Complexion Flashcards
Blue-green complexion indicates:
Wind
dark blue-green (black) complexion indicates:
Cold
blue-green-purple complexion indicates:
Stasis
Sudden appearance of blue-green complexion indicates:
Pain
Red over entire face indicates:
excess heat
Red cheeks indicate:
deficiency heat (empty heat)
Superficial zygomatic flush with pale face beneath indicates:
floating yang (red/yang separated and floating above white/yin)
Bright orange yellow complexion indicates:
jaundice - yang type
damp heat obstructs and steams the bile to the surface
Smoky hazy yellow complexion indicates:
jaundice - yin type
damp heat obstructs and steams the bile to the surface
Dim luster yellow complexion indicates:
dampness
dampness accumulates, limits SP’s transportation fx, leading to a lack of blood rising to the face, a slightly pale or yellow colour ensues
Dull pale yellow complexion indicates:
Cold Damp in Middle Burner
dampness accumulates, limits SP’s transportation fx, leading to a lack of blood rising to the face, a slightly pale or yellow colour ensues
Pale yellow complexion indicates:
SP qi deficiency
dampness accumulates, limits SP’s transportation fx, leading to a lack of blood rising to the face, a slightly pale or yellow colour ensues
Puffy pale yellow complexion indicates:
SP qi deficiency w/ water accumulation
dampness accumulates, limits SP’s transportation fx, leading to a lack of blood rising to the face, a slightly pale or yellow colour ensues
What zang fu organs relate to white/pale?
LU/LI
Which organs relate to red?
HT/SI
Pale blue-green complexion indicates:
Cold
cold contracts blood vessels
Pale white complexion indicates:
Qi Deficiency
qi or blood def. leads to loss of nourishment on face, causes pale colour
Bright white complexion indicates:
Yang deficiency
qi or blood def. leads to loss of nourishment on face, causes pale colour
Pale white and withered yellow complexion indicates:
Blood deficiency
qi or blood def. leads to loss of nourishment on face, causes pale colour
Pale white without sheen indicates:
Bleeding
(losing body fluids)
qi or blood def. leads to loss of nourishment on face, causes pale colour
Dark black complexion indicates:
Internal Cold and/or KI-yang deficiency
channels and blood vessels spasm and contract, causing blood to stagnate and thus darken
Dry scorched black complexion indicates:
KI-yin deficiency
channels and blood vessels spasm and contract, causing blood to stagnate and thus darken
Black eye sockets, swollen lower eyelid indicates:
Phlegm Damp
channels and blood vessels spasm and contract, causing blood to stagnate and thus darken
Purple black complexion indicates:
Blood Stasis
channels and blood vessels spasm and contract, causing blood to stagnate and thus darken
What are the 4 different qualities of pathological facial colours?
1) Location - deep/floating (internal/external)
2) Brightness - bright, clear/ dull, dim (yang/yin)
3) Thickness - thin, faint/ thick, extreme (deficiency/excess)
4) Concentration - scattered/concentrated (new or mild/ chronic or serious)
What does facial sheen indicate? (2)
1) state of essence (full/exhausted)
2) state of spirit (having/ lacking spirit)
Which facial colour does this pathogenesis describe: Blood doesn’t fill up the vessels in the face due to onbstruction or contraction of the blood vessels.
Blue-green, LR/GB/Wood pathology
veins rely on contraction (LR) to pump blood
What are the 3 aspects/classifications of abnormal facial colour?
1) single colour dominates
2) obvious exposure of colour
3) colour changes are inconsistent with seasonal changes
What variables are important for facial diagnosis? (3)
1) Time (early morning best, or once patient is calm)
2) Environment (quiet, w/o stimulation)
3) Light (natural)
What does an abnormal facial sheen (ex, withered and dim) indicate?
deficiency or failure of essence qi … (shen)
What are the 3 classifications of normal facial skin colour?
1) Host or Governing (zhu) colour - colour from birth
2) Guest or Visitor (ke) colour - seasonal changes
3) Transient Normal Complexion - temporary changes due to activity/environment/emotion/diet/etc
What is skin colour associated with? And sheen?
blood and yin ; qi, yang, shen
