How Do Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Help Skin Care
The benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine are far beyond treating acute and chronic diseases. Since ancient times, Chinese medicine doctors have used acupuncture and various Chinese herbal formulas to improve skincare and enhance beauty.
Chinese Medicine views the human body as a holistic system with a complex network of interconnected parts. The body is considered healthy when the interconnected parts are in balance. In Chinese Medicine, skin health reflects the condition of internal organs, and any skin-related issues may be traced back to the imbalance of the internal organs in the body.
Why Is Lung Health Important for Skin Care?
In Chinese Medicine, five significant organs (the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, and spleen) connect the entire body. Skin is considered an extension of the inner organs. Since the lung is the organ that oversees the transportation of fluids, food, and the protective Qi (Wei Qi) throughout the body, it cannot nourish your skin correctly if the lung energy is blocked or the Wei Qi is too weak. Therefore, Chinese medicine skin care usually starts by treating the issues with the lungs.
How Do Environmental Factors Affect Skin Care?
Due to the delicate nature of organs, they can be affected by several environmental factors and therefore impact skin health.
Lung health, for instance, can be affected by heat, cold, dryness, and wind.
Poor diet or lifestyle habits can result in consuming too many foods with “heat,” including spicy or deep-fried food, excessive alcohol, caffeine, or smoking. Too much heat interferes with the balance and harmony in your lungs, resulting in skin symptoms such as redness, dryness, hot flushes, acne, eczema, or psoriasis. In addition, spending too much time in the sun can result in severe skin damage.
Cold and dry air can irritate the airways of people with lung diseases and can cause dry, itchy, and cracking skin. Excessive consumption of cold foods and icy beverages can also have a similar impact on the skin.
Dampness is another factor that can affect your lung health. According to Chinese Medicine, dampness may be caused by poor digestion and a diet high or rich in fatty foods. Dampness may result in skin issues like thickening skin, pus, pimples, and lumps such as cystic acne or warts.
Does Facial Acupuncture Work?
For thousands of years, traditional Chinese medicine doctors have used herbs and acupuncture to treat and prevent various skin issues and achieve beautiful, young-looking skin.
Cosmetic acupuncture works because it treats the root causes of skin issues, identifies and treats the imbalances of organs, and addresses the environmental impact on the skin. The facial acupuncture treatment stimulates blood circulation on the face, helps reduce wrinkles, and improves the overall skin condition. After a series of facial acupuncture treatments, most people not only look younger but feel better. That is why people call facial acupuncture a health lift.
What Natural Herbs Help Clear Skin Care?
For a great skin care routine, there are some universally beneficial herbs.
Chinese herbalists usually recommend chamomile tea to calm and reduce facial redness, tea tree oil to relieve mild or moderate acne breakouts, honeysuckle to relieve rosacea, and calendula oil to soothe eczema.
They usually recommend herbal teas that include tulsi, echinacea, olive leaf, and green tea for clear skin.
Furthermore, some herbs and spices that support healthy skin from the inside out include:
Turmeric for reducing inflammation;
Oregano for maintaining a healthy microbial balance;
Chaga, an antioxidant, for protecting the body from oxidative stress or pollution.
Yang Institute’s Holistic Skincare Program
Yang Institute’s experienced acupuncturists and herbalists (most of them are physician acupuncturists) use a holistic approach to skincare. They combine acupuncture and Chinese herbal remedies with dietary and lifestyle modifications, and stress reduction to help patients to achieve healthy skin with lasting beauty that glows from inside out.
Please find out more about our Facial Acupuncture for Skin Care.