Erris Eye publication - Topic - Acupuncture treats Acne

Posted on: Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Acne as we know is the overproduction of oils in the sebaceous glands on the face. What stimulate these sebaceous glands are hormones - oestrogen and testosterone. These are being stimulated by insulin which in turn can be stimulated by sugar.

When we eat too much sugar we are stimulating the hormones to promote more grease and the grease is clogging the pores causing acne. People often see a correlation between reducing sugar and the condition of their skin.

From an acupuncture perspective, acne is considered to be heat in the stomach that comes up as spots on the face. The acupuncture treatment calms the stomach and this in turn calms the face. Drinking enough water, eating enough fibre and getting enough exercise are all very important to reduce a flare up of acne. It is really important to manage stress because it has a huge impact on your skin. Exercise will also help with stress reduction.

Skin conditions are difficult to treat from a western medicine point of view and it is often a one size fits all approach. Acupuncture and chinese medicine looks at each individual person and treats the unique pattern that is seen. This just means that symptoms like feeling hot or cold, having sluggish bowel or headaches informs the direction of the treatment.

That information is just as important as the symptoms more commonly associated with acne.

Karena McNamara is an acupuncturist with The Mayo Acupuncture Clinic, Ballina and Castlebar. Visit www.mayoacupuncture.ie or call 0879918514 for appointments or enquiries.