Yu Jialing Lac

I feel lucky to have found Dr. Yu through a friend’s sister. My dermatologist could only prescribe steroids that mildly helped me. I have been seeing Dr. Yu for 3 years. I struggle with adhering to the strict diet. There have been a couple of times I was able to follow the strict diet for 2 months and I was noticeably better. I am looking for some support from others on how they are able to follow the strict diet. I cannot eat any herbs, spices, sugar, citrus, red meat, fish and many fruits.

This lady saved my life!!!

I see the reviews of Dr. Yu run the gamut. I’m not surprised, but I think the one-​star reviews indicate some mis-​set expectations. Here is what I know about Dr. Yu.
1. Two different East Bay acupuncturists told me that when it comes to Traditional Chinese Medicine and skin maladies, there is no one on the west coast who knows more than Dr. Yu. In acupuncture circles, she is apparently very well known and highly respected. She told me she’s been doing this work since the early 1950s, so she’s been doing this a long, long time.
2. She is expensive. I would say «very expensive» but some friends who know more about Traditional Chinese Medicine than I do say that her rates are «reasonable» for San Francisco. Your visits with Dr. Yu are going to be very brief, and you’re going to end up paying for the visit plus whatever herbs she prescribes. Don’t be shocked if your visit costs $ 300 or more — and be aware that she only takes cash.
3. She has an old-​school curtness that can be misinterpreted as coldness, but she is anything but. She cares very deeply about her patients and takes great pride in being able to help where other doctors cannot. She has a disdain for western dermatology that I think is fair, and while you’re under her care, it’s counterproductive to be seeing a western dermatologist at the same time, and she’ll be very forthright about that.
4. She is likely to impose dietary restrictions on you. They can be pretty severe, but she’s serious about them, and you should be, too.
5. She seems to have cured me. I have struggled with eczema for more than 20 years. For the last 5 or so, my western dermatologist had me using topical steroids, which held the condition at bay until they completely stopped working roughly 6+ months ago, at which time things got much worse than they had ever been: I am talking about a painful full-​body rash that weeped and bled and basically had me stuck in bed for days at time. Truly debilitating. Luckily I was sent to see Dr. Yu. She told me that she could have me 50% better within two weeks, but that getting me 100% better could take many months. Well, she was exactly right. I was 50% better in less than two weeks — better enough to get back to work and such — and it took almost another six months before Dr. Yu finally zeroed in on the right herbal combo to clear the rest of the eczema. At this time, I am still under her care, slowly tapering off her herbal medicine, and my skin is healthier than it has been in many, many years. Dr. Yu’s treatments have literally changed my life.
Bottom line: If you are struggling with a chronic skin condition that western dermatology has no answer for, and you have plenty of cash and some patience, you should make an appointment with Dr. Yu. I think she works wonders.

I had been struggling with severe eczema for many years and tried everything that both Eastern and Western medicine had to offer. At one point I was treated for acellulitis infection which I had acquired from the itching. I was referred to Dr. Yu by another acupuncturist. Dr Yu had me doing a very strict diet and taking herbs, topical creams, and soaking my hands everyday for 45 minutes. I started to see quick results so was very excited about that, and followed her diet religiously even though people were getting worried (I lost ten pounds very quickly). There was practically nothing I could eat, which was difficult, but I went along with it.
During that time I would have outbreaks, but she just said it would take time. After three weeks and at my third appointment, I told her I was very happy about my skin, etc, but that I was really worried about my right thumb. The itching and pain would not go away, it had been over a month, and it was abnormally swollen. Dr Yu had not given me any acupuncture, just prescribed herbs and topical creams. I had spent at least $ 600 out of pocket in three weeks. I told her that because of my experience being in the hospital with cellulitis in the past, I was really worried about my thumb. She said I had fungal eczema (probably from the soaking I realized later!). I mentioned that UV therapy had helped a lot and that maybe I would try that again. I mentioned that I had a dermatology appt. for a mole check in a couple days and asked her if I should have them look at it (not knowing that she was once a dermatologist). She immediately became extremely angry, slammed shut my file, and told me «fine, you go do your UV therapy I won’t charge you for today…» I looked up at her in disbelief. Then she went on to say «don’t waste my time and I won’t waste yours.» I just stared at her saying «what?» By this time I was in shock and started crying. She went on to tell me that I didn’t trust her, it would never work, and that she has clients come from all over the world who get better because they do what she says and only listen to her. She kept saying it would never work. She continued in this attacking mode saying all kinds of things. She said angrily «you go to your dermatologist.» I replied «mam– I have done everything you said! I was going to my dermatologist to have my moles checked!» I told her she was the only doctor I was seeing.
She continued to go off for several minutes and I just sat there crying and was in such shock that I couldn’t even get out of the chair to leave.
Finally, I stood up and she half smiled and said «good luck to you»
What she did was obviously unproffessional and cruel, but also abusive. I had thought many times about reporting her, but I did not know who to report her to. She was acting quite literally insane and completely possessive. I never said anything about stopping going to her and she just basically kicked me out of her office. She told me once that she had been a dermatologist and a dentist in the past.
When I went to the dermatologists office a few days later they said that I had a staph infection in my thumb. I went back to my acupuncturist who confirmed that I had staph in my thumb, which had progressed to cellulitus and shouldn’t have been left that way for so long as the infection gets in your bloodstream. He put me on a low carb, low sugar, no spicy foods, etc, diet. He didn’t understand Dr. Yu’s diet. A year or so later I figured out on my own that it was wheat and ONLY wheat, causing my whole body to break out in eczema.

I have had rosacea since 2006, and when Western medicine failed me and my condition was growing more severe, I got a referral to Dr. Yu from a friend who told me that while her office wasn’t fancy, and her manner could be somewhat brusque, her treatments for skin conditions really worked. I was on the way to disfigurement, so I thought I’d give it a try. Dr. Yu prescribed herbs, ointment, compresses, and fairly strict dietary restrictions (no spicy food, alcohol, chocolate, citrus, eggs, red meat, etc.). Within a week, my skin was 90% improved (no more ugly, itchy bumps and redness) and I was free of the painful heat that can be one of the symptoms of rosacea.
I asked her about acupuncture and she said that she could give me acupuncture, but that it wouldn’t really be ethical, as it is not a good treatment for skin conditions. She explained that for skin conditions, one must work from without (cream, compresses) and within (diet and herbs).
While her manner is rather strict and stern, I have found her to be immensely kind as well, now that I know her. Her life story is fascinating (she was a Western-​style dermatologist in China). And when I compare her prices to those I would pay for a Western doctor, without insurance, I think she’s well in line. Her consulting fee is about $ 75. The rest is herbs and ointment, which she may mark up.
Plus, she’s the only doctor who has been able to help me. If you are suffering from a skin condition that has been difficult to cure, I recommend you try her. She has many, many patients who come from all over the country for help.

I’ve suffered from severe eczema since childhood, and tried numerous western and holistic treatments, including seeing 5 prior Chinese acupuncturists/​herbalists. Nothing helped me until I saw Dr. Yu. By this time I was 40 years old and suffering horribly — my hands were covered with a severe rash and were so swollen and bleeding I could barely use them. Dr. Yu took one look at me and said «No problem, it will be 80% improved in 1 week, and the rest will take 1 year.» That is exactly what happened. She prescribed herbs, cream and a special diet, all of which I followed carefully. She has been a true blessing in my life and I am more grateful for her than I can say. She is expensive but worth it.

I have been using the herbs Dr Yu prescribes for a couple years now. I do see results. One must be diligent with following the diet and continuing treatment until there are no more symptoms. I am seeing her for a skin condition. I will continue taking the herbs. I ran out while on extended vacation and the skin condition returned. I am back on track now and ready to have clear skin!

I went to Dr Yu for atopic dermatitis issues as well. She did the same drill as the other person that reviewed but nothing worked on me. On top of that, she charged a lot and was very expensive and had horrible bedside manner so to speak. When you’re going through a tough health issue, you expect more empathy, you ask a lot of questions because you want to understand and you expect your doctor to do their best to help you understand things. She not only acted arrogantly toward me as if my questions were offending her. What really honestly put me over the edge with her is that she sold me this white cream that she put in a small salad dressing take out container for $ 30 which honestly got me about 2 uses. When I asked her what ingredients were in it, she wouldn’t tell me and said that they made it in her office and that it was a secret recipe. Now, I had such a bad streak of atopic dermatitis I was in really bad condition (rash everywhere, elephant skin, flaking like crazy and bleeding from all the scratching/​itching) — so it’s natural to want to make sure before you put anything on your skin to have an idea of what it is. Finally after a few visits, she gave me a list of what was supposedly in the cream. I’m chinese and my parents are originally from China so when they visited we went to Chinatown to one of the places that our family recommended. We took the white cream and the ingredient list and asked the herbalist if the list in fact made up the cream. They emphatically said «no» — so how’s that for being lied to? On top of that, a year later, my family went on a trip to China and we ended up touring a herbal /​accupuncture facility in which they were selling jars of this white cream for probably about $ 10-​$ 15 USD for a huge tub. Low and behold, what was inside was in fact Dr. Yu’s secret recipe. She wasn’t making any of this stuff — she was re-​pkg this cream that she got from China and passing it off as some miracle cream she created and ripping her patients off for it. I just think that’s wrong on so many levels. If I could, I wouldn’t even give her 1 star I’m so disappointed with her integrity and how she handles her practice. You have to find out for yourself, but I felt it imperative to share this with others.

Ms. Jialing Yu is a licensed acupunturist in CA. She also treats skin diseases too. On her business card she includes «skin specialist, herbology, acupuncture, diet and nutrition» as her specialties.
My daughter has atopic dermatitis. We’ve tried Western doctors who prescribed cortisones, antihistamines etc. for her. The course of treatment from the Western doctors DID NOT help my daughter. She was constantly itchy and had skin rashes all over her body. She was unable to sleep well at night because she was constantly itchy and scratched until her skin until it was raw and bleeding. Her bed sheets were bloody by morning. Her condition was so terrible and we got extremely concerned.
A couple of friends recommended we go see Jialing Yu. On the first visit, she gave us a list of food we cannot eat: Seafood (fish, shrimp, lobster, crab, oyster, clam), Dairy (Cow milk. goat milk, butter, cheese, yogurt), Duck, Beef, Lamb, Citrus fruit (orange, lemon, tangerine, pineapple, grape), Papaya, Mango, persimmons, peach, apriclot, strawberry, Eggs, Chocolate, peanut, deep fried food, dried fruit. The list of food my girl cannot eat is long.
Jialing Yu also gave her a bottle of finely milled herb powder, a packet of white powder to be mixed with warm water to use as a compress on the problem areas. A small tub of cream to be applied to the skin rashes.
Jialing Yu is expensive. We paid around $ 138 per visit.
We’ve been seeing her since last year. We are happy to report significant improvement with my daughter’s condition.
If you or someone you know has skin problems that Western medicine cannot cure, you must go see Jialing Yu