A walk through a drug store or an hour in front of the television should suffice to convince anyone of the importance healthy skin holds in terms of self-image and society’s idea of beauty. Perfect skin is, foremost people, a distant dream. Dozens of different skin disorders exist, with huge variation in symptoms and severity. Skin disorders can be temporary or permanent, treatable or incurable, situational or genetic, minor inconveniences or life-threatening diagnosis.
According to Ayurveda, the skin forms the major part of the body and is made up of seven layers located not only superficially but extending to the deeper levels of the body. Ayurveda has considered all the skin diseases under a common head called 'Kushta Roga; which literally means discoloration, disgrace or disfigurement of the normal skin texture. Skin diseases are caused mainly by the morbidity of seven factors-vata, pitta, kapha doshas and twak, mamsa, raktha and shukra dhatus.
Eczema
The term eczema or dermatitis refers to distinctive reaction patterns in the skin which can be either acute or chronic.
Psoriasis
It is non-infectious, inflammatory disease of the skin, characterized by well-defined erythematous plaques with large,adherent, silvery scales.
Acne Vulgaris
Inflammatory papules, nodules and cysts occur and it leaves scars on face.
According to Ayurveda, all types of skin diseases are correlated to kushta or kshudra kushta. The main features of kushtam are “Kushnati Angam” that which causes disfigurement of the doshas,dhatus, anga’s of our body is called as kushta.
Ayurveda explains two types of skin treatments which includes internal and external therapies called as Shodhana and shamana chikitsa.
1. Shodhana Chikitsa-it is a purificatory treatment where the doshas are eliminated out of the body. The unique treatment called as panchakarma in ayurveda comes under this Shodhana Chikitsa viz Vamana (emesis),Virechana (purgation) and Rakta mokshana(bloodletting).
2. Shamana Chikitsa (Palliative treatment)- This includes internal medicines, diet and lifestyle modification. There are external treatments which include Lepa-which is a local application over the lesions by using various herbs, Abhyanga-Body massage using the oils, Kashaya dhara-Medicated water using drugs poured over the body, Udwarthanam-Powder massage and Takra dhara-Unique preparation made out of drugs and buttermilk. Importance of external applications seems to be more in 'kshudra kushtas' on account of their quickaction on the vitiated skin.