Skin & Immunity Korean Medicine Treatment
Nummular Eczema · Discoid Eczema · Hwaseon· Nummular Eczema
Incheon Songdo Baekrokdam Korean Medicine Clinic
Severe itching and recurring oozing; we restore the skin barrier's self-healing power.
Coin-shaped red spots and severe itching.If you are tired of the vicious cycle where symptoms seem to improve briefly after applying ointment only to flare up again, please read this page to the end.
Nummular eczema is not just inflammation on the skin's surface, but a signal that your body's immune barrier has collapsed. Baekrokdam focuses on building the skin's strength to push out toxins on its own.
Key disease information at a glance
- Other names
- Nummular eczema, coin-shaped eczema
- Hanja
- 貨幣狀濕疹 (Money + Currency + Shape)
- Classification
- Chronic inflammatory skin disease
- Main symptoms
- Coin-shaped erythema, severe itching, oozing, burning sensation
- Aggravating factors
- Stress, dry weather, alcohol consumption, steroid misuse and abuse
- Diagnosis
- Visual inspection and medical interview — differential diagnosis with tinea if necessary
- Treatment
- Herbal medicine-centered (Clearing heat and detoxifying · Removing dampness and relieving itching · Nourishing blood and moisturizing dryness)
- General treatment period
- Approximately 3–6 months (varies depending on chronicity)
- Telemedicine
- Possible
Frequently heard in the consultation room
Many patients visit with these descriptions
These are expressions often heard in the consultation room. If this sounds like you, it's worth suspecting nummular eczema.
Consult via telehealth →What is nummular eczema?
If round, coin-shaped red spots suddenly appear one day and unbearable itching begins,Nummular eczema (Discoid eczema)should be suspected. It is named so because its shape resembles a coin.
In Korean medicine, this isHwaseon(火癬)orSeupseon(濕癬)called. It is seen not simply as a problem on the surface of the skin, but as a phenomenon where 'dampness(濕)' and 'heat(熱)' in the body are not discharged and remain stagnant in the skin.
Don't misunderstand.Nummular eczema is a completely different condition from athlete's foot (tinea) caused by fungi.Applying athlete's foot medication can actually make it worse, so accurate differentiation is very important.
It starts with small blisters that gradually merge into a coin shape; in severe cases, it oozes, and eventually, the skin undergoes a process of thickening like elephant skin (lichenification).
Western medicine views it as a chronic inflammatory dermatitis of unknown cause, but Korean medicine views this asOverload of the immune system and collapse of the barrierthe result of and helps with fundamental recovery.
Medical Staff
Chief DirectorDr. Yeonseung Choe
Many people come in flustered by suddenly appearing coin-shaped spots. They say they thought it was a mosquito bite at first, but it grew larger and became so itchy they couldn't sleep. A characteristic of this condition is that it seems to subside quickly when ointment is applied, but flares up again once you stop. To break the cycle, we must address internal damp-heat and immune balance, not just the surface of the skin.
- Graduated from Gyeonggi Science High School
- Graduated from Kyung Hee University, Department of Pre-Korean Medicine
- Graduated from Kyung Hee University, College of Korean Medicine
- Current) Chief Director of Baekrokdam Korean Medicine Clinic
- Former) Chief Director of Miall Korean Medicine Clinic, Incheon Songdo Branch
- Former) Director of Miall Korean Medicine Clinic, Gangnam Main Branch
- Former) Chief Director of Dolbom Korean Medicine Clinic, Seocho Main Branch
- [Publications]
- Overcoming Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Overcoming Chronic Vaginitis - Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
- Post-miscarriage care is as important as postpartum care: A to Z of herbal medicine after miscarriage
Nummular eczema, rather than being caused by a single reason,when internal imbalances exceed a critical point.manifests.
Main causes of nummular eczema — how they accumulate
- 1 Steroid resistance and rebound
Long-term misuse or abuse of ointments leads to a loss of the skin's natural healing power, causing symptoms to flare up when the medication is stopped.
- 2 Chronic stress and Heart Fire (Sim-hwa)
Stress raises body heat and disrupts the immune system, inducing eczema.
- 3 Irregular eating habits and Damp-Heat
Alcohol, late-night snacks, and processed foods accumulate toxins and moisture in the body, serving as the fuel for skin inflammation.
- 4 Skin dryness and weakened barrier
Winter dryness or frequent washing destroys the skin's natural protective barrier, making it vulnerable to eczema.
- 5 Constitutional predisposition
It occurs more easily in cases of congenitally thin skin or an allergic predisposition.
Nummular eczema is'Itching-Scratching-Oozing-Wound'characterized most significantly by a repeating vicious cycle of.
Main Symptoms of Nummular Eczema — What Patients Actually Experience
Changes in Skin Appearance
- Well-defined Circular Erythema — Distinct coin-shaped red spots appear
- Vesicles and Oozing — Yellow discharge and crusting occur during the acute phase
- Scales (Dead Skin) — White scales cover the area and it becomes dry during the recovery or chronic phase
- Lichenification — Repeated wounding causes the skin to become thick, hard, and leaves pigmentation
Areas of Patient Suffering
- Unbearable, Intense Itching (Especially worse at night)
- Burning Sensation and Pain in the Affected Area
- Sleep Disorders and Decreased Concentration
- Social Avoidance and Depression when occurring on exposed areas (arms, legs)
Beyond just looking unpleasantIt significantly reduces the quality of life.
These symptomsAs a setAs they appear, they exhaust the patient physically and mentally.
Chronic Nummular Eczema, Baekrokdam's Approach
Summary— If ointment is a fire extinguisher that puts out the fire, herbal medicine creates an environment where fire doesn't start. Restoring the skin's self-healing power is ultimately the only way to prevent recurrence.
Why is Baekrokdam focused on herbal medicine?
The goal of herbal medicine is not just to suppress external symptoms, but to create a body that recovers on its own without medication.
Nummular eczema isIt doesn't end with simply soothing the skin.Steroids forcibly suppress inflammatory responses, but if the immune system itself is unstable, inflammation flares up the moment you stop the medication. This is exactly why people repeat the cycle of applying and stopping ointments for 5 or 10 years.
Herbal medicine aims to discharge 'damp-heat' from the body and rebuild the collapsed immune barrier.If Western medicine is "suppressing the current itch," you can think of herbal medicine as "enabling the skin to overcome inflammation on its own." This is why Korean medicine is essential for chronic recurrent eczema.
Why doesn't it show up well in tests?
Tests look at values and structures, but the essence is often a 'body imbalance' that isn't easily captured by tests.
In hospital tests, blood levels often come back normal. However, patients experience intense itching and oozing. That isa matter of functional immune sensitivity and toxin discharge, not a structural numerical problembecause it is.
So, just because the test results are clean doesn't mean there's no problem. Heat-toxin (Yeoldok) that the body cannot handle is erupting through the weakest link, the skin. We must address this flow that tests cannot see.
So how do we treat it? — The Baekrokdam Method
We examine the whole body through medical history, pulse diagnosis, and abdominal palpation, and resolve the root cause with herbal medicine.
We don't just look at the skinthe person's overall conditionwe look at. We dedicate sufficient time to each consultation.
- Visual Inspection (Mang-jin)— We identify the current stage of inflammation through the color of the eczema, the amount of exudate, and the clarity of the borders
- Abdominal Palpation— We check for the accumulation of digestive waste (food stagnation) and dampness through tenderness points in the abdomen
- Medical Inquiry— We carefully listen to sleep patterns, stress sensitivity, eating habits, and history of ointment use. This is to check for the possibility of steroid rebound in advance.
Based on this diagnosis, with herbal medicineLowering heat, drying exudate, and promoting the growth of new skinWe proceed through the process step by step. This multi-angled approach is why herbal medicine works well for nummular eczema, where various symptoms are complexly intertwined.
Pattern identification branches of nummular eczema observed in clinical practice
The direction of the prescription changes completely depending on the patient's constitution and symptom patterns. It is largely divided into 4 types.
Damp-Heat Type濕熱
An acute state where the affected area is red, has heavy exudate, and severe itching
Treatment Direction: Clearing heat and detoxifying · Removing dampness
Blood Deficiency and Wind-Dryness Type血虛風燥
A chronic state where the affected area is dry, scaly, and the skin has thickened
Treatment Direction: Nourishing blood and moisturizing dryness · Skin barrier regeneration
Spleen Deficiency and Dampness Type脾虛濕盛
Those with a weak digestive system where waste products accumulate easily and swelling occurs
Treatment Direction: Strengthening the spleen and removing dampness
Wind-Heat Type風熱
Those whose symptoms spread quickly here and there and feel a strong sense of heat
Treatment Direction: Dispelling wind and clearing heat
According to changes in symptomsPrecisely re-prescribing herbal medicine every 2 to 4 weeksto increase treatment efficiency.
Progress of nummular eczema treatment by stage
- Month 1 — Calming inflammation and discharging heat toxins
It can be the most difficult period. We focus on lowering internal heat and controlling exudation.
- Extreme itching and burning sensations begin to subside gradually
- The process of exudation stopping and scabs forming (do not force them off at this time)
- Temporary rebound may occur during the process of reducing ointment, but it is managed with the medical staff
- Months 2–3 — Skin regeneration and relief of itching
This is the period when the skin fills with new flesh on its own.
- Redness fades and the size of the affected area begins to decrease
- The number of times waking up at night due to itching decreases noticeably
- The skin barrier becomes stronger and dryness improves
- Months 3–4 — Barrier stabilization and prevention of recurrence
Even if symptoms seem fully healed, it is too early to be complacent. We create a body that does not recur.
- Pigmentation gradually fades and restores to normal skin color
- Final check of skin's self-healing power while reducing the dosage of herbal medicine
- Developing the strength to maintain results even after treatment ends through lifestyle management
Recovery speed may vary depending on the skin regeneration cycle and condition. These are the stages generally observed during herbal medicine-centered treatment.
Those with chronic or persistent types: For those who have used steroids for 1 year or more or whose condition has spread throughout the body6 months or moreConsistent treatment is necessary. Even if it takes time, the goal is to ultimately regain clear skin without medication.
Consult comfortably via telehealth for your current concerns.Herbal medicine prescriptions are available nationwide.
Those with chronic or persistent types: For those who have used steroids for 1 year or more or whose condition has spread throughout the body6 months or moreConsistent treatment is necessary. Even if it takes time, the goal is to ultimately regain clear skin without medication.
Conditions confused with nummular eczema
Nummular eczema is easily confused with other skin diseases. Caution is required as using the wrong ointment can worsen the condition.
A fungal infection where the edges tend to be redder and the center tends to clear up. Applying eczema ointment can cause the fungi to proliferate and worsen the condition.
It mainly occurs in skin folds and has unclear boundaries. Nummular eczema differs in that it has very distinct, coin-shaped boundaries.
It is less itchy than eczema and is characterized by thick, silvery-white scales. When scratched, pinpoint bleeding occurs.
It occurs only on areas in contact with specific substances (metals, cosmetics, etc.). Nummular eczema can occur anywhere on the body even without a causative substance.
Nummular eczema treatment reviews
Nummular Eczema FAQ
Is nummular eczema contagious?
No, it is not contagious. Because of its circular shape and oozing, it is sometimes mistaken for ringworm (tinea) or infectious diseases. However, nummular eczema is an inflammatory skin disease caused by an imbalance in the immune system, so you can rest assured that it does not spread to others.
I have used steroid ointments for a long time; is Korean medicine treatment possible?
In fact, Korean medicine treatment is essential for such individuals. Ointments serve to temporarily suppress inflammation, but if your body's immunity is depleted, a "rebound" effect occurs as soon as you stop using them. We proceed by improving the internal environment with herbal medicine while gradually reducing dependence on ointments.
There is too much oozing during treatment; how should I manage it?
Oozing is also a process where "damp-heat" from within the body is discharged. Rather than wiping it away forcefully, "wet dressing therapy," where sterile gauze soaked in saline is lightly applied, is helpful. When oozing is severe, herbal prescriptions are adjusted to focus on "removing dampness."
How long does the treatment usually take?
The acute phase is expected to take around 2 to 3 months, but if the condition has been chronic for over 5 years or if steroids have been used for a long time, it may take more than 6 months. Physical time is required for skin cells to regenerate and for the barrier to become strong.
Is dietary control necessary?
Nummular eczema is closely related to "damp-heat," so alcohol, greasy foods, and spicy or irritating foods can immediately worsen symptoms. We recommend a diet that does not burden the stomach during the treatment period.
Is it possible to get a prescription through non-face-to-face consultation?
Yes, it is possible. We conduct a thorough examination based on high-resolution photos of the affected area and a medical questionnaire. However, if oozing or secondary infection is too severe and requires direct treatment, we may recommend an in-person consultation.
What is the difference between nummular eczema and tinea corporis (body ringworm)?
Nummular eczema takes a distinct coin-like shape, but its cause is different from tinea corporis, which is caused by fungi. While tinea tends to have raised edges and a clear center, nummular eczema is characterized by oozing and extreme itching across the entire affected area. From a Korean medicine perspective, it is a disease that requires boosting skin immunity and lowering internal heat.
Can the itching and oozing of nummular eczema that worsens every night be improved through constitutional improvement?
Nummular eczema often involves a repeating cycle of intense itching at night, followed by oozing and crusting. This is not just a simple surface-level skin issue, but a signal that the body's immune system has broken down and toxins have accumulated. Therefore, the process of correcting internal imbalances according to individual constitutions is more important than anything else, rather than just treating the surface.
Skin conditions to consider alongside nummular eczema
These are immune-related skin diseases that are beneficial to manage alongside nummular eczema.
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