How Do We “Read” the Skin of the Face and Body?

Farzollah Gholizadeh and Fariba Bayrami

A simple, complete guide to understanding temperament from the skin of the face, body and hands in traditional medicine.

Have you ever wondered whether your skin might be carrying messages from inside your body?

Today most of us turn to expensive creams and lotions for healthy skin, but traditional medicine looks at the subject much more deeply. If you want to know what your skin says about your inner health, this article is a complete guide.

Introduction

In traditional medicine the skin is not just a covering. It mirrors the quality of the blood, the body’s natural moisture, inner heat, digestive strength and the state of the body’s fluids. The old physicians used the skin to understand both the inborn temperament and passing imbalances.

So a traditional examination pays attention to:

• Whether the skin is warm or cold
• Softness or firmness
• Oiliness or dryness
• Colour
• Thickness
• Translucency
• Sweating
• Elasticity
• How quickly wrinkles form

The golden rule: the skin is only a sign, not a diagnosis on its own.

For example, dry skin does not always mean a “dry temperament”. Lack of sleep, not drinking enough, harsh cleansers, cold weather, thyroid problems, ageing or dermatitis can all look the same. Traditional sources also stress that temperament cannot be judged by a single measure.

Basic principles for reading temperament from the skin

Several features need to be assessed together:

1. Warmth to the touch

• Skin warmer than normal → heat
• Cold skin, or skin that cools quickly → cold

2. Softness and moisture, or firmness and dryness

• Soft, moist, slightly oily skin → a moist constitution
• Firm, flaky, tight skin → a dry constitution

3. Skin colour

• Red or pink → heat and strong circulation
• Pale or white → cold (especially with moisture)
• Yellowish → hot and dry (bile)
• Dark, grey, dull → cold and dry (black bile)

4. Thickness and structure

• Thick and resilient → usually a hot constitution
• Thin and sensitive → a dry constitution

5. Sweating

• Heavy sweating → usually hot and moist
• Little sweating → dryness, or cold and dry

6. Vitality and elasticity

• Plump and elastic → good natural moisture
• Sagging and early wrinkles → loss of moisture

In traditional medicine, ageing is generally seen as an increase in cold and dryness.

The skin mirrors inner heat and moisture

According to traditional medicine, healthy skin depends on a balance of inner heat, circulation and natural moisture:

• When heat increases → the skin becomes warm, red and prone to inflammation
• When moisture increases → the skin becomes soft and sometimes puffy
• When dryness increases → the skin becomes firm, dehydrated and prone to wrinkles

Temperament types by skin

1. Demevi temperament (hot and moist)

Skin features:

• Warm
• Soft and slightly moist
• Lively and plump
• Pink or reddish tone
• Pores may be a little open
• Sometimes gets oily quickly

Reading: good circulation and moisture → a healthy, glowing look.

Common problems: oiliness, red pimples, flushed cheeks, heavy sweating.

2. Safravi temperament (hot and dry)

Skin features:

• Warm
• Dry and sometimes rough
• Thin and sensitive
• Yellowish or a sharp red

Reading: heat + dryness → sensitive skin that is easily irritated.

Common problems: dryness after washing, redness and inflammation, dark spots, sensitivity to the sun.

3. Sevdavi temperament (cold and dry)

Skin features:

• Cold
• Dry and firm
• Dull, with a darker tone
• Thin and fragile
• Early wrinkles

Reading: cold + dryness → poor nourishment and early ageing.

Common problems: very dry skin, fine flaking, cracks, dark circles under the eyes, early wrinkles.

4. Balgami temperament (cold and moist)

Skin features:

• Cold
• Soft and moist
• Light-coloured
• Sometimes puffy

Reading: too much moisture + low heat → soft but slack tissue.

Common problems: a puffy face in the morning, paleness, slight oiliness, loose tissue.

Quick summary

• Warm + soft + red → Demevi
• Warm + dry + sensitive → Safravi
• Cold + soft + pale → Balgami
• Cold + dry + dull → Sevdavi

Other signs to check

1. How the skin reacts after washing: dries quickly → dryness; gets oily quickly → excess moisture.
2. Sweating: heavy → hot or moist; little → a dry constitution.
3. How fast wrinkles form: early wrinkles → dryness; sagging → excess moisture.
4. Glow: a natural glow → balance; a dull look → cold or dryness.
5. Puffiness: usually a cold and moist constitution.

The face and the body are not always the same

An important point in traditional medicine: the temperament of the face can look different from that of the body, because the face is washed more often, is exposed to the sun, gets cosmetics and is affected by stress. So each part of the body should be assessed separately.

Common mistakes

• Taking dry skin to mean a “dry temperament”
• Taking oily skin to mean a “moist temperament”
• Looking only at colour
• Ignoring age
• Overlooking illness (eczema, diabetes, thyroid problems and others change the look of the skin a great deal)

Conclusion

In the traditional view, the skin is an important window onto temperament:

• Warmth → heat
• Coldness → a cold constitution
• Softness → moisture
• Firmness and wrinkles → dryness

So:

• Warm, soft skin → Demevi
• Warm, dry skin → Safravi
• Cold, soft skin → Balgami
• Cold, dry skin → Sevdavi

For an accurate assessment, however, these must be considered together with sleep, appetite, pulse, mood and other signs. Modern studies also stress that there is no single definitive measurement method and that assessment must look at many sides.

Sources

1. Ahmadi M, Shirafkan H, Mozaffarpur SA. Diagnostics. 2023.
2. Mojahedi M, et al. 2023.
3. Dolatshahi P, et al. 2024.
4. Shirbeigi L, et al.
5. Mojahedi M, et al. 2014.

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