Hello dear readers,

Many people ask me if there is any treatment for striae (stretch marks), through Acupuncture and other Traditional Chinese Medicine resources.

According to the Brazilian Dermatology Society, stretch marks are defined as cutaneous atrophies acquired when the collagenous elastic fibers (responsible for skin firmness) break and create “scars”.

These fibers may break due to big distension on the skin, such as growth spurt in children and teenagers, weight gain or pregnancy.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the organ responsible by the skin strength and resistance is the Lung. Therefore, we may say that we can’t treat stretch marks without strengthening this organ. Thus, first of all, we suggest the use of Systemic points LU7 and LU9 combined with Lung point in auriculotherapy.

However, there are also treatments done with needles directly on the stretch mark spot. In order to stimulate collagen production on the affected place, the needles are introduced through the stretch mark inner part, being a young striae (pink-ish) or an already structurated striae (white). The needles must remain on the spot for at least 20 minutes. Also, sometimes may be necessary to use many needles in the same stretch mark. Where the needle ends, the practitioner needs to introduce another, this way covering all problem’s extension.

Acupuncture needles deliver blood, oxygen and nutrients to the treatment spot, thus having the ability of easing striae appearance.

To make the treatment even stronger, the acupuncturist may add stimulus to the needles that are inside, such as moxibustion in order to heat them up, or using electroacupuncture. Moxibustion may be done with a stick, heating up the needle body or the region where it’s introduced. Everytime the patient say “it’s hot” we must change the application point. However in electroacupuncture, stimulus should be pulsed, within patient limit, keeping in mind that the patient must never feel pain or uncomfortable..

It’s also important that the patient is aware of everything that affects skin or Lung, everything that may create an energy imbalance that generates striae such as: excessive sun without sunscreen and smoking habit.

Therapy diet is also very important, in this instance, as a matter of avoiding that new striae show up. Neutral aliments from the Metal Element chart must be consumed frequently in order to let Lung strong and fulfil it’s objective of protecting and strengthening the skin. Such foods are found in the tables at the link below:

https://www.facilitatingacupuncture.com/therapeutic-food-tables/

What we should expect, in the majority of cases, is that the stretch marks become thinner, clearer and less apparent. Pink-ish striae frequently disappears. White striae just have a improvement on it’s appearance, with lines slightly thinned and clearer. But, with no doubt, the treatment will leave your patient extremely satisfied.

Hope that you liked it, and that this helped you develop the best treatment.

My warmest regards.

Profa. Fernanda Mara

Hello Readers! 

Today let’s talk about a matter most people have interest and curiosities about: Esthetics.

In present society, worrying about your body or how your face looks it’s a growing trend, and every day we see hundreds of new treatments arising, designed to make us look perfect and age prettier.

Chinese Medicine already has its own technique arsenal in order to improve esthetics, dating from 3 thousand years ago and yes, acupuncture is included in this context and might help in a more natural way those who seek to improve their appearance.

How can Acupuncture be used on esthetics?

Usually we shall divide the esthetics treatments, falling into two categories: facial and body.

1- Facial Esthetics

In this category, we are looking at reducing expression marks, softening skin stains and patches, healing acne, softening scars and pathological marks such as chicken pox etc.

In this situation, we shall use local needles, inside the wrinkles, surrounding stains and even transfixing acne, since we know that needles have a nutrition effect, anti-inflammatory, collagen and elastin stimulant plus analgesic effects on the spots they are used on. However, only doing that won’t be enough.

In Chinese Medicine, we must treat not only the place where the discomfort arises, but we must also understand its source. Balancing the organism in a general way is essential to an esthetic treatment.

To make it simple, when we talk about “face”, the bigger problems will show up on the skin, and, in Chinese Medicine, skin is Lung’s responsibility. Everytime we intend to treat someone’s skin, we must strengthen their Lung.

A few important points are:

• LU9 – Nourish the skin
• LU5- Diminish irritations and inflammations 
• LU3 – In order to treat skin problems which worsen when under emotional stress

Treatments must be done on average 2 times a week, with 48 hours break in-between sessions.

In case there isn’t improvement on the patient’s condition after 3 sessions, the therapist shall then reevaluate the case in order to find out other energetic imbalances affecting the Lung and consequently generating skin problems.

2- Body Esthetics

As in facial esthetics, on the body we shall use needles on the spots that discomfort is stronger. We may treat, spots and scars even cellulite and flaccidity, those which are the top complaints at the office.

If the complaint is skin-related, as in facial matter, Lung must be treated.

However when the patient complains about flaccidity, liquid retention, which ends up creating cellulites, localized fat, the therapist must pay attention to the patient’s Spleen, that may be falling on it’s keep muscle strength and removing organism humidity duties. That is why, in these situations, Spleen must be strengthened.

Some important points are:

• SP2 – tone Spleen
• SP3 – tone Spleen and removes humidity
• SP6 – giving it’s Yin tone potential, improves muscle nutrition and corporal structures.
• SP9 – removes humidity

Treatment must be done 2 times a week, with 48 hours break in-between sessions and the patient’s condition must have improved in 3 sessions. In corporal esthetics it is extremely important that the evaluation is thoroughly detailed in order to check existing imbalances in other organs. The Spleen is easily affected by Liver, Heart and Lung.

When other imbalances are discovered, they shall be treated together.

Other techniques may and shall be associated with esthetic treatment, such as electroacupuncture, moxibustion, cupping, diet therapy, cosmetics such as pearl powder, but I suppose that I shall leave all those techniques to another post, right?

Hope that you liked it!

The warmest regards and a kiss!

Profa. Fernanda Mara