Face

Ling Shu: "The energy and Blood of all the channels reaches the face and nourishes the orifices" The color of the face gives us information about the energetic state. It depends on race and location. In Spain, for example, the normal complexion color is pinkish-whitish.

There is a relationship between face color and disease. Let us look at the colors associated with the 5 movements:

• Fire (HT): Red
• Wood (LR): Green / bluish (a cyanotic color)
• Water (KI): blackish (grey, with dark circles under the eyes)
• Earth (SP/ST): yellow
• Metal (LU): white, pale

Relationship with the five movements and prognosis

As we know, the Zang-Fu (organs and bowels) are not isolated; they relate to each other through the production and domination cycles of the five elements. These relationships maintain balance in the body. A problem in one organ affects all the others. Therefore, the color that appears on the skin may not be that of the organ affected by the disease; it may be that of another element with which it has a mother-child or grandfather-grandchild relationship.

• If the relationship between the color and the disease is one of production (mother/child), the prognosis is good.
• If the relationship between the color and the disease is one of domination (grandfather/grandchild), the prognosis is worse.

Examples:

• A person with Spleen problems may have fatigue, abdominal distension, diarrhea… Its element is Earth, so the complexion could be slightly yellow. However, the patient is red (Fire color). Fire produces Earth, it is the mother, so the prognosis is good. If the color of its mother appears, there is energy. If they were pale (Metal), the prognosis would also be good because Earth produces Metal. It remains a production cycle.

• A person with Lung disease: a pale color would be normal. If the face is yellowish or blackish, the prognosis would be good (colors with a production relationship). Reddish or greenish would be more serious (Metal dominates Wood and is dominated by Fire).

Pale face

Tai Yin Lung affected. It is not only pallor, it is a lack of Blood. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Blood is the consequence of Qi. If Blood is lacking, energy is lacking. It may be an Empty-Cold syndrome, Yang deficiency.

Red face

Any organ may be affected.

• Heat syndrome. It may be a Full type, excess of Heat or Yang. It may be Empty-Heat.
• Yin Deficiency: lack of retraction, Body Fluids have been consumed by excess Heat. A Yin Deficiency may be interior Cold and exterior Heat; the energy cannot be interiorized.

Blackish face

Dark circles under the eyes. The black color belongs to Water, Cold, North, Kidney. Cold syndrome.

• It is a dangerous color, there is a lack of Jing of the Kidney (Essence), due to weak constitution, advanced age or excesses (drug use causes Yang to escape and produces a dry, blackish, burnt-looking color) and Yang deficiency. Expansion weakens them.
• If Yang is lacking there is more stagnation, edema, Phlegm, fluid retention, Blood stasis, poor circulation.

Yellow face

Manifests a Dampness problem, Spleen weakness. The Spleen likes dryness but the Stomach likes moisture. The earth cannot be too dry or too damp for transformation.

• When you transform (digest food), the Kidney cannot store reserves because Jing of the Kidney is needed to warm Spleen-Yang.

Greenish face

It is like cyanotic. It indicates stagnation, blockage of energy.

• It is usually caused by emotions, especially anger, rage. But it also depends on the person's constitution.
• Anger attacks the chest (Heart), especially in men. "At mealtime, do not get angry."
• The Liver is drainage and evacuation, it is liberation. When it is blocked, in women it affects the chest and genitals: menstrual disorders, breast lumps, Phlegm…