Signs Of Good Skin Health (Twak Sara Purusha Lakshanas)

By Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa, B.A.M.S
Twak Sara Purusha Lakshanas mean ‘signs of person who has richness of skin health’. Skin is a representation of richness of rasa tissue. Rasa Dhatu is the first tissue to be formed from the nutritional juices, after food digestion. Subsequently other tissues are formed from Rasa Dhatu.

Rasa dhatu and skin are closely related. The richness or deficiency of plasma / lymph is reflected on the skin. Therefore Rasa sara is known as Twak Sara.
Read – Difference Between The Terms Prasada And Sara

These people are healthy and will have healthy skin only when they have balanced rasa tissue and its best essence in the body. This should ideally be supported with balance of all other tissues.

Twak – skin
Sara – richness / best quality / essence
Purusha – person
Lakshana – signs

Signs of Best Quality Skin

Signs of best quality skin / rasa tissue in the body
Reference: Charaka Samhita, Vimana Sthana 8/103
In this context the signs found in the skin and body hair are taken for assessment of quality and health of skin and rasa tissue.

The below mentioned are signs of high quality rasa dhatu in the body –

a. The skin of these people is –

unctuous – snigdha
smooth – shlakshna
soft – mrdu
clean / attractive / charming – prasanna
delicate – sukumara
lustrous – saprabha

b. The body hairs of these people is –

unctuous – snigdha
smooth – shlakshna
soft – mrdu
pleasant – prasanna
delicate – sukumara
minute – sukshma
sparse / less distributed on the skin – alpa
deep rooted – gambhira
Read – Description Of Hair And Its Importance As Per Ayurveda

According to Sushruta – (Sushruta Sutrasthana 35/16)

These people have pleasant, soft, and glossy skin and hairs.

According to Kashyapa – (Kashyapa Samhita 28/36-37)

the child is free from skin diseases – tvak roga rahita
pleasure seeking – bhogi
has lear and sharp features – prasanna vyanjana chavi
his wounds heal in quick time – sadhya kshata prarohatva

The person having enriched rasa tissue and healthy skin is endowed with – (Cha.Vi.8/103)

comfort and happiness – sukha
luck / fortune – sowbhagya
wealth, sovereignty – aishwarya
luxury / enjoyment – upabhoga
high level of intelligence – buddhi
good education & knowledge / wisdom – vidya
good health / disease free state – arogya
exhilaration / natural tendency to be happy / pleasure – praharshana
good and prolonged life span / longevity – ayushya

Vocational guidance for those having richness of skin and rasa tissue health

Persons having optimum skin health and richness of essence of rasa tissue are radiant and have fair skin.
Their soft and well nourished skin and skin hair makes them right candidates to pursue career in modeling.
They can work in advertisement companies and endorse makeup products, skin and hair products, shampoos and shaving creams.
Their good looking features endowed with good skills of communication give them an opportunity of working as sales executives.
Their intelligence allows them to search jobs for being good managers, initiators and in marketing department.
These people are food lovers. They can take up jobs in hotel business, hotel management and as chefs.
Read – How Much Food To Eat Per Day As Per Ayurveda?

Sanskrit Verses

Clinical Perspective

Bird eye view of persons of Twak / Rasa Sara from clinical perspective

Twak / rasa sara from the perspective of nutrition and overall health –

Good skin health reflects a good nutritional status of the body.
Richness of the rasa tissue reflects a well nourished state of these people.
Twak / rasa sara from health, immunity and disease / pathological perspective
These people have very good skin health and immunity. They are not susceptible to skin diseases.
Read – Immunity In Ayurveda: Concept, Diet, Herbs, Medicines, Exercise

At the same time if the nutritional levels are not taken care of properly, the rasa may go into a state of imbalance. This may cause diseases caused due to imbalance and contamination of rasa tissue i.e. rasa pradoshaja vikara. Skin will be the first organ to be afflicted in these cases. Therefore if the essence of rasa tissue decreases to low or moderate levels, the skin health and immunity are compromised.

Skin disorders, especially chronic ones may reflect compromised quality and quantity of rasa tissue.

Rasa imbalances in the form of pathological increase, depletion or association of ama and contamination of channels carrying rasa may deplete the essence of skin and make it susceptible to wide array of disorders.

Metabolism

Metabolism in relation to twak / rasa sara
The health of skin and rasa tissue is dependent on digestive power of these people. Therefore measures to keep agni i.e. digestive power in balance should be taken. These people should take extra care about their appetite and digestion, and bowel clearance. Timely consumption of balanced foods and good levels of hydration will help in maintaining optimum skin health.
Read – General Causes For Skin Diseases As Per Ayurveda

Precautions, maintenance

Precautions, maintenance and interventions in relation to twak / rasa sara:
Since these people have delicate skin and body hairs, they need to be cautious about the extremes of climate. Too much heat, or cold or breeze is intolerable. They should also select professions and work places wherein they are not exposed to extreme heat or cold and can preserve skin health.

Regular and periodic herbal oil massages, anointments of herbal pastes and herbal powder scrubs in moderate proportions will help in maintaining the health of skin and rasa tissue. These measures are also explained in the context of dinacharya i.e. daily regimen.

Treatments like sudation, application of alkali or fire cauterization, if needed should be administered in mild form because of delicate nature of the skin.
Read – Sensitive Skin: Diet Changes, Ayurvedic Remedies, Medicines

Relation with heart

Interrelationship between heart and status of circulation with skin health

Rasa tissue is related to skin. The channels of rasa transportation have their roots in heart. Therefore the skin health also reflects the good status of heart and it’s functioning. It also reflects a properly established circulation in the system. On the other hand, skin diseases may reflect disturbed heart functions and circulation in the body.

Understanding twak sara from constitutional, embryological and anatomical perspective

These people may generally belong to the kapha prakriti since rasa and kapha have residence and resident relationship.
Read – Prakriti – Dosha Body Type Features As Per Master Charaka

Explanation of formation of skin in Ayurveda embryology tells that –

‘After the fertilization of ovum, skin develops just like a cream on the surface of milk during the course of development of fetus’ – Su.Sh.4. Thus, by Sushruta’s explanation it looks like the skin contains the entire essence of the zygote, in a way entire essence of the body. Thus, optimum skin health reflects optimum overall health.
Master Vagbhata describes formation of skin due to the digestion of blood tissue by its tissue fire in the fetal life. He also gives the same simily and tells that after the digestion of blood, it gets dried to form skin just like the deposition of cream over the surface of boiled milk.
Read – Understanding Blood Functions, Vitiation And Treatment As Per Ayurveda

According to Vagbhata, the health of skin reflects the health of blood tissue. We can see many skin diseases formed due to infection or contamination of blood. Twak / Rasa sara persons should take care of infections and overall health in a good way.

Need to know about twak / rasa sara

To analyze the strength, richness and health of rasa tissue and skin
To diagnose the root of skin disorders
To diagnose the balances and imbalances in rasa tissue
To understand the interrelated pathologies especially skin health in relation to heart, gut and blood health and status of circulation
To provide timely remedies to enhance the skin, rasa and overall health in people who present with depletion of twak sara, who were otherwise healthy in that perspective
To promote health and skin care, and related immunity in people who have richness of rasa tissue and good skin health

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