A skin rash.

Acupuncture for Skin Rashes

Skin rashes on the leg.Skin rashes come in all different forms and from many different causes. Sometimes the cause is obvious, while other times rashes can appear & disappear almost at random.

Acupuncture can treat skin rashes, breakouts, and all manner of sores. (In fact, a 2015 systematic review showed great results for acupuncture treating a wide range of skin problems – more than what we can talk about below.) Typically it helps to know the cause of the problem, though ultimately this is not needed. Here are some things that acupuncture can do for skin issues caused by different things:

  • Allergies: We’ve spoken about acupuncture for allergies in some detail before, so there’s no reason to rehash it here. For rashes caused by allergies, acupuncture helps by triggering the skin to open the pores (to help eliminate anything irritating the skin). Acupuncture can also reduce inflammation and keep the immune system in check. Sometimes skin rashes can be caused by food allergies, where the body uses the skin to detoxify itself from some allergen in the gut. For these, acupuncture can help to keep the GI tract moving and the liver and kidneys functioning well. In turn, this reduces the burden on the skin.
  • Infections: Acupuncture helps here by triggering the body to produce more white blood cells and encourage lymph flow. Both of these help to fight infections. Should the body have a rash or breakout from microbial toxins, acupuncture supports the body’s need to detoxify in the same way as for allergies.
  • Hormones: Autoimmune skin rashes, odd flushing, acne breakouts, and similar issues may be hormonal. Acupuncture helps to regulate communication between the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal glands – the major glands that direct all hormonal output in the body.
  • Age: While not rashes or dermatology specifically, no one likes to see crow’s feet, age lines, or wrinkles on their own face. Surprisingly, acupuncture is able to help with these through a process called facial cupping that helps rejuvenate the skin. Read our post for more here.

For more information, schedule your consultation today!