If you’re like many of our patients, you have been dealing with stubborn acne and breakouts since puberty: using a plethora of different topical products and creams, seeing skin specialists like dermatologists and estheticians for expensive and/or painful treatments, and maybe even adopting strict diets and cutting out whole food groups.
We want you to know that you’ve come to the right place!
At Onyx Acupuncture & Integrative Health, we use acupuncture, Chinese herbal formulas, and nutritional supplements to address the root causes of your skin concerns. Simply put, acupuncture for reducing acne helps to minimize redness and uneven tone, stimulate collagen production, and regulate hormonal imbalances that may be contributing to breakouts.
We use points located on the face to create tiny micro-traumas to the skin, which stimulates collagen production and encourages a healing response. Additionally, acupuncture needles are placed on points on the body to begin to treat the underlying causes of acne.
The two main areas of focus for treating underlying causes of acne include hormonal regulation and gut healing.
Many women experience increased breakouts at varying parts of their menstrual cycle and by tracking this, we can determine which hormones are imbalanced and work to correct that. We help women to feel confident in their skin appearance without the use of hormonal birth control or prescription medications like Accutane or Spironolactone.
We also focus on gut support when healing the skin, as our skin condition is a direct reflection of our digestive health. When our blood sugar spikes, it can increase inflammation and insulin levels in the body, leading to pimples and excess oil. Therefore, we work with patients to regulate blood sugar levels throughout the day by making specific food choices and spacing meals appropriately. While foods can affect people in different ways, there are strong inflammatory foods that we suggest patients suffering from acne reduce or remove from their diet. This includes cows milk, sugar, alcohol and gluten. Research also supports that foods high on the glycemic index, can also contribute to increased acne such as fruit and high sugar packaged foods.
Small tweaks to diet, implementation of pre- and probiotics and other digestive system supporting supplements, regular acupuncture to strengthen the gut, and a consistent daily skincare routine can make huge changes for the health of your skin microbiome and skin appearance.
Determining which changes are most appropriate for your specific skin concerns and then implementing those changes can be difficult on your own, so having the help of a licensed acupuncturist or medical professional is key. True skin healing can take time and patience, and a knowledge for the interconnectedness of our bodies’ systems. See us today for a new patient acupuncture appointment to develop a plan for achieving skin health and a glowing appearance!