Eczema - Blood Deficiency with Wind-Dryness Pattern

Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Eczema · Blood Deficiency with Wind-Dryness Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Skin

Pattern Overview

Blood Deficiency with Wind-Dryness is a common pattern in chronic eczema, characterized by skin barrier dysfunction, dry skin, scaling, intense itching, lichenification, and fissuring. The core pathogenesis is Blood deficiency failing to nourish the skin, leading to skin barrier dysfunction, increased transepidermal water loss, and severe itching.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

| :— | :— |

| Primary Symptoms | Dry skin, scaling, intense itching, lichenification, fissuring |

| Associated Symptoms | Pale complexion, dizziness, poor sleep, dry eyes |

| Tongue and Pulse | Pale tongue with little coating, thready and weak pulse |

| Pathogenesis | Blood deficiency failing to nourish the skin |

| Etiology | Chronic eczema, prolonged itching, poor nutrition, blood loss, aging |

Acupuncture Point Prescription

| Point | Location | Function |

| :— | :— | :— |

| Xuehai (SP10) | On the medial thigh, 2 cun above the patella | Nourishes Blood and stops itching |

| Sanyinjiao (SP6) | 3 cun above the medial malleolus | Nourishes Blood and Yin; regulates the Spleen and Kidney |

| Geshu (BL17) | Lower back, 1.5 cun lateral to T7 | Back-Shu point of the Blood; nourishes Blood |

| Zusanli (ST36) | 3 cun below the patella, 1 finger-width lateral to the tibial crest | Strengthens Spleen and Stomach; tonifies Qi and Blood |

| Taixi (KI3) | Depression between medial malleolus and Achilles tendon | Nourishes Kidney-Yin and supports Blood production |

Clinical Recommendation: Filament needle, reinforcing method; moxibustion may be applied to Xuehai and Geshu to nourish Blood.

Herbal Formula

Base Formula: Dang Gui Yin Zi (当归饮子) or Si Wu Xiao Feng San (四物消风散)

Composition:

Angelica (Dang Gui), Rehmannia (Sheng Di), White Peony (Bai Shao), Chuanxiong (Chuan Xiong), Polygonum (He Shou Wu), Schizonepeta (Jing Jie), Saposhnikovia (Fang Feng), Tribulus (Bai Ji Li), Licorice (Gan Cao)

Action: Nourishes Blood, extinguishes Wind, and stops itching.

Modifications

| Associated Symptoms | Additions/Subtractions |

| :— | :— |

| Severe dry skin | Add Mai Dong, Tian Hua Fen to generate fluids and moisten dryness |

| Intense itching | Add Bai Xian Pi, Ku Shen to stop itching |

| Lichenification | Add Dan Shen, Ji Xue Teng to improve microcirculation |

| Fissuring | Add Dang Gui, Bai Shao to nourish Blood and moisten the skin |

Western Mechanism Reference

Skin barrier dysfunction with increased transepidermal water loss, filaggrin gene mutations, and decreased ceramide levels. Blood Deficiency with Wind-Dryness corresponds to chronic eczema with dry skin and lichenification, where filaggrin mutations and decreased ceramide levels contribute to skin barrier dysfunction and increased transepidermal water loss.

References

  1. Dermatology of TCM - Chronic Eczema with Blood Deficiency and Wind-Dryness.

  2. WHO. (2023). Skin health. World Health Organization.

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