Enhancing Skin & Whole-Body Health with Naturopathic Medicine + Facial Acupuncture

Naturopathic Medicine in Care

Naturopathic medicine is a whole-person, root-cause oriented approach that blends clinical nutrition, lifestyle medicine, botanical medicine, acupuncture, and, when licensed, prescribing. This approach seeks to treat not just symptoms, but the underlying drivers of health concerns.

How it can assist:

Skin Health / Dermatology

• Addresses underlying drivers like gut dysbiosis, hormonal imbalances, inflammation, oxidative stress, and detoxification pathways.

• Interventions include elimination diets, probiotics, botanicals (berberine, green tea, licorice), and nutrient repletion (zinc, vitamin A, omega-3s).

• Research highlights:

  • Gut–skin axis studies support probiotics and diet modification in acne, eczema, and rosacea (Yu et al., Front Microbiol, 2021).

  • Omega-3s reduce inflammatory lesions in acne (Khayef et al., Lipids Health Dis, 2012).

Pain & Nervous System Regulation

• Combines acupuncture, manual therapies, nutraceuticals (minerals, anti-inflammatories, mitochondrial support), and mind–body approaches.

• Research: integrative strategies lower chronic pain intensity and improve quality of life compared to standard care alone (Cherkin et al., Ann Intern Med, 2016).

Perimenopause / Women’s Health

• Hormone balancing through diet, herbal medicine (e.g., botanicals that support hot flashes, sleep, and stress regulation).

• Research: black cohosh shown to improve hot flashes and sleep (Menopause, 2012).

Facial Acupuncture in Care

Facial acupuncture, also called cosmetic or facial rejuvenation acupuncture, uses fine needles on the face and body to address both local tissue effects and systemic imbalances, rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) principles.

Local effects:

• Increases microcirculation and collagen production

• Reduces facial and jaw muscle tension

• Improves lymphatic drainage, reducing puffiness

Systemic effects:

• Regulates stress and autonomic nervous system → often improving sleep and mood

• Addresses underlying imbalances contributing to skin conditions (digestive, hormonal, emotional)

Research evidence:

• Anti-aging/skin appearance: facial acupuncture may improve skin elasticity and reduce wrinkles (Kim et al., Acupunct Med, 2021)

• Facial pain/TMJ: reduces pain and improves jaw function (Wu et al., Cochrane Review, 2018)

• Neurological conditions: adjunctive in Bell’s palsy or post-stroke facial paralysis (Cochrane, 2010)

• Skin health: reduces inflammatory acne lesions and may help with melasma (Xia et al., Dermatol Ther, 2020; Cheng et al., Acupunct Med, 2019)

How Naturopathic Medicine & Facial Acupuncture Work Together

• Inside–Out: Naturopathic medicine addresses internal drivers such as hormones, gut health, nutrition, and inflammation.

• Outside–In: Facial acupuncture improves local tissue health (circulation, collagen, tone) and helps regulate stress and systemic balance.

• Combined benefits: This dual approach supports conditions like acne, rosacea, aging concerns, facial pain, and perimenopausal skin changes.

Potential Risks / Biases:

• Facial acupuncture carries low risk, but minor bruising, needle discomfort, or temporary redness may occur.

• Outcomes may vary, and some studies are small or heterogeneous.

• Naturopathic interventions require consistent engagement and lifestyle adherence to see measurable results.

• Integrative care may not replace conventional treatments but can complement them.