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Vitiligo

How Chinese medicine differentiates vitiligo, the six patterns you'll actually meet in practice, and the points for each. Acupuncture only — no herbs.

This page is educational, for practitioners and students — it is not a diagnostic tool and does not replace a proper in-person assessment. Vitiligo usually needs dermatological diagnosis and management; acupuncture is a complementary, not a replacement, approach.
General Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points traditionally used for vitiligo — 13 key points, used across most of the patterns below rather than tied to just one.

PointKey action
KI-3Tonifies the Kidneys (Yin and Yang), strengthens Essence.
BL-23Tonifies the Kidneys, nourishes Kidney-Essence and Kidney-Yin.
BL-18Nourishes and invigorates Liver-Blood. Resolves Damp-Heat.
SP-6Strengthens the Spleen, resolves Dampness, nourishes Blood and Yin.
LR-3Subdues Liver-Yang, promotes the smooth flow of Liver-Qi, invigorates Blood.
L.I.-4Expels exterior Wind, stops pain, removes obstructions from the channel.
SP-10Cools Blood, invigorates Blood and eliminates stasis.
BL-17Invigorates and cools Blood, tonifies Qi and Blood, benefits the sinews.
ST-36Benefits Stomach and Spleen, tonifies Qi and Blood.
BL-20Tonifies Spleen and Stomach, resolves Dampness, nourishes Blood.
Ren-6Tonifies Qi and Original Qi. Regulates Qi in the Lower Burner.
L.I.-11Clears Heat from the Yangming channels. Cools Blood.
G.B.-20Expels exterior Wind. Clears Heat. Benefits the head and neck.
The Six Patterns

reinforcing   reducing   even method — technique below follows standard Excess/Deficiency treatment principle for each pattern, not tied to a specific point-by-point source.

1. Kidney and Liver Yin Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Milky or porcelain-white patches, often with whitened hairs; dizziness and tinnitus; soreness in the lower back; night sweats; insomnia with vivid dreams; dry eyes; brought on by ageing, chronic overwork, or long-term illness consuming Kidney and Liver Yin; eased by rest, cooling foods, and a calm evening routine.
Tongue: Red, thin, cracks, little coating, dry. Pulse: Fine, Rapid, Wiry, weak at the left Chi position, thin at the left Guan.
Treatment principle: Nourish Liver and Kidney Essence, restore Blood production to replenish skin pigmentation.
Note: no moxa.

2. Liver-Qi Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: White patches that worsen with emotional stress; distension in the chest and ribs; frequent sighing; irritability; irregular menstruation; brought on by stress, frustration, or suppressed emotion; eased by gentle exercise, emotional release, or a calmer routine.
Tongue: Normal or slightly dark, red or purple sides, thin white coating. Pulse: Wiry, like a taut guitar string.
Treatment principle: Course the Liver-Qi, restore smooth Blood circulation to the skin, nourish Blood reserves.
Soothe Liver
Support
Note: no moxa.

3. Blood Stagnation View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: White patches with clear, sometimes hyperpigmented borders; a dusky complexion; dark, purplish lips and nails; fixed, stabbing pain that worsens at night; dark menstrual blood with clots; rough, dry skin; brought on by long-standing untreated stagnation or chronic Qi stagnation congealing the Blood; eased by gentle movement and warmth.
Tongue: Dark purple with stasis spots, distended sublingual veins, thin white coating. Pulse: Choppy or Wiry.
Treatment principle: Invigorate Blood circulation, remove stasis from the skin collaterals, move Qi to alleviate pain.
Invigorate Blood
Support
Note: no moxa.

4. Qi and Blood Stagnation

Clinical manifestations: Well-defined white patches with itching or burning; a darkish complexion; distension in the chest and ribs; irritability; fixed, stabbing pain elsewhere in the body; brought on by long-standing Qi stagnation congealing into Blood stasis; eased by gentle movement and stress reduction.
Tongue: Purple or dark with stasis spots, distended sublingual veins, thin white coating. Pulse: Wiry and Choppy.
Treatment principle: Move Qi and Blood simultaneously, unblock the collaterals, dispel stagnant Wind causing itching.
Invigorate Blood
Support
Note: no moxa. This pattern shares the Blood-stasis half of pattern 3 above but adds a distinct chest/rib-distension Qi-stagnation component; no deck slide on this site combines both halves into one pattern, so no pattern link is given here.

5. Spleen and Stomach Qi Deficiency View full pattern →

Clinical manifestations: Dull, milky-white patches with blurry edges; fatigue that worsens with exertion; poor appetite; bloating after meals; loose stools; a sallow or pale complexion; brought on by chronic Spleen and Stomach weakness, irregular meals, or long-term overwork; eased by rest and warm, easily-digested food.
Tongue: Pale, puffy, tooth-marked, thin white coating. Pulse: Weak, Soft, especially at the right middle position.
Treatment principle: Tonify Spleen-Qi, strengthen digestive transformation, rebuild Blood production for skin nourishment.
Note: moxa applicable.

6. Blood Deficiency with External Wind

Clinical manifestations: Dry, itchy white patches; a pale, dull complexion; an aversion to wind or drafts; dry skin and hair, brittle nails; dizziness; scanty, pale menstruation; rough, scaly skin; brought on by chronic illness, blood loss, or long-standing untreated Heat-pattern skin disease consuming Blood; eased by warmth, rest, and avoiding wind exposure.
Tongue: Pale, thin, thin white slightly dry coating. Pulse: Fine, Wiry, possibly Floating at the front position.
Treatment principle: Nourish Blood reserves, dispel external Wind without further drying the body.
Nourish Blood
Dispel Wind
Note: moxa applicable on the Nourish-Blood points. No deck slide anywhere on this site combines Blood deficiency with External Wind into one pattern — the same finding already used unlinked on this site's Eczema and Psoriasis pages — so no pattern link is given here.
Related conditions

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