In both traditional Chinese medicine or TCM and western medicine, acne is the result of environmental, emotional and health factors. Hormonal imbalance, stress, pollution and an unhealthy health lifestyle are major factors for skin problems such as acne. Acne reduces morale and it causes social and interpersonal problems for people suffering from this ailment.
In TCM, acne can arise from the weather and environment. It sees heat and moisture in the environment as affecting the organs in the body, especially the lungs. Meridian lines connect the lung to the outer skin and so if one develops lung problems, the skin can be affected as well. The lung also controls the pores in the skin and is crucial for the allowance of heat out from the body as heat stored in the pores usually manifests as acne or any other skin disorders.
The stomach normally stores heat inside of it, as it is needed for the digestive process. Sometimes, however, it stores excess heat and when it does, the heat can manifest itself as pimples. Like the lungs, the stomach, when moist or damp, can manifest this moisture in the skin in the form of an oily face, which leads to blemishes.
The spleen also can be responsible for acne when inordinate amounts of moisture and heat are stored in it. Usually, when the spleen stores the right of amount of heat, it usually regulates itself by drying up the dampness inside it.
Unhealthy lifestyles such as smoking and eating fatty, greasy foods coupled with hormonal problems can lead to acne. That is why if one wants to seriously treat acne, his or her unhealthy lifestyle should change towards healthy living. Healthy living is an imperative to having beautiful skin.
When the diagnosis merits the treatment with acupuncture or acupuncture with herbs (if the acne is severe), needles will be introduced on the lung and stomach meridians (meridians are similar to veins and arteries of the circulatory system), and along the limbs. Needles are also introduced in some meridian points in the face.
For better results, herbs, along with the acupuncture in Bellmore, are also applied to the acne patient to facilitate heat loss from the stomach and lungs. Herbs are essential for acupuncture therapy especially when the patient stores a lot of heat and dampness in the afflicted organs. Specific herbs are introduced that act on specific organs.
In women, the menstrual cycle exacerbates the acne condition. Menstruation affects the mood and emotions of a female and this leads to chi deficiency making acne worse for the woman in her period. In this case acupuncture needles are introduced in the foot called the liver 3, above the ankle called spleen 6 and in some areas on the face. Also, different types of herbs are introduced for this type of problem.