The New Face of Dermatology: How Eastern Medicine is Giving it a Facelift

When experiencing skin concerns, it is common to seek out a dermatologist. They are, after all, skin doctors. They will ask what is ailing you and prescribe a treatment that usually involves one or all the following: creams, laser treatments, chemical peels, Dermabrasion, medications, surgery, and more. When I recently brought my son to see a dermatologist, I was shocked the specialist never once asked about his diet or lifestyle. My son is an athlete, so he sweats a lot – I thought that was significant. And his diet isn’t always the best, so there’s that. Nope. Nada. That is why when I met Minka Robinson Stevens at a friend’s birthday the other night I was fascinated to learn that she was an eastern medicine practitioner of Dermatology. I needed to know more.

Her practice, Points of Health on Canon Perdido, is a Holistic Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine Clinic that has a team of practitioners that also address concerns such as chronic pain, physical therapy, fertility, nutrition, and orthopedics. Stevens is a licensed Traditional Chinese Medical Dermatologist as well as a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist. Her practice offers services for skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, acne, and more. She also has cosmetic offerings for things such as micro needling and cosmetic acupuncture, which many are using in lieu of toxins and fillers. 

I asked her to tell me a bit more about her approach to skincare and this is what she shared: “The health and vibrance of the skin is a reflection of our internal health, especially our qi (energy), blood, and Yin (body fluids), so it is essential that we balance and support our beauty from the inside out. Also, what we do topically to our skin – the largest organ in the body – has a profound impact on our internal health, and so it is important that we incorporate products and practices that nourish, refresh and renew our skin as a way to nourish and renew our overall health. We also need to stop using topical products and practices that are toxic and carcinogenic and will undermine our skin and our health.” After speaking with her for a while, I can tell you she practices what she preaches with an encyclopedic knowledge of chemical additives, hormone transmitters, toxins labeled as perfumes, and which skin care is the least harmful. 

I was sad to hear that many of the lovely perfumes I have collected over the years (but seldom wear) are made with synthetic fragrances which are hormone disrupters! Yes, according to The Environmental Group, that lovely bottle of Chanel on your vanity table might be the reason you have migraines, allergies, dermatitis or eczema. And if that isn’t enough, according to the Children’s Environmental Health Network, many of these added chemicals and ingredients in our cosmetics and fragrances, “…can make indoor air unhealthy to breathe, irritate the skin and eyes, harm the respiratory tract and endocrine system, increase cancer risks, and pollute the natural environment.” Sheesh. This is where Points of Health comes in.

I asked Stevens how she begins with a new patient. “I take a holistic approach. I go through a whole health history, which gives us a sense of what factors (such as your constitution, lifestyle, hormones, season, etc.) may be influencing whatever imbalance is presenting at the moment. Then I’ll make a diagnosis both Western (like psoriasis or eczema) as well as an EAM (East Asian Medicine) diagnosis. Then we will begin treatment. First, we begin by removing or resolving inflammatory factors and inflammation, then we will strengthen and support the body’s natural immune and anti-inflammatory systems, so the body is better able to maintain a dynamic, balanced state of health without external intervention. And ultimately, we rely on our diet and lifestyle to maintain our natural radiance, and use EAM as needed to prevent imbalance and live in harmony with the seasons.” As Stevens grew up on Mountain Drive foraging for edible and medicinal plants, this knowledge is literally in her blood.

It is more of an inside-out approach that takes in the whole person before it makes an assessment. 

And while Western Dermatology has a much-needed place in our healthcare, an EAM whole body approach might be just what the doctor ordered.