My face feels flushed | Incheon Facial Flushing & Rosacea

“It's not your skin, it's the internal heat” — Facial Flushing and Rosacea

Hello, this is Baengnokdam Korean Medicine Clinic.

Why Your Face Feels Hot

"Why does my face feel so hot these days?" Your face turns red, a sensation of heat rises, and sweat flows even when you're still. It wouldn't be so bad if it only happened in the morning, but the heat worsens in the afternoon, and even brief exposure to sunlight makes your face flare up.

It's not that your emotional swings are particularly severe, but when you're in a meeting or a crowded place, your face gets so hot that you can't concentrate. You were diagnosed with rosacea at a dermatology clinic, and although antibiotic ointment seems to help temporarily, it quickly recurs. You can't wear makeup, going out is uncomfortable, and most of all, the anxiety of "I don't know why this is happening" is even greater.

Cause of Symptoms

In such cases, what we first examine in the clinic is not the skin itself, but the body's structure that inevitably causes heat to gather in the face. The face is the outermost part of our body and an extremity where heat is expelled. For heat to surge up to this point means that the internal balance of heat flow in the body has already been disrupted.

Accompanying Symptoms

In fact, patients with facial flushing or rosacea often don't just have symptoms on their face, but also experience the following accompanying symptoms:

• Light sleep, many dreams, and waking up easily.
• Becoming irritable over minor issues and experiencing heightened emotions.
• Indigestion, bloating, belching, or heartburn.
• Irregular menstrual cycles, with symptoms worsening before and after menstruation.
• Intolerance to heat and sensitivity to indoor temperatures.

Korean Medicine Approach

These symptoms do not exist in isolation; rather, they suggest a tendency for heat to accumulate upwards, which in Korean medicine is termed *sangyeok* (上逆) – an upward reversal.

Pathological Constitution Types

Korean medicine does not simply view this as "sensitive skin," but categorizes it into pathological constitution types as follows:

• Gan-ul (Liver Qi Stagnation) Type – Characterized by significant emotional swings, often feeling wronged or suppressing emotions. Suppressed *qi* transforms into heat, surging upwards.
• Eum-heo (Yin Deficiency) Type – Characterized by a sensitive autonomic nervous system, accumulated fatigue, and severe heat sensation at night. This constitution lacks sufficient body fluids to cool down heat.
• Wi-yeol (Stomach Heat) Type – Frequent indigestion and accompanying stomach heat symptoms like heartburn, acid reflux, and belching. Heat from the stomach transfers upwards along the esophagus.
• Chung-im Siljo (Disrupted Chong and Ren Meridians) Type – Facial flushing appears along with irregular menstruation and menopausal symptoms. Often observed during periods when female hormones and autonomic nervous system regulation are unstable.

Treatment Methods

So, how should we treat it? Merely applying ointment to the skin or suppressing capillaries with laser treatment will likely lead to recurrent problems. The skin is merely a "mirror"; the problem originates from within the body.

Herbal Medicine Treatment

Herbal medicine treatment is completely different depending on the constitutional type described above:

• For the Gan-ul type, *siho*-based (Bupleurum) *qi*-regulating herbal medicines are used to release emotional stagnation and open the pathways for heat dissipation.
• For the Eum-heo type, prescriptions like Cheonwangbosimdan (Tianwang Buxin Dan) or Hwangnyeon-agyo-tang (Huanglian Ejiao Tang) are used to extinguish heat and replenish body fluids.
• For the Wi-yeol type, herbs like Banhasasim-tang (Banxia Xiexin Tang) and Hyangsapyeongwi-san (Xiangsha Pingwei San) are used to regulate stomach heat and dampness.
• For the Chung-im Siljo type, the Chong and Ren meridians are stabilized with herbs that regulate uterine function, such as *danggwi* (Angelica gigas), *sukjihwang* (Rehmannia glutinosa preparata), and *sanyak* (Dioscorea batatas).

Acupuncture Treatment

Acupuncture treatment uses a combination of acupoints such as Naegwan (PC6), Sinmun (HT7), Taegye (KI3), Pungji (GB20), and Hapgok (LI4) to regulate the autonomic nervous system.

Conclusion

One thing I want to emphasize is that skin problems are always the "body's language." Simply suppressing the skin symptoms does not make the problem disappear. Flushing is a signal that "heat is not being properly expelled from within my body right now."

Herbal medicine treatment does not ignore this signal; instead, it changes the internal structure of the body from within, reorganizing the pathways so that heat does not accumulate in the face.

Don't try to hide it any longer. The real problem isn't your skin; it begins beyond the skin. The skin is merely the final symptom; what needs to be treated first is the "body's pathways."

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