Vitiligo - Liver-Kidney Deficiency Pattern

Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Vitiligo · Liver-Kidney Deficiency Pattern

Updated: June 23, 2026

Reviewed by: Dr. Li Wei, DACM

Reading Time: 7 min

Body Area: Skin

Pattern Overview

Liver-Kidney Deficiency is a chronic pattern in vitiligo, characterized by melanocyte dysfunction, reduced tyrosinase activity, oxidative stress damage, and chronic depigmentation. The core pathogenesis is Liver-Kidney deficiency failing to nourish the melanocytes, leading to reduced tyrosinase activity, oxidative stress, and impaired melanin synthesis.

Key Symptoms and Differentiation Points

| Differentiation Dimension | Manifestations |

| :— | :— |

| Primary Symptoms | Chronic depigmentation, slow progression, stable lesions, weak pigmentation |

| Associated Symptoms | Soreness in the lower back and knees, dizziness, tinnitus, fatigue |

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

| Pathogenesis | Liver-Kidney deficiency causing melanocyte dysfunction |

| Etiology | Aging, chronic illness, constitutional deficiency, oxidative stress |

Acupuncture Point Prescription

| Point | Location | Function |

| :— | :— | :— |

| Ganshu (BL18) | Lower back, 1.5 cun lateral to T9 | Back-Shu point of Liver meridian; nourishes Liver-Blood |

| Shenshu (BL23) | Lower back, 1.5 cun lateral to L2 | Back-Shu point of Kidney meridian; tonifies Kidney-Essence |

| Taixi (KI3) | Depression between medial malleolus and Achilles tendon | Source point of Kidney meridian; nourishes Kidney-Yin |

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

| Guanyuan (RN4) | 3 cun below the umbilicus | Tonifies Yuan Qi and nourishes the Kidneys |

Clinical Recommendation: Filament needle, reinforcing method; moxibustion may be applied to Shenshu and Guanyuan to warm and tonify.

Herbal Formula

Base Formula: Liu Wei Di Huang Wan (六味地黄丸) + Er Zhi Wan (二至丸)

Composition:

Rehmannia (Shu Di), Dioscorea (Shan Yao), Cornus (Shan Zhu Yu), Poria (Fu Ling), Moutan (Mu Dan Pi), Alisma (Ze Xie), Ligustrum (Nu Zhen Zi), Eclipta (Mo Han Lian), Psoralea (Bu Gu Zhi), Angelica (Dang Gui), Licorice (Gan Cao)

Action: Tonifies Liver and Kidney, nourishes Yin, and promotes melanin synthesis.

Modifications

| Associated Symptoms | Additions/Subtractions |

| :— | :— |

| Chronic depigmentation | Add Bu Gu Zhi, Gou Qi to promote melanin synthesis |

| Lower back and knee soreness | Add Du Zhong, Xu Duan to strengthen the lower back |

| Fatigue | Add Huang Qi to enhance Qi supplementation |

| Oxidative stress | Add He Shou Wu, Dang Gui to nourish Blood and reduce oxidative damage |

Western Mechanism Reference

Melanocyte dysfunction with reduced tyrosinase activity, oxidative stress damage, and impaired melanin synthesis. Liver-Kidney Deficiency corresponds to chronic vitiligo with melanocyte dysfunction, where reduced tyrosinase activity and oxidative stress contribute to impaired melanin synthesis.

References

  1. Dermatology of TCM - Vitiligo with Liver-Kidney Deficiency.

  2. Zang-Fu Pattern Differentiation: Liver-Kidney Yin Deficiency → Cross-layer.

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

Explore More

  • Find your solution at MendGod.com – Personalized herbal protocols and acupressure tools for skin health.

  • Deepen your knowledge at TcmCIO.com – Full research papers and clinical case studies on TCM dermatology.