PART 1 A Comprehensive Digest

TCM cosmetology is a specialized subject covering many topics such as preventing and resolving diseases that impair physical beauty, covering up or rectifying physical defects, delaying the aging process and optimizing appearance, and maintaining and enhancing beauty both in appearance and spirit. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)and traditional Chinese aesthetics theories apply to each of the above subtopics in cosmetology.

The term “beauty” has both a narrow and a broad sense. Beauty in the narrow sense refers only to the beautification or modification of the face and five sense organs (or anything above the neck). Beauty in the broad sense includes the above, but also addresses the beautification of the whole body, including the soul. TCM cosmetology uses the term beauty in the broad sense. This beauty is based on a comprehensive view of health,including one's outlook and inner mind, as reflected by temperament and demeanor, as well as each patient's personal standards of health and aesthetics.

As the supreme tenet of medicine is to maintain human health, health must be the basis of medical cosmetology, rather than just aesthetics. The modern medical model of health has recently been expanded into the biopsychosocial model including physical,psychological, and social components. In 1978, the International Conference on Primary Health Care defined health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being,and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. Only with physical health and the normal functioning of the organs can the skin be ruddy, the muscles full, the body upright,and movement vigorous, all of which are components of a beautiful appearance. Only with mental health can the spirit maintain happiness, the intellect remains quick-witted,the mind open, and the spirit generous and positive, all of which are aspects of a beautiful temperament. Only with social health can community flourish, communication remain open and free, obligations to others be upheld, and support from others received, allowing one to live a happy life and fulfill one's purpose and unique contribution to society. It is obvious that perceived shortcomings in appearance can increase feelings of anxiety,a sense of inferiority, and reluctance to interact with others, affecting psychological and social health. TCM cosmetology seeks to beautify both appearance and spirit through attention to physical, psychological and social health.

The basic theory of TCM cosmetology includes both Chinese medical theory and the theory of human aesthetics. Chinese medicine is a system completely different from Western medicine, with its own unique way of thinking, emphasizing concepts such as holism, syndrome differentiation and treatment. The theory of human aesthetics comprises an important part of contemporary medical cosmetology. Traditional Chinese aesthetics plays a big role in this. Traditional Chinese aesthetics is a new subject, growing in scope in recent years. Traditional Chinese aesthetics has influenced Chinese medical cosmetology by placing emphasis on the body's natural beauty, verve and inner qualities.Chinese medical cosmetology has a unique aesthetic and pursues beauty in both outward appearance and inner spirit and character.

Beauty-impairing diseases refer to diseases that have a greater impact on physical appearance, such as soot black macules, acne, rosacea, drooping of the upper eyelids,goose-foot wind, obesity, and so on. Beauty-impairing physical defects are normal in physiological function, but patients may feel that they influence their physical beauty,such as collapsed bridge of the nose, facial defects, rough skin, and a hoarse voice.

The object of Chinese Medical Cosmetology is to promote a strong and handsome body. This objective is approached as follows:

Treat disease: eradicate beauty-impairing defects caused by disease so as to maintain the beauty of the human body.

Prevent disease: maintain health, including physical, psychological, and social health.

Delay the aging process, cover up defects, and beautify the appearance and shape of the body.

Maintain the beauty of the body both in appearance and spirit.

The theoretical basis of TCM cosmetology includes the theoretical basis of TCM and traditional Chinese aesthetics. TCM cosmetology, as a branch of TCM, has a solid theoretical medical foundation. Traditional Chinese aesthetics is a relatively independent system of aesthetics, based on Chinese culture, and rapidly developing in recent years.

The history of TCM cosmetology can be traced back to two thousand years. TCM cosmetology has been tested and refined over the long-term, through a variety of effective cosmetic methods such as herbs, acupuncture, diet, massage, and qi gong. In the long river of history, various methods of TCM cosmetology have been repeatedly applied,verified, and selected by countless physicians. This process of discarding the useless and selecting the most effective methods brings us gradually closer to excellence. The experience recorded in Chinese literature over the years provides a valuable basis for the development of modern cosmetology.

TCM regards a person as an organic whole, connected to natural forces such as the climate and the four seasons. Under the guidance of the concept of holism, TCM cosmetology connects all beauty-impairing diseases and defects with functional disorders of the organs, imbalances of yin, yang, qi, and blood, invasion of the six pathogenic factors, and overacting of the five minds and seven emotions. Beauty is approached as an overall adjustment. Ideas of syndrome differentiation and treatment are applied not only to beauty-impairing diseases, but also to the preparation and application of external makeup.

TCM attaches utmost importance to spirit. Spirit in a broad sense means the external appearance of all human life. In a narrow sense, it refers to consciousness and thought.Manifestations of spirit are extremely varied. Vision, language, behavior, mental state,response, reaction, posture, and so on, can all fall under this category.

When a person has clear thinking, clear speech, a bright and moist complexion, bright eyes, a sensitive response, flexible actions, and a free posture, they are seen as having the“presence of spirit”. The opposite of that is “lack of spirit”. Because of the importance of spiritual beauty to the beauty of the human body, TCM cosmetology emphasizes the concept of verve, with a focus on the beauty of a person's temperament and spirit. TCM cosmetology also pursues physical beauty. When a person is physically fit, they tend to also have good temperament and spirit, and will be considered the most ideal beauty. This is one of the most important features of aesthetics in TCM cosmetology.

Adornment implies that beauty is achieved after adorning, while quality points to the beauty of the features being adorned. Adornment and quality are both important,and optimizing both emphasizes harmoniousness and beauty. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, people learned how to use the herbs in the Chinese materia medica to adorn and beautify. Many cosmetic formulations appear in medical books through the ages. As a result, TCM has a long history of involvement in cosmetology, using natural medicine to prepare cosmetics.

Cosmetic treatment: refers to treating beauty-impairing diseases with TCM methodology, and eradicating beauty-impairing defects caused by disease.

Cosmetic care: refers to preventing disease, improving health, delaying aging, and keeping the face, body, skin, and hair natural and fit, by medical or non-medical means. It also may refer to covering up physiological defects with make up to beautify the face, five sense organs, hair, and nails.

Chinese medicinal cosmetology refers to treating and preventing beautyimpairing diseases with Chinese medicinals, either orally or externally. This is the most commonly used method. Oral medicinals can treat diseases locally by regulating and nourishing the whole body, to ensure beauty through the health of the whole body and mind. This is indispensable when treating the root of disease,strengthening the physique, defying aging, and beautifying the features. Topical methods are medicinals applied externally to treat disease or for health maintenance and beauty. They often work quickly, as they are applied directly to local areas.

Dietary cosmetology refers to the use of foods, or food cooked with medicinal herbs, in cosmetology. The foods used in cosmetology come in many forms,such as dishes, drinks, fresh juice, soups, broth, wine, porridge, honey ointments,and others. As in Chinese medicinal cosmetology, this method is more effective cosmetically when used according to syndrome differentiation.

Acupuncture cosmetology refers to the stimulation of meridians and points by acupuncture in order to mobilize resistance factors in the body, adjust the functions of the organs and tissues, and promote the circulation of qi and blood to achieve the purpose of cosmetic treatment or care.

Tui na cosmetology, also known as massage cosmetology, refers to the stimulation of certain points or body parts by using different massage techniques, both to mobilize the body's healing factors through the meridian system, and to adjust the disordered movement of qi in the organs, so as to balance yin and yang, qi and blood, and achieve the purpose of cosmetic treatment and care.

Qi gong cosmetology refers to achieving the purpose of cosmetic treatment or care primarily through qi gong exercises. Many exercises for tonification and rejuvenation can be used for cosmetology. As qi gong can fully adjust the body and mind, it can bring deeper levels of beauty and achieve levels of excellence in the realm of appearance and temperament.

Music cosmetology refers to selecting music with different tones, rhythm,melodies, and intensity in order to inspire emotions, edify sentiments, and regulate the functions of the organs to prevent or treat disease and beautify the body and mind. The basic theories of TCM and traditional music are used according to the constitution and emotions of the individual.

Psychological cosmetology refers to regulating the mood, improving thought processes, and eliminating or reducing the harmful effects of certain emotions through psychotherapy or psychological care, so as to prevent or treat disease and beautify the body and mind.

Cosmetic dermatology refers to beautifying the skin through the treatment of skin disease or care. Most beauty-impairing diseases are skin diseases, and for this reason, the cosmetology emphasizes the study of skin disease and maintenance and care of the skin.

Cosmetic ophthalmology refers to the care of eye diseases and to beautifying the eyes, including the treatment of extraocular barriers and maintaining and improving the vision, not only to keep eyes looking bright and piercing, but also to restore eyesight and improve the physiological function of eyes.

Cosmetic otorhinolaryngology refers primarily to the treatment of nose and laryngopharynx diseases, preventing nose diseases from impairing beauty, and preventing a hoarse voice from impairing one's overall image.

Cosmetic medicine refers to increasing beauty through the internal treatment or prevention of beauty-impairing disease. Cosmetic medicine,dermatology, ophthalmology, and otorhinolaryngology all relate to each other. Through the concept of holism, the overall syndrome differentiation of organs and channels has to be combined with the partial syndrome differentiation locally in order to determine an accurate, safe, and effective method of beauty enhancement according to a comprehensive analysis. As society tends to prize a particular body image, weight loss and weight gain also belong to cosmetic medicine.