is caused by an excess of invasive treatments. The skin is so abused that eventually it loses its natural properties–from its appearance to its capacity to heal. It looks like paper, void of vital energy. Too many chemical peels, excessive dermabrasion and maybe excessive or unsuccessful surgery have affected the skin to the extent that the natural vital flow of energy is blocked. It affects proper fluid movement and the stripping of trace minerals is an impediment to natural osmosis. Water, nutrients, and oxygenation do not reach all the layers of the skin and elimination of waste is affected. In short, the skin has lost its capacity to hydrate and to heal from within.

This condition is best met with Metal treatments and products from Phytobiodermie's Metal line of products (based on the 5-Element Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine). A series of energetic drainages is required to stimulate and balance all five fluids. The very existence of this condition is a sad but a very good demonstration of what happens when the skin is not respected for the organ it is–when it is treated as if it were a piece of cloth. This is also why holistically-minded estheticians are alert to these risks and educate their customers that more is not necessarily better.