Facing east

Can herbs and acupuncture get to the root of recalcitrant breakouts? Writer Katie Becker surrenders her skin to Chinese medicine.

After 10 years of battling painful and inflamed acne, I found myself on the table of an acupuncturist who specialises in treating the skin with traditional Chinese medicine, I got a very firm (if inscrutable) answer: I have too much damp.

It’s Chinese medicine for: my body’s sluggish about carting off toxins, so they build up in my skin.

The treatment plan is threefold: first, toxin- and inflammation-clearing herbs, adjusted biweekly depending on my sleep quality, digestion, stress and menstrual cycle. They come as pre-cooked liquids that taste like a mix of hay, vinegar and spoiled vegetables; I have to drink them twice a day. Three times a week, I also spend 10 minutes using a flat jade stone to gently pull or ‘scrape’ the skin on my face and neck. It’s a massage technique called gua sha. And finally, acupuncture. Once a week, the acupuncturist uses hair-thin needles to open energy ‘blockages’ throughout my body, reducing excess tension to relieve stress and improve circulation. This method requires trial, error and, most importantly, patience.

Now a year in, my breakouts are less severe, less frequent and much easier to calm.