I get it, you’re tired of your skin problems and of course you are seeking fast results. I too want rapid improvements for you! The reality is that it depends, and it is hard to predict how fast someone responds, and each dermatological condition has its particularities that make it longer or shorter.
Sometimes herbal medicine feels magical and fast, other times it takes longer than we’d like. For fully unknown reasons, some people respond faster than others. The process of natural healing has its nuances, and its important patients understand that sometimes it takes time. The goal however is lasting results, awakening your body’s natural abilities to have clear skin without the use of pharmaceuticals, so it is well worth the journey!
Chinese Herbal Medicine can yield impressive results or it wouldn’t still be around as a medicine after all these thousands of years. I had a 72 year old patient with 20 years of unexplained body itching who found sustained relief within just three months of taking herbs. In another instance, a 30 year old patient with voice chord ulcers (from acid reflux) avoided surgery after less than two months of herbal treatment, just in time for Christmas. While such remarkable results do occur, it's essential to manage expectations, because natural medicine often takes more time than a pharmaceutical pill.
Factors Influencing Speed of Results of Herbal Therapies
Chinese Herbal Medicine is a powerful healing tool, but it requires time and expertise rather than offering instant cures. When addressing dermatological conditions in particular with Chinese herbal medicine, several factors influence the speed of results.
Duration of the Condition: The longer a condition has persisted, the longer it usually takes to improve. An acute rash from rolling in the grass will likely resolve more quickly than chronic psoriasis.
Severity: Mild cases typically resolve faster than severe ones.
Age: Younger individuals often heal faster. Babies and children heal the fastest while people over 70 begin to heal more slowly.
Overall Health: Complex health situations can prolong the healing process. If you have other health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, hormonal imbalances, or other systemic illness co-occuring can often make healing times longer. If you take multiple pharmaceutical medications, sometimes healing can take longer.
Lifestyle: The factors “around” your health can also affect healing time. Your body doesn’t live in a vacuum, and all of these factors can influence healing times. If you live in a damp environment, your sebborheic dermatitis may take more time to heal. If you have alot of stress or a high-emotion time, your perioral dermatitis might flare up out of the blue again. If you continue to eat fast food, your psoriasis will have a harder time recovering. Some lifestyle factors you can control, others you cannot. Many of them affect healing times.
3 Phase Herbal Medicine Dermatology Treatments
Initial improvements, such as reduced itching or inflammation, are promising but not the endpoint. Discontinuing treatment prematurely can lead to a resurgence of symptoms. As your symptoms change, we adjust herbal formulas, ensuring that we address both the immediate discomfort and the underlying imbalances causing the condition.
The aim is not only symptom reduction/elimination, but re-awakening your skin’s abilities to maintain healthy skin. To accomplish this, there are usually 3 phases to an herbal dermatology treatment. First we address your most pressing symptoms by eliminating inflammation. Second, we begin to awaken your skin’s natural abilities, while we continue to clear the inflammation. Third, we end by strengthening your own skin’s abilities to reduce the chances of recurrence, or stay in remission if your condition is recurring (such as eczema and psoriasis).
It is impossible to predict for any given case. Consider these two scenarios:
Person 1: Your case is mild, you haven’t had it that long, you are younger than 30, you do not have any other health issues and don’t take any pharmaceuticals, then likely your situation can be resolved in weeks to 6 months (depending on the skin condition).
Person 2: Your case is severe, you are older than 60, you have had the condition for many years, you are taking multiple medications for other health issues, then it may take many months or even a year or more to get all of your symptoms fully under control.
And, of course, there are unknown factors involved in healing. Some people just respond faster than others, and it is hard to predict. Within a month or 2 of taking herbs, we can begin to see if you are responding more quickly or slowly with herbs. All along the way during treatment, you should feel changes of varying kinds that can give evidence to the herbs working. Sometimes it might not be the skin that responds first, but your bloating significantly improves. This is considered part of the path towards healing, and can provide encouragement along the way.
Consult an Expert in Chinese Herbal Dermatology
Consulting a skilled Chinese Herbal Medicine practitioner for a personalized prognosis based on your health history is crucial for setting realistic expectations. Chinese herbal medicine is a potent natural treatment for many dermatological issues. It can bring lasting results, without damaging the body otherwise. For best results, it is essential to partner with a qualified practitioner, adhere to your herbal regimen, and exercise patience. Healing is a gradual process, just as the development of disease often is.
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Dr. Kim Drolet
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