A 35-year-old woman came to our clinic complaining of acne that appeared each month for a week to ten days leading up to her menstrual period. She previously had acne as a teen, but it went away in college. Now, for the last year, it was back each month, primarily on her face at the hair and jawline. This acne acupuncture case study describes how we resolved her acne in just eight treatments.
Acne Is Not Just For Teens
Most of us experienced acne as a teen. Some had it worse than others, but in most cases, acne resolves itself by the early twenties. There is a type of acne associated with a woman’s menstrual cycle, creating flares each month before the period. This acne is triggered by a change in estrogen and progesterone levels. Other symptoms associated with hormone fluctuations include the classic PMS signs like moodiness, breast tenderness, bloating, and abdominal cramping.
Acupuncture’s solution for period acne is to regulate a woman’s hormones so she has less PMS. When you get an acne treatment all of your PMS symptoms will be reduced. That’s because we’re treating the root issue – hormone imbalance.
Acne Acupuncture Case Study
Our patient went years before she experienced acne before her period. An intake exam, which included asking her a series of questions, revealed that in the past year she developed a hormone imbalance. In addition to acne flaring before her period, she had developed fairly severe PMS, primarily displaying mood volatility and severe cramping leading up to her period.
Sometimes stress is responsible for this imbalance. Other times it’s just a factor of the aging process. The latter was the cause for our patient. Her stress levels were under control – in fact, she was happy. Age simply allowed for a slight shift in her hormones, which resulted in an increase of PMS symptoms each month, including acne flares.
Acupuncture Regulates Hormones Best
Acupuncture is the safest, most effective long-term solution for regulating hormones associated with the menstrual cycle. Most cases of PMS, painful periods, short or long cycles, no periods (amenorrhea) and infertility can be effective resolved with acupuncture.
In this acne acupuncture case study we selected specific acupuncture points which regulate a woman’s cycle. These points included: SP6, ST36, PC6, LV3, BL18, BL20, and BL23. Local points were added at the site of her acne to promote qi and blood circulation for healing. Si shen cong and Yintang (points on the head) were also administered for calming and relaxation. We also prescribed a Chinese herbal formula for her to take. These herbs were custom-made to address her hormone imbalance.
After four treatments our patient in this acne acupuncture case study saw a 40% reduction in her acne. The following month, after her eighth treatment, her acne was 95 percent resolved. At the same time, she saw the same level of improvement within her other PMS symptoms. These benefits lasted – a six-month check-in revealed that her acne and PMS symptoms were still gone.
Next Steps
We treat all forms of acne at Raleigh Acupuncture. While this acne acupuncture case study focused on a patient with PMS-related acne, all forms respond well to Chinese medicine. Each patient will receive a treatment custom-designed to their particular needs – treating the root cause of their acne.
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What our Clients are Saying
I developed acne about five years ago, out of the blue. It was never a problem for me as a teenager. Of course, when it started I was horrified. Since then I tried various treatments, some of which helped, most of which were a complete waste of money. But none of them gave lasting relief. My aunt suggested trying acupuncture. Her daughter had used it and her skin totally cleared up. I did research on the web and found Raleigh Acupuncture. They were great. Explained everything beforehand, were reasonably priced, and gave me a lot of attention. I’m happy to report that my acne is completely gone! I don’t exactly know how they did it. Something to do with adjustments in my body to stop the acne from coming out. I’m thrilled. If you have acne, you’ve got to try acupuncture.
Highly recommend this practice. I would break out with very bad acne every month before my period. Face, back and chest. Nothing ever helped. After getting acupuncture I don’t break out any more. Skin is clear and healthy.
I’ve struggled with acne forever and was tired of spending a small fortune on facial products that didn’t work. I read about acupuncture helping with acne and decided to try it. So glad I did. The staff at Raleigh Acupuncture totally got my acne under control, to the point where I don’t need topical creams any more. My face has never been this good. I wish I knew about this 10 years ago!! I highly recommend Raleigh Acupuncture. They are kind, honest and do excellent work. I’ve referred family and friends there and they have been just as pleased.