Acupuncture for Acne

How Chinese medicine understands acne

Acne shows on the skin, but in Chinese medicine it is treated as an internal problem. The spots are the sign. The pattern underneath is what the treatment is aimed at. Most acne is read as some form of heat, and the details of your breakouts help tell which kind.

• Lung and Stomach heat. Common in teenagers. Red spots and small pustules on the forehead and face that come up fast and go quickly.
• Stomach and intestine heat. Similar, but more painful and more widespread, often across the cheeks. It tends to come with digestive signs: constipation or loose stools, bad breath, bloating or a changed appetite.
• Heat in the Blood with stagnation. More common in adults. Red, sore spots and nodules around the chin and jawline, often worse before a period or around ovulation.
• Heat, phlegm and Blood stasis together. Deep nodules and cysts that are slow to form, slow to clear, and leave marks or scars.

Two people with acne can get quite different formulas. A teenager with fast, surface breakouts and an adult with deep cystic acne that tracks the menstrual cycle are not treated the same way, even though both are “acne”.

What treatment involves

The first visit is a full Chinese medicine assessment. I ask about your skin, where and when you break out, your digestion, sleep, stress and, for women, your cycle. I look at your tongue and take your pulse. From that I write a diagnosis and a plan.

For acne, Chinese herbal medicine is usually the main treatment: a formula written for your pattern, taken daily, and adjusted as your skin changes. It is not an off-the-shelf acne product. Acupuncture is often added, especially when stress, sleep, digestion or an irregular cycle are part of the picture. Plan on 5–10 treatments to judge progress.

Research on acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for acne is still developing. You do not have to stop your dermatologist’s plan to try Chinese medicine.

The clinic is in Keswick, and you can book an initial consultation online.

Between visits

• Wash twice a day with a gentle, non-soap cleanser and lukewarm water. Scrubbing harder does not clear acne faster and can irritate it.
• Don’t pick or squeeze spots, especially deep ones. It raises the chance of marks and scarring.
• Choose moisturizers, sunscreen and makeup labelled non-comedogenic or oil-free.
• Change pillowcases often, and keep phones, hands and hair products off the worst areas.
• Notice whether particular foods, stress or points in your cycle line up with flare-ups, and bring those notes to your appointment.

When to see your doctor first

• Deep, painful cysts or nodules, or acne that is leaving scars. Early medical treatment matters for scarring.
• Acne that starts suddenly in adulthood alongside irregular periods, excess facial or body hair, or weight changes. These can point to a hormonal condition such as PCOS.
• Sudden, severe acne with fever, joint pain or feeling unwell.
• Acne that began after starting a new medication or supplement.
• Acne that is affecting your mood or making you withdraw from people. Tell your doctor; that matters as much as the skin.