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Acupuncture for Skin Problems

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a healing technique in which thin needles are inserted into the body.  This treatment method comes from Traditional Chinese Medicine and has been practised for thousands of years.  The concept is that the body contains a complex network of energy pathways called meridians, which allow the body to function properly.  A trained acupuncturist can insert needles into specific acupoints on the body to access these meridians, to promote healing.

Skin Problems

Cosmetic Acupuncture:

You might be surprised to hear that acupuncture can be used to improve facial appearance.  While this healing technique is traditionally used to treat medical problems, it has recently been adapted for cosmetic purposes as well.  Facial acupuncture can help you improve your skin health, as well as increasing blood flow and facial elasticity.

Your acupuncturist may use one of two methods for treating skin problems.  If you are suffering from a skin problem on your face, your acupuncturist may apply needles directly to the affected facial areas.  However, many acupuncturists prefer to treat skin problems more holistically.  This means that they investigate the root cause of the skin problem and create a treatment method to address that cause.  Skin problems can often appear due to an underlying health problem, such as a blockage in the flow of energy throughout the body.  This means you may get better results if your acupuncturist treats these problems first.

How Can Acupuncture Treat Skin Problems?

Acupuncture can be used in different ways, depending on what’s causing your skin problem.  If your skin condition has occurred due to an underlying health problem, acupuncture may be used to treat this issue.  This may allow your body to return to a healthier state and begin to heal your skin.  

An example of this is the heart.  If your heart is weak, you may be experiencing problems with blood circulation.  This could mean that less blood can reach your skin, causing a reduced supply of oxygen and nutrients to your skin.  But by strengthening the heart through acupuncture, more blood may flow to your skin, allowing healing to take place.

Skin Problems

What Skin Problems Can Acupuncture Treat?

The amazing thing about Chinese Medicine and acupuncture is that the treatment can be designed for your individual situation.  Your acupuncturist will typically analyse your health by asking questions about your symptoms and taking your pulse.  This can give them valuable information about the nature of your health problems.  Your acupuncturist can then begin to heal any skin problem which may be bothering you.

A wide variety of skin problems can be treated with acupuncture.  As well as offering you brighter, tighter, younger-looking skin, acupuncture can also treat specific skin diseases.  In fact, researchers have found that acupuncture improves skin problems including dermatitis, hives, melasma, facial elasticity, itching, and excessive sweating.  Acupuncture may also be able to help treat other skin problems such as dry skin and acne.

To find out more about cosmetic acupuncture, click here.

Is Acupuncture Effective?

If you have an annoying skin problem, you may have tried so many different treatments, like medications as well as home remedies.  So you may be wondering, can acupuncture really help my skin improve?  The good news is that there are more studies available now to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture.  For example, one scientific study found that when acupuncture is performed with the correct intensity of needling, it can effectively increase blood circulation in muscle and skin. 

When choosing any treatment option, it’s important to remember that your body is unique, and everyone has a different health background.  This means that different styles of treatments may not work well for one person but may be more effective for someone else.  Similarly, one technique within acupuncture may be beneficial for you at a certain time, but in future your treatment may need to be adjusted to suit your health at that point.  At our clinics in Hamilton and Remuera, Auckland, our qualified practitioners can give you a full, in-depth consultation and diagnosis, in order to treat your condition as effectively as possible.

Conclusion:

Acupuncture is a great option to help you treat skin problems.  Acupuncture can be used in different ways depending on your symptoms, and the underlying cause of your health problems.  A variety of skin problems can be treated effectively with acupuncture, as shown in scientific studies.

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Centre of Balance Hamilton: Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine (n.d.). Archive for category: Cosmetic Acupuncture. https://balancetcm.co.nz/category/cosmetic-acupuncture/

Centre of Balance Hamilton: Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine (n.d.). Archive for category: Facial Acupuncture. https://balancetcm.co.nz/category/facial-acupuncture/

Ma, C. & Sivamani, R. K. (2015). Acupuncture as a treatment modality in dermatology: A systematic review. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 21(9), 520-529. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/acm.2014.0274

Phua, S. (n.d.). What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine? Centre of Balance Hamilton: Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine. https://balancetcm.co.nz/traditional-chinese-medicine-hamilton/

Sandberg, M., Lundeberg, T., Lindberg, LG. et al. (2003). Effects of acupuncture on skin and muscle blood flow in healthy subjects. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 90, 114–119. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-003-0825-3

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Monica

I am originally from Hebei province in China. I hold a NZ bachelor’s degree of health and science with a major in acupuncture. I am honoured to be an acupuncturist at Centre of Balance. Helping patients to alleviate their pain brings me the greatest joy. Chinese medicine emphasises the unity of human beings and nature. During the treatment, I hope to not only relieve your pain but also help you to understand the principles behind acupuncture’s effectiveness, as well as the significant impact of diet, emotions, lifestyle habits, and living environments on disease recovery. Self-healing is an ability that our bodies are naturally endowed with.

I studied acupuncture in New Zealand and completed one and a half years of supervised clinical internship before graduating. In the early stage of my training, I mainly worked with patients experiencing neck, shoulder, and lower back pain. Under the guidance of senior clinical tutors, I gradually developed hands-on experience and confidence in treating musculoskeletal pain conditions.
As my clinical exposure expanded, I began treating a wider range of internal conditions. Alongside traditional acupuncture, I was introduced to Umbilical Acupuncture and Tungs-acupuncture Points. What interested me most about these approaches is that they often do not require needling directly at the painful area, yet can still achieve very effective results.
I was especially inspired by observing my supervisor use Umbilical Acupuncture to treat common conditions such as insomnia, menstrual irregularities, and even rheumatoid arthritis, with very positive outcomes. Another supervisor was highly skilled in Tungs-acupuncture Points and achieved excellent results in treating pain, infertility, menstrual disorders, and a variety of women’s health conditions. After completing my studies and entering clinical practice, once I observed Dr. Szenan Phua using Tungs-acupuncture points to help cancer patients relieve pain, which further strengthened my trust in this treatment method.
I later completed training in Dr. Tan Balance Acupuncture, which had a strong influence on the way I approach treatment. One of the most noticeable features of this method is how quickly patients often feel improvement, especially with pain conditions. Dr. Szenan Phua’s New Balance Acupuncture combines meridian regulation with structural adjustment and internal organ balancing, including techniques such as pulse balancing and spinal adjustment.
From my clinical experience, pain is rarely just a local issue. It often involves underlying organ weakness or structural imbalance. When these aspects are addressed together, treatment can be more thorough and longer-lasting. I also apply this approach to internal conditions, particularly in fertility and women’s health. This includes supporting natural conception, IVF preparation and embryo transfer, pregnancy support, early-pregnancy nausea, and late-pregnancy labour induction. I combine these treatments with concepts learned from a few additional fertility training, which has given me a broader and more flexible clinical perspective. This has reinforced my belief that acupuncture should be adapted to each individual rather than applied through fixed formulas.
Two other areas of study that have been very helpful in my clinical work are Tongue Diagnosis and Dr. Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture. Although tongue diagnosis is taught in my standard Chinese medicine training, further study allowed me to deepen and refine my diagnostic skills.
My first formal training was in Li’s Tongue Diagnosis, which looks not only at organ patterns, but also at how different areas of the tongue reflect the body’s structure. This system also explores personality traits and changes during pregnancy, making it both clinically useful and engaging. I later attended online lectures on Yin’s Tongue Diagnosis and studied the related materials independently. this learning has helped me make clearer and more accurate pattern differentiation, allowing my acupuncture treatments to be more targeted. It covers a wide range of conditions, including skin disorders, oncology-related presentations, mental health patterns, and joint or limb problems. In practice, tongue observation often provides valuable insight even before a patient begins describing their symptoms.
In addition to the methods above, I regularly use local bloodletting techniques, which can be very effective for improving circulation, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. I also incorporate auricular (ear) acupressure and stimulation, which I commonly use for allergies, insomnia, headaches, stress management, and various internal conditions.
In my clinical work, I value taking the time to listen carefully to each patient and to understand their overall health, lifestyle, and concerns. Based on each individual’s condition, I also provide personalised dietary guidance and lifestyle or wellness advice to support overall health and long-term wellbeing. I commonly support patients with musculoskeletal pain, such as neck, shoulder, knee, and back pain, as well as stress-related conditions, sleep issues, migraines, digestive concerns, and women’s health and fertility-related conditions.