IdentifyTCM · TCM Body Constitutions
Damp-Heat (濕熱質): Why You Feel Hot and Sticky — and How to Clear It
Dampness and heat tangled together — like a pot of thick, boiling porridge, sticky and scalding. Skincare treats the surface; the source is internal.
What Is the Damp-Heat Constitution?
Do you deal with acne and oily skin, frequent bad breath, itchy skin or rashes, and urine that runs darker than it should?
Easily irritated, quick to frustration, stools that feel incomplete and sticky — these are the hallmarks of damp-heat constitution.
Your body is holding both dampness and heat, two forces tangled together — like a pot of thick, boiling porridge, sticky and scalding, hard to clear.
Many people treat the breakouts with skincare products, but the source is internal. Until the damp-heat is cleared from within, external treatments only scratch the surface.
Do You Recognize These Signs?
- ✓You deal with acne and oily skin that's hard to control
- ✓You notice frequent bad breath or a bitter taste in your mouth
- ✓You get itchy skin or rashes
- ✓Your urine runs darker than it should
- ✓You're easily irritated, and stools feel incomplete and sticky
If several of these feel familiar, your constitution may lean toward Damp-Heat. The free quiz confirms it precisely — every body is a unique blend.
What to Avoid
- Fried, grilled, and heavily seasoned foods (they directly generate dampness and heat)
- Alcohol (for Damp-Heat types, drinking is like pouring fuel on a fire)
- Sweets and refined sugar (they produce dampness and transform into heat)
- Suppressing emotions (unexpressed anger turns into fire and worsens Damp-Heat)
- Late nights (they stoke deficiency fire)
Where to Start
- Eat heat-clearing, dampness-draining foods: mung beans, winter melon, coix seed, bitter melon
- Maintain regular bowel movements — constipation is Damp-Heat's biggest accomplice
- Do aerobic exercise 3–4 times per week to discharge dampness and heat through sweat
🔒 Your full personalized plan
2 more foundational habits, plus your exact food list, a 28-day roadmap, your acupoint rotation, and a deep analysis tailored to your specific quiz answers — these are generated individually in your report, not shown here.
Confirm Your Constitution — Free
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Take the Free Quiz →Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Damp-Heat constitution?
Damp-Heat (濕熱質) is a TCM constitution where the body holds both dampness and heat at once. The two forces tangle together and show up as oily skin and acne, bad breath or a bitter mouth, itchy rashes, dark urine, sticky stools, and a tendency toward irritability.
What are the main signs of Damp-Heat?
Oily, acne-prone skin, bad breath or a bitter taste, skin itching or rashes, darker urine, incomplete sticky stools, and quick frustration. Because the root is internal, breakouts treated only with skincare tend to keep returning.
What should someone with Damp-Heat avoid?
Spicy, fried, greasy, and overly heating foods, along with alcohol, all add fuel to internal damp-heat. Eating lightly and cooling, and avoiding heavy rich meals, helps clear it rather than feed it.
Why do my breakouts keep coming back?
With Damp-Heat, breakouts are a surface sign of an internal pattern. Until the damp-heat is cleared from within — through lighter, cooling eating and supporting the body's drainage — topical treatments only scratch the surface. Addressing the constitution is what gives lasting change.
Explore the Other Constitutions
This page offers general TCM educational perspectives, not medical advice or a diagnosis. For any health concern, please consult a licensed healthcare professional.