According to the theory of TCM and clinical experience, the five kinds of color correspond to disorders of the five zang organs, i.e. blue color corresponding to the liver, red color to the heart, white color to the lung, yellow color to the spleen, and black color to the kidney. The disorders of the five zang organs are manifested in correspondence to the kinds of complexion related to them. Besides, the five kinds of color also demonstrate different nature of diseases. The following is the detailed description:

Red color:
Red color indicates heat syndrome, also seen in real cold and false heat syndrome. Red color results from sufficient blood circulating in the meridians and skins. With heat, blood flows fast. Since heat tends to rise and disperse, the meridians and vessels are dilated and become full. That is why the complexion appears red. Flushed face is a sign of sthenic heat syndrome due to hyperactivity of visceral yang heat resulting from exogenous fever. Flushed and delicate cheeks indicates asthenia heat syndrome due to endogenous heat resulting from yin asthenia. Pale complexion with occasional migratory reddish luster like makeup in the patient with prolonged illness and serious disease indicates real cold and false heat syndrome due to upward floating of yang caused by predominant yin rejecting yang.

White color:
Indicating asthenia syndrome and cold syndrome. White color indicates decline of qi and blood. Pale complexion is caused by insufficiency of qi and blood in the face due to failure of insufficient yangqi to transport blood to nourish the face, or due to failure of the asthenia of qi and blood to fill the vessels, or due to coagulation of cold in the meridians and vessels which prevent qi and blood to circulate freely.

Floating whitish complexion and facial dropsy are usually due to insufficiency of yangqi. Light whitish complexion and emaciation are often caused by consumption of qi and blood. Pale complexion is often seen in sthenic cold syndrome, such as interior cold syndrome with sharp abdominal pain. Sudden pale complexion with profuse cold sweating, cold limbs and indistinct pulse is a sign of sudden loss of yangqi.

Yellow color:
Indicating asthenia syndrome and dampness syndrome. Yellow color indicates asthenia of the spleen and accumulation of dampness. Yellow complexion may because either by malnutrition of muscles due to insufficiency of qi and blood resulting from failure of the spleen to transport, or due to internal accumulation of dampness.

Light yellow, dry and lusterless complexion is called sallow complexion due to gastrosplenic qi asthenia and insufficiency of qi and blood, also seen in chronic hemorrhage, ascariasis and malnutrition, etc. Yellowish complexion with facial dropsy is called yellowish obesity, usually caused by asthenia of splenic qi and internal accumulation of dampness. The state of yellow complexion, eyes and skins is called jaundice due to failure of bile to flow in its normal duct and extravasates in the skins. If the color is as yellow as tangerine peel, it is called yang jaundice due to steaming of accumulated damp heat and dysfunction the liver and gallbladder.

Sudden onset of disease with deep yellow face, eyes and body, high fever and coma, or even with vomiting, nosebleed and macules, is called acute jaundice or pestilent jaundice, usually caused by invasion of damp heat and pestilence deep into blood which steams the liver and gallbladder. Yellowish complexion like being fumigated is called yin jaundice, usually caused by stagnation of cold and dampness or prolonged stagnation of the liver and gallbladder.

Bluish complexion:
Indicating cold syndrome, pain syndrome, blood stasis syndrome and convulsive syndrome. Bluish color is a sign of inhibited flow of qi and blood and stagnation of vessels and meridians. The invasion of cold factors causes contraction and stagnation, leading to spasm of meridians and vessels and stagnation of qi and blood. It may be caused either by deficiency of yangqi which fails to warm and transport qi and blood, or by qi stagnation and blood stasis which block meridians and vessels, or by exuberance of pathogenic heat which stagnates blood vessels. Besides, the stagnation of qi and blood in the meridians and vessels will inevitably result in pain. Therefore clinically stagnation of qi and blood is often ac-companied by pain syndrome.

Pale and bluish complexion, or accompanied by chest pain and abdominal pain, is often due to invasion of cold or yang asthenia and cold exuberance. Bluish and grayish complexion with purplish black lips and chest pain is usually caused by inaction of heart yang and stagnation of heart blood. Cyanotic complexion and lips with asthmatic breath is usually due to stagnation of pulmonary qi, or asthenia of cardiopulmonary qi, or asthenia of pulmonary and kidney qi. Yellowish complexion mingled with bluish color is called dull jaundice, usually seen in subjugation of the spleen by the liver, tympanites and infantile malnutrition. Cyanotic color over the part between infantile brows, nose bridge and lips accompanied by high fever is the premonitory signs of convulsion, usually due to exuberance of pathogenic heat.

Blackish complexion:
Indicating kidney asthenia syndrome, cold syndrome, blood stasis syndrome and fluid retention syndrome. Blackish complexion is the sign of kidney asthenia, yin predomination and exuberance of water or stagnation of qi and blood. The kidney is the organ associating closely with water and fire and is the source of yangqi. Asthenia kidney yang and retention of fluid will lead to internal exuberance of water cold, loss of warmth in blood, spasm 0f vessels and meridians and inhibited flow of qi and blood. Blackish complexion may also be caused by consumption of yin by asthenic fire and failure of essence to nourish the face, or by prolonged stagnation of blood in the body.

Light blackish complexion is often caused by asthenia of kidney yang. Dry blackish complexion is usually due to prolonged consumption of kidney essence and asthenic fire consuming yin. Blackish complexion with squamous and dry skin often results from internal retention of blood stasis. Blackish color of the area around the eye socket indicates retention of fluid due to kidney asthenia and fluid extravasation or leukorrhagia due to downward migration of cold dampness.