With the skin being the largest organ, and the most susceptible to damage from the outside world, nearly everyone will experience some form of a skin condition at one point during their lifetime. Skin conditions can range from acne and psoriasis to eczema and hives. They are often caused by inflammation, and result in redness, itchiness, pain, visible bumps on the skin’s surface, and skin dryness.

Skin problems are incredibly common, with the American Academy of Dermatology estimating that as many as 85% of us are affected by some form of skin disease. Further data that was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology reported that 50% of Americans over the age of 65 have a minimum of two skin diseases.

How Acupuncture for Skin Problems Works

Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine to treat skin problems. It is often used in combination with other traditional treatments to uniquely heal the symptoms of common skin disease.

A series of acupuncture sessions will be required to effectively manage and reduce skin problems on a long-term basis. During a session, needles are inserted in specific areas of the body in order to stimulate the nervous system, which increases the production of serotonin. This results in a series of reactions that increase naturally occurring hormones, which regulate inflammation and other leading factors of skin problems.

The pressure points that are most commonly used for treating skin problems include the palm of the foot, the joint of the big toe, the pad of the thumb, and the “third eye” location between the eyes. An acupuncture therapist will determine how long needles are required to stay in the skin for – the process can last between 10 minutes and 1 hour.

Proven Benefits of Acupuncture for Skin Problems

While research into the subject is limited, so far, studies have found promising results of the use of acupuncture for treating a wide range of skin conditions.

One study by the World Health Organization, titled Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials, looked at a number of random clinical trials that examined the medicinal value of acupuncture for chloasma, herpes zoster, pruritus, and neurodermatitis. In several of these trials, patients recovered after acupuncture treatment, while in others, the therapy provided pain relief and produced anti-itch effects.

Another study by doctors at the University of California found that acupuncture improved outcomes for skin conditions ranging from urticaria and dermatitis to pruritus and hyperhidrosis. The study concluded that acupuncture was a far more effective treatment for these conditions than no treatment whatsoever, and reduced the size of skin flare-ups, prolonged the time between relapses, and lessened pain, tension and itchiness.

The Future of Acupuncture for Skin Problems

Acupuncture offers a much more effective means of reducing skin problems – by preventing hormones from causing common skin disease, rather than simply treating the disease after it has presented. Although it’s always been an incredibly popular form of treatment for skin concerns, it’s easy to predict that acupuncture will only continue to rise to the top as one of the safest and most effective therapies for healthy skin.