Most of the time, skin conditions aren’t life-threatening, but they can be hard to diagnose, challenging to treat, and frustrating overall. Enter acupuncture and Chinese medicine. When it comes to skin conditions, there are many instances when Chinese medicine can be an effective treatment. Here are some things you may not know:
1) When it comes to Chinese medicine, dermatology has been around a long time. Ancient texts suggest that practitioners have been treating skin conditions with acupuncture and herbs for about 3,000 years.
2) Chinese medicine involves understanding the underlying cause of your condition and treating it systemically—and dermatology is no exception. If you seek out an acupuncturist for a skin condition, they will likely ask you about your diet, digestion, sleep patterns, and emotional health in determining a diagnosis and how best to treat you.
3) The appearance of a rash or skin condition tells your practitioner a lot about the source of your overall health. When it comes to rashes, most will be diagnosed as either heat, dampness, or wind or a combination of those. Heat rashes are red, and may be the result of overactive hormones (think acne), strong emotions, or inflammation. Damp skin conditions tend to have blisters or look weepy and moist. They come from poor elimination of wastes and toxins from your body, water retention, and spending a lot of time in a humid or moist environment. Wind conditions tend to be dry, itchy, come and go, and move around from place to place on your body (like hives).
4) Very dry skin signals an overall dryness throughout your body, and isn’t necessarily related to how much water you drink. Dryness may result from not getting enough healthy fats in your diet, or something called blood depletion, in which the nourishing quality of your blood is poor and affecting your skin.
5) In Chinese medicine the health of your skin is most closely related to your Lung system, because your Lungs govern the exterior of your body. In fact, in Chinese medicine, eczema is called skin asthma because people with eczema, especially children, also tend to have or develop asthma. As a result, a treatment plan for a chronic skin condition usually means strengthening your Lungs as well.
6) Beyond acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine can also be very effective for skin conditions. While more research is needed, some studies have concluded that Chinese herbs can be a valuable treatment for conditions such as eczema and plaque psoriasis. In treating a skin condition, your acupuncturist will often combine acupuncture, oral or topical herbs, and dietary guidelines for the best results.
7) One explanation for the effectiveness of acupuncture for skin conditions is that acupuncture increases circulation and decreases inflammation in the areas where needles are placed. This decreases irritation and speeds up the healing process.
8) Acupuncture can also be used on your skin for its anti-aging effects. Cosmetic acupuncture involves specific protocols in which tiny needles are placed in your face for the purpose of increasing circulation and rebuilding collagen and elastin that decreases as you age. Collagen is the net-like structure that gives your skin its firmness, and elastin allows your skin to resume its shape after being stretched. The theory behind cosmetic acupuncture is that the needles create tiny wounds, or micro-traumas, which as they heal, bring collagen, elastin, and other nutrients to the area.
The bottom line is that skin conditions can be perplexing and hard to treat. When it comes to dermatology, it might be time to think about Chinese medicine for that stubborn rash or skin condition.