Sensational Skin All Summer Long With Acupuncture
By Dr. Sarah Alemi
When one thinks of the summer, one often thinks about enticing outdoor activities, long days and the hot, summer sun.
Of course, during these summer months, many of us are also conscious about protecting our skin from overexposure to the sun. Why? Short-term, it can lead to sunburns and heat rash – as well as aggravation of conditions like rosacea and eczema – while long-term it can lead to dehydration, premature aging and potentially cancer.
One of the best ways to take care of our skin is to avoid overexposure. Something else we can easily do is to stay hydrated. It’s important to stay hydrated not only by drinking enough water each day, but also by including water-rich foods into our diet, such as with watermelon or mint. Sometimes supplements can be taken to support healthy skin functioning, such as Vitamin E, Vitamin C and selenium.
We can also incorporate acupuncture into our summer routine – especially if one is prone to sunburns, rashes or heatstroke. Why acupuncture? Before going into the sun, acupuncture treatments can help to strengthen the functioning of the skin, which includes increasing cell turnover, keeping the soft tissue hydrated and inflammation out of the area.
For those who unfortunately do spend too much time in the sun, acupuncture can help with a sunburn by reducing the pain, discomfort, fatigue, inflammation and that extra feeling of heat that comes with sunburns. Licensed acupuncturists will often needle just outside the area of the sunburn as well as use distal points to help.
Of course, acupuncture can also be used for keeping skin glowing throughout the summer and into the fall. By triggering local health processes in the face at specific points, acupuncture has been proven to help patients achieve smoother and brighter complexions over a number of treatments. This includes helping with both the signs of aging, including dullness or pigmentation, as well as with conditions such as acne and rosacea.
Acupuncture also helps with keeping the skin hydrated by helping to bring blood and lymph to the face. Hydrated skin is healthy and vibrant-looking skin!
While it’s fun to spend time outdoors in summer, we also need to be conscious of overexposure to the sun. If you do find yourself spending a little too much time outside under the sun, consider making acupuncture a part of your summer routine. It can help keep your skin hydrated, strong and vivacious while also helping to combat redness, dryness, rashes and burns.
Whatever reason you use acupuncture for, what’s great is that it is safe and natural – in addition to being effective. What better way to take care of our skin and overall health than naturally, especially when so many treatments or products these days contain harsh and often chemicals.
Written by Dr. Sarah Alemi
