The patient reliably experiences a decrease in weeping and itching during the first month of treatment. From there, progress is slow and steady, with a gradual reduction in areas of redness and dryness. As the heat is cooled, the skin recovers some of its elasticity and natural moisture. The most tenacious cases are those that present with concurrent weeping and fissuring in equal measure, where the treatment must walk the fine line between these two paradoxical manifestations, as treating one will often aggravate the other. It is in these cases that the patient and TCM practitioner must persevere, as we navigate some turbulent middle stages of treatment. Perseverance does pay off in the end, since most cases of severe atopic dermatitis can be vastly improved, and a great proportion of these completely cured, with careful treatment.