Ten-principle inspection of the complexion

A method of evaluating the facial complexion according to ten paired principles: floating and sunken; clear and turbid; weak and strong; diffuse and intense; moist and perished.

Floating and sunken (浮沉 fú chén): A floating complexion is one where the color appears to be in the skin; it signifies disease in the exterior. A sunken complexion is one where the color appears to be below the skin; it indicates that the disease is in the interior. A floating complexion that gradually becomes sunken indicates disease passing from the exterior into the interior. A sunken complexion that gradually becomes floating indicates disease passing from the interior out to the exterior.

Clear and turbid (清浊 qīng zhuó): A clear complexion is clean and bright; it means that the disease is in yáng. A turbid complexion is murky and dull; it means that the disease is in yīn. A clear complexion that becomes turbid and a turbid complexion that becomes clear indicates disease movement from yáng to yīn or yīn to yáng.

Weak and strong (微甚 wēi shèn): A weak complexion is pale-colored; it is associated with vacuity of right qì. A strong complexion is deep-colored; it signifies exuberant evil qì. A strong complexion changing to a weak complexion or vice-versa indicates repletion-vacuity conversion.

Diffuse and dense (散抟 sàn tuán): A diffuse complexion is a dispersed complexion; it signifies illness about to resolve; a dense complexion is an unbroken complexion, and means a disease gradually gathering. A diffuse complexion becoming dense indicates that although the disease is of recent onset, it is gradually gathering; a dense complexion becoming diffuse indicates that although the illness is long standing, it is about to resolve.

Moist and perished (泽夭 zé yāo): A moist complexion is one with a sheen; it signifies life. A perished complexion is a desiccated complexion; it signifies death. A perished complexion that becomes moist indicates the return of essence-spirit; a moist complexion that becomes perished indicates debilitation of qì and blood. The ten principles help assessthe development of a disease. However, they must be correlated with the five colors. For example, a red complexion means heat. A weak red complexion indicates vacuity heat, whereas a strong red complexion is repletion heat; a floating weak red complexion indicates vacuity heat in the exterior, while a deep weak red complexion indicates vacuity heat in the interior.