According to Ayurveda, skin diseases can manifest when a person does one or more of the following unhealthy habits:
- Eating incompatible food combinations such as milk with fish or bananas
- Drinking excessive amounts of drinks that are unctuous and heavy to digest
- Suppression of natural urges to vomit, burp, urinate, eliminate or pass gas
- Physical exercise in excessive heat
- Use of cold water immediately after exposure to extreme heat
- Eating too much food, eating uncooked food and eating before the complete digestion of a previous meal
- Sexual intercourse while experiencing indigestion
The Cause of Skin Diseases, According to Ayurveda
The above factors can exacerbate all three Doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These unbalanced Doshas can then negatively affect the skin, blood and tissue, and manifest physically as discoloration, lesions, itching, basically all of the skin problems you can think about.
According to Ayurveda, there are 18 types of skin diseases, called Kushtas. These skin diseases are caused by all of the Doshas being imbalanced. One of the 18 types of skin diseases is called Kapala. It is caused predominantly by an increase in Vata Dosha. It is characterized by the following:
Kapala type of Kushta is characterized by:
- Skin lesions that look black and red
- Skin lesions are dry and rough
- Skin lesions are painful
Diet for Supporting the Healing of Skin Diseases
- Light and wholesome foods
- Bitter, leafy vegetables that help cleanse the blood and the skin
- Ghritam prepared with Triphala and Neem
- Daily breakfast of kitchari, which is Basmati rice cooked with ghee, salt, turmeric and ginger
Avoid:
- Heavy and sour food
- Milk and curds
- Animal meat
- Sugar
Healing Therapies
People who have skin diseases dominated by Vata Dosha are administered a medicated enema to detox the body. It's best to consult an Ayurvedic practitioner for the most effective healing therapies.
Herbs
- Triphala and Neem help cleanse blood, so they're good for skin diseases (Triphala Ghritam)
- Castor Oil may be taken to help detox the body, but be sure to consult an Ayurvedic practitioner for the correct dosage
- Khadira Arishtam is one of the best herbal preparation for skin diseases according to ayurveda.
