From Dermatology in Traditional Chinese Medicine by Xu Yihou
Several patterns are identified in this book, but not all of them have associated acupuncture treatments:
Accumulation of Heat in the Lungs
Treatment principle: Clear lung heat. No acupuncture info given.
Rx: Pi Pa Qing Fei Yin Jia Jian
Pi pa ye / 10
Zhi zi / 10
Lian qiao / 10
Chi shao / 10
Sang bai pi / 10
Huang qin / 6
Mu dan pi / 6
Hong hua / 6
Ling xiao hua / 6
Sheng di huang / 12
Jin yin hua / 12
dong gua pi / 12
Dong gua ren / 12
Accumulation of heat in the stomach
Treatment principle: clear heat from the Yangming channel. No acupuncture points given.
Rx: Tiao Wei Cheng Qi Tang (this is a common rx and we have the listing in our TCM Clinic Aids as well as in Bensky, the Chen book, Sacred Lotus.com, etc.)
Blood heat
Treatment principle: cool the blood and clear heat, transform stasis and reduce erythema
Rx: Tao Hong Si Wu Tang he Liang Xue Wu Hua Tang Jia Jian
Tao ren / 6
Hong hua / 6
Ling xiao hua / 6
Chuan xiong / 6
Mu dan pi / 10
Sheng di huang / 10
Chi shao / 10
Jin yin hua / 10
Huai hua / 10
Ji guan hua / 10
Shi gao / 12
Huang qin / 6
Stagnation of Qi and Blood
Treatment principle: Move qi and regulate blood, relieve toxicity and dissipate lumps
Rx: Liang Xue Qing Fei Yin Jia Jian
Sheng di huang / 30
Jin yin hua / 30
Yin chen hao / 30
Bai hua she she cao / 30
Mu dan pi / 10
Huang qin / 10
Chi shao / 10
Tao ren / 10
Yi mu cao / 12
Zhe bei mu / 12
Lian qiao / 12
Zi hua di ding / 12
Zhi mu / 6
Pi pa ye / 6
Blood Stasis and Binding of Phlegm
Treatment principle: Invigorate blood and transform blood stasis, disperse phlegm and soften hardness.
Rx: Hai Zao Yu Hu Tang Jia Jian.
hai zao / 10
Zhe bei mu / 10
Chen pi / 10
Kun bu / 10
Ban xia (fa) / 10
Lian qiao / 12
Xia ku cao / 12
Long gu / 12
Mu li / 12
Dang gui / 6
Chuan xiong / 6
Qing pi / 6
Ju he / 10
Externally use San Huang Xi Ji ( three yellows wash) or Cuo Chuang Xi Ji (acne wash preparation).
For nodules and cysts and scars use Hei Bu Yao Gao (black cloth medicated paste), Du Jiao Lian Gao (giant typhonium paste) or Si Huang Gao (four yellows paste) at affected areas. No recipes were given for external treatments.
Body Points
Apply even method on all points and retain for 30 minutes. Ideally, treat daily for seven days.
Point selection based on pattern identification
- Lung heat
Du 14, BL 20 - Spleen/Stomach heat
ST 36, LI 4 - Disharmony of Ren/Chong vessels
SP 6, BL 23
Point selection based on affected channels
LI 11, LI 4, SP 6, BL 2, LI 20
Selection of adjacent points
Taiyang, BL 2, LI 20, SI 18, Yintang, ST 6
Auricular acupuncture for Acne
Retain needles for 30 minutes, ideally treat once every 2 days for 10 total treatments.
- Main points: Kidney and Lung (needle bilaterally)
- Auxiliary points
- Pustules: add Heart
- Constipation: add Large Intestine
- Greasy skin: add Spleen
- Painful periods: add Liver, Endocrine
- Empirical points: Lung (bilaterally), Ear-Shenmen, Sympathetic/Autonomic, Endocrine, Subcortex
Auricular using seeds
This is if the patient can’t come in as often as mentioned above. Have the pt press the points gently for 1 full minute on each point every day. Change the seeds every 5 days. A course of treatment is 7 sessions or 35 days.
Points are: Endocrine, Subcortex, Lung, Heart, Stomach
Pricking Methods
- Prick to Bleed Method
Alcohol first, then prick points with 3 edged needle to cause slight bleeding. Ideally, treat 1ce every 3 days. Five treatment sessions total.
BL 13, Du 14 - Pricking only
Alcohol first, then prick 5 to 7 of the following with a 3 edged needle in each treatment session. Alternate with other points in the following treatment sessions. Treat once every 3 days. Seven sessions total
BL 12, BL 13, BL 14, BL 15, BL 17, BL 18, BL 19, BL 20, BL 21, BL 22, BL 23, BL 24 - Pricking plus cupping
Alcohol first, prick the main points with 3 edged needle to cause slight bleeding. Apply cupping over points immediately and retain cups in place for 5 minutes. Prick auxiliary points to cause slight bleeding, but don’t cup these. - Main points:
BL 14, DU 4, DU 8, DU 9, DU 11, DU 12 - Auxiliary points:
Blood pressure lowering groove on back of ear, Hot point on ear
According to this article written by Susan Johnson, use the Four Horses to treat acne or any other type of skin condition. Her actual combination is three points on each thigh.
This combination is actually indicated for lung syndromes but that includes rhinitis, psoriasis, and acne. This is a skin to treat skin (or superficial muscle to treat skin really) treatment. The thigh has thick muscles and thus treats skin. These points have a similar effect to LI 11 to treat skin problems due to heat and the jian zhong point on the deltoid which also treats skin stuff.
They are also said to work for conjunctivitis, goiter, ear problems, tinnitus and poor hearing. You can also use 11.07 on the index finger, 11.17 on the index finger, and sima points on the thigh since they are on the yangming meridian and have a good affect on regulating qi and blood.
The points are:
- 88.17 – Middle Horse (or Rapid Horses Center)
- Location: 3 cun anterior to the spot touched by middle finger tips when one is standing erect with hands at sides.
- Depth: Insert 0.8 to 2.5 cun deep.
- 88.18 – Upper Horse (or Rapid Horses Upper)
- Location: 2 cun superior to 88.17, Middle Horse.
- Depth: Insert 0.8 to 2.5 cun deep.
- 88.19 – Lower Horse (or Rapid Horses Lower)
- Location: 2 cun inferior to 88.17, Middle Horse
- Depth: Insert 0.8 to 2.5 cun deep.
Needling note:
Though you usually needle 88.17 first in this pattern, you don’t when you are treating acne. Instead, locate 88.17 first and use it as a reference, but needle from bottom up (88.19 first, 88.17 2nd, then 88.18 last).
Insert the needle to the deepest level (2.5 cun) and wait 10 minutes. Pull it out to the medium depth and wait another 10 minutes. Finally, pull it out to the shallowest depth (0.8 cun) and leave a final 10 minutes.
According to Dr. Wei-Chieh Young, when you do it this way you are connecting with the qi and calling the qi to the surface to heal the acne.