"Hi
Paul - Just wanted to say a huge thank you for ridding me of my
beastly acne rosacea. My doctor told me I would have to learn to live
with it but thanks to you I have been clear for 5 years. I only tried
it as a last resort - what a success story!" Lesley
I recently received this lovely testimonial and I have to say it really
made my week. It also reinforced how wonderful facial acupuncture is
and what a difference it can make to people both inside and out.
You may have treated patients with rosacea in your own practice. If so,
you'll know how this chronic skin condition can make them feel.
Generally, it begins, between the ages of 30-60, as redness on the nose,
cheeks, forehead and chin and can develop into red bumps and pustules.
This, understandably, can greatly lower self-esteem and self-confidence.
A survey by the
National Rosacea Society
discovered that the highest trigger was sun exposure, closely followed
by emotional stress. As practitioners we regularly advise on lifestyle
factors, but we can also help to balance the body, mind and spirit using
acupuncture. Also, I've found that my FEA proto-col alone, really
activates the Qi in the face and helps to clear the skin.
There
may be other triggers unique to your patient, so if you use any creams
as part of a cosmetic acupuncture treatment, discuss this with them
beforehand. I currently use cleansers and post-treatment creams
from a British skin research company that specialise in Micro Needle
Therapy solutions. They create skincare products that are based on a
green manufacturing philosophy; they are chirally correct, paraben free
and PH balanced.
As always, we need to be realistic when it comes
to patient expectations and there are four subtypes of rosacea that you
may come across. However, whether we're purely performing cosmetic
acupuncture or traditional acupuncture, we're taking a complete history
every time and this ensures that we maintain the holistic experience
that this truly wonderful practice provides.
If you have
any questions or you'd like to share some points that you've found
effective in the treatment of this condition, I'd love to
hear from you and perhaps we can include them in a future issue of the
Facial Enhance newsletter.
Paul Adkins Lic.Ac., BA(Hons), 1st Dan, FEA, MBAcC, MCAUK, MMNTUK
