Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Treatment of Acne

Acne has profound effects on people’s lives, effecting social life, education, and even employment.  Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine are very effective at reducing acne.  Acupuncture works by reducing inflammation, bacteria, and increasing circulation.  The key is to correctly diagnosis the imbalance that is causing the acne.

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine for Acne

Traditional Chinese Medicine has a holistic approach to the diagnosis and treatment of acne, identifying specific imbalances in the body and using acupuncture and Chinese herbs to correct them. Correcting the imbalance does not just treat the symptoms or mask the condition, but rather corrects the root of the problem by encouraging self-healing of the body.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs help to reduce the cycle of acne development by regulating hormones that effect skin secretions, decreasing inflammation, and  reducing bacteria.  Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture are holistic therapies which can help people both with the acne as well as improve overall wellness.

Imbalances in Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Causing Acne

Whiteheads and Blackheads:  This is also called comedonal acne.  In Chinese medicine, dampness and heat are the main cause of white heads and black heads.   Chinese herbs and acupuncture to clear dampness and heat can be effective at treating whiteheads and blackheads, such as huang qin or sang bai pi.  Other signs of dampness may be oily skin, fatigue, and poor digestion .

Inflammatory Acne: Inflammatory acne occurs when pimples become infected and inflamed.  In Chinese medicine, heat is a significant cause of inflammatory acne.  Heat imbalances are reflected in red skin as well as red inflamed papules and pustules.   If there is very bad inflammation it is called “toxicity.”   The acupuncture and herbs that clear away the heat have been shown to have many antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties such as jin yin hua and lian qiao.  Heat can also manifest as night sweats, excessive thirst, and constipation.

Cystic acne: Cystic acne is a severely inflamed type of acne.  The cysts are large,lie deep in the skin, and can be painful.  In Chinese medicine, this is related to toxins and stagnation.  Pu gong ying (dandelion) is one of the herbs that may be useful in this type of acne.

Hormonal acne:  Many women find that their acne flares up premenstrual.  The acne is often a combination of whiteheads and blackhead with some inflammation involved.  In Chinese medicine, hormonal acne can be related to stagnation, which is a lack of circulation in the body.    Stress may also be a factor in the development of hormonal as well as inflammatory acne which is a common cause of qi and blood stagnation. Acupuncture and herb treatment would focus on moving the the qi and blood stagnation.  Herbs such as chai hu and yi mu cao can help move the qi and blood to stop acne.

Acupuncture’s Holistic Treatment

Another benefit is that acupuncture helps the body to manage stress and encourages the body to relax. Chinese herbs work to regulate hormone imbalances, improve digestion, control bacteria levels, and decrease inflammation.  By removing the imbalances causing the acne, acupuncture and Chinese herbs disrupt the acne cycle and allows the body to heal itself.