Eczema Care | A Father and Daughter’s Battle with Eczema: Managing Redness, Flaking, and Weeping Skin with TCM Conditioning and Homemade Oatmeal Water
Many people in Hong Kong suffer from eczema. Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioner Huang Jingjing recently shared a clinical case with Sky Post. A father who had battles with chronic eczema for years revealed that his 6-year-old daughter had also suffered from recurrent flare-ups since the age of two. Although both had attempted to manage the condition with topical ointments, the results were unsatisfactory. They eventually sought treatment from Dr. Huang. After receiving custom-tailored herbal medicine and acupuncture therapies, their symptoms were successfully brought under control. Dr. Huang also shared that alongside their TCM treatments, the family applied homemade oatmeal water to soothe and hydrate the dry, eczema-prone areas of their skin.
Topical steroid creams yielded unsatisfactory results.
Dr. Huang noted that the father had battles with chronic eczema for many years. In the past, he primarily relied on topical steroids to manage flare-ups. Although the medication controlled the symptoms each time, the eczema inevitably recurred once he discontinued use. Following his COVID-19 vaccination in June before last year, his systemic eczema worsened drastically—particularly on his limbs, which became red, swollen, intensely itchy, and weeping (oozing fluids), even requiring hospitalization. Meanwhile, his 6-year-old daughter had suffered from recurrent eczema since the age of two. However, after swimming at the beach last year, her condition suddenly flared up, leaving her limbs with skin lesions, fluid weeping, and agonizing itchiness that severely disrupted her sleep. Although both had continuously used topical steroid creams to manage their symptoms, the efficacy was no longer significant.
The father had also attempted dietary adjustments and supplements, such as eliminating carbohydrates and stopping the topical creams. However, due to his long-term steroid use, he experienced severe topical steroid withdrawal (TSW) reactions. His symptoms included dry mouth, poor appetite, edema (swelling) in the limbs, redness, persistent itching, and skin that repeatedly cracked open and healed—leaving his skin condition highly unstable with no signs of improvement.
Ultimately, the father decided to seek Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment. Dr. Huang recalled that during their initial consultation, both father and daughter appeared relatively lean. The father exhibited excessively dry skin with extensive skin lesions. Dr. Huang diagnosed his constitution as "Yin Deficiency with Flourishing Fire", which explained the highly recurrent nature of his eczema. The daughter shared a similar constitution to her father, presenting with equally dry skin. Her eczema was primarily concentrated around the joints of her limbs, accompanied by redness, swelling, and flaking.
Daughter’s Eczema Significantly Improves After Two Months of Chinese Herbal Therapy
As the father’s severe eczema had drastically compromised both his work performance and sleep quality, he specifically consulted Dr. Huang during his visit regarding whether bloodletting therapy would be suitable for him. However, Dr. Huang explained that while bloodletting can help alleviate fluid weeping in certain eczema cases, it is far more appropriate for patients with "Damp-Heat" or "Phlegm-Dampness" constitutions. For individuals suffering from "Yin Deficiency and Blood Heat" , bloodletting provides minimal benefit and may even exacerbate skin dryness and aggravate their Yin deficiency symptoms. Consequently, Dr. Huang advised the father to opt for a combination of acupuncture and tailored Chinese herbal medicine to safely and effectively improve his condition.
"Acupuncture therapy infuses minimal skin trauma and carries a very low risk of infection. Specific acupoints can nourish Yin, calm the mind (Anshen), nourish blood, and extinguish Wind to alleviate itching. These key points include Xuehai (SP10), Fengshi (GB31), Zusanli (ST36), Yinlingquan (SP9), Baihui (GV20), and Quchi (LI11). Furthermore, local acupuncture stimulation can be applied directly to thickened skin lesions caused by chronic eczema. This technique helps reduce skin thickness and break down lichenification, thereby accelerating the overall healing process."
After undergoing just a few sessions of acupuncture, the father experienced a marked reduction in itching and a significant improvement in his sleep quality, while the skin weeping was successfully brought under control. Following two months of continuous treatment, his skin began to gradually stabilize and regain its smooth texture. However, due to his chronic, long-term reliance on topical steroid creams over the years, visible hypopigmentation (loss of pigment) and hyperpigmentation (pigment accumulation) remained on his skin, even as the surface texture became fully smoothed out.
Although the father initially intended for his daughter to try acupuncture as well, the little girl was quite fearful of needles. Respecting her comfort, Dr. Huang opted for a pure Chinese herbal medicine approach instead. The father also noted that his daughter had rarely taken Chinese medicine before, out of fear that the bitter taste would make it difficult to swallow. Acknowledging that young children are often sensitive to the bitterness of traditional decoctions, Dr. Huang specially formulated a milder, more palatable herbal prescription. After approximately two months of treatment, the daughter's eczema showed tremendous improvement, and her skin successfully regained its smooth texture.
Soothing Dry and Itchy Skin: Rinsing Eczema-Prone Areas with Oatmeal Water
Dr. Huang also mentioned that alongside their clinical TCM treatments, the father and daughter utilized homemade oatmeal water for their baths. The preparation involves grinding raw oats into a fine powder using a blender, then placing the powder into a fine-mesh soup bag (broth bag) to soak and rinse the eczema-affected areas with lukewarm water. The water temperature should be strictly maintained between 37°C and 39°C (98.6°F - 102.2°F), as excessively hot water strips away the skin’s natural oils, which hinders optimal moisture retention.
According to Dr. Huang, rinsing the affected areas with oatmeal water effectively locks in moisture and alleviates skin dryness and itching. Being completely natural and gentle, it is highly beneficial for eczema patients experiencing extensive dryness and flaking. However, this remedy should be avoided by individuals with open wounds or known allergies to grains.
Dr. Huang shares the following dietary recipe, which is highly suitable for patients with dry eczema and can also help improve their sleep quality. This nourishing remedy is safe for both adults and children. However, please note that it should be avoided by individuals with "Spleen and Stomach Deficiency-Cold" constitutions, those with "Wind-Cold Coughs" , people prone to diarrhea, and women during their menstrual period.
