Homeopathy Tips for 12/13/11 The Importance of the Skin Eruption

Often in the course of treatment I have a client who starts to complain about a skin eruption. If they missed the part of our initial consultation about skin eruptions, the conversation goes something like this.

“Hey Robert, should I go see the dermatologist for this thing happening on my skin. I think I have eczema. Maybe I should get some cream for it. It sure itches.” This is when I get to repeat myself and remind them of the importance of skin eruptions.

The skin is the largest and least vital organ of the body. It is also the most peripheral organ, at the most outer surface of the body. The skin can express the most dis-ease and the body can still function and survive. Slight damage to the brain, heart or lungs can lead to death or severe suffering. But the skin  can sustain severe damage and the whole organism can still function.

When we heal the physical body needs to express all levels of our healing. The vital force needs to be able to push the dis-ease to the surface. This is following Hering’s Law of Cure. Even mental dis-ease needs to be expressed physically as we heal. I have seen cases that are more of the mental realm go on to cure after the skin has shown the disturbance in the vital force.

I have also seen cases that were healing wonderfully at the mental level when the skin eruption occurred. After taking allopathic medicines to treat the skin the eruption cleared. But the mental healing went away also and the person returned to their former state and worsened. Don’t suppress skin eruptions.

Most of the skin eruptions have an itch. Hahnemann recognized that psora is the first and primary expression of disease. So it follows that as we heal from the more vital to less vital, the skin would need to express the primary miasm of psora as the disease leaves the being.

When there is a preexisting skin condition that is not a primary symptom of the case, it is especially important to not suppress the symptom when it aggravates. Putting cortisone cream on the eruption or taking an antihistamine will only drive the disease back in and the positive healing will stop and reverse. When this happens it seems that the disease has a renewed energy and the original symptoms will only return and worsen.

It will be one of the greatest challenges for the homeopath to convince the suffering client that they should not treat the skin expression. Often they will complain more about the itch than they complained about the more severe original disease. By having a clear idea of what is happening for the client it will make it easier to explain to the importance of not suppressing the eruption.

I rarely offer a homeopathic remedy for the new skin condition. The remedy that brought the vital force expression to the skin will usually be the one that will bring full resolution to the case. Giving a homeopathic remedy with the intention of treating the skin and having it work will be equally as suppressive as an allopathic medicine will be. Sometimes the skin will need plenty of time to bring full resolution to the dis-ease. If the condition is tolerable and not severe but lasts for a long time, possibly a year or more, do not worry. We do not get to choose the speed of a persons healing. Taking a year to fully express and resolve at the level of the skin is a small price to pay for the bigger reward of greater healing.

I usually offer the person to take a hot or cold wet washcloth, which ever feels best, and scrub a little to relieve the itch. You do not want the person  to scratch so hard though that the skin breaks and bleeds. This will only lead to the possibility of infection. But putting lotions, medicated creams, or taking oral drugs or remedies to make the condition change will only circumvent healing.

So be happy when your client reports a new skin eruption when they are healing. This is really something to be excited about. When the vital force has enough strength to push the dis-ease to the surface, it is usually only a relatively short time before the case may fully resolve. Educating your client is the best way to prepare them for their healing. Explain the importance of the skin eruption. When they understand this it will be much easier for them and for you, the homeopath.