My Experience with Electroacupuncture

Although I am currently on Dupixent, the biologic injection for moderate to severe atopic dermatitis, I still get itchy. My itchy spots consist of my forehead, upper lip, neck, shoulders, arms, and upper chest. It is manageable, but it can still lead to a lot of discomfort throughout the day and night. This is where electroacupuncture came into my life and was a savior, thanks to a fellow eczema warrior’s recommendation.

What is electroacupuncture?

Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture practiced in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Electroacupuncture stimulates points of your body linked to inflammation. This helps unblock the flow of energy, known as qi. The process is really interesting, and a bit uncomfortable at first if you are new to acupuncture. However, it is totally worth it! Below is my experience with electroacupuncture.

Diet, eczema, and acupuncture

A doctor first met with me at the clinic to discuss my eczema condition, use of medications, and most importantly – my diet. Diet plays a major role in the success of the acupuncture treatment, as all aspects of your gut are intertwined with your skin health. This is also the toughest part of the treatment because it requires cutting out alcohol, coffee, spicy food, among other eczema inflammatory triggers – AKA the good stuff. After the consultation, I was given my first treatment, which went something like this:

What happens during electroacupuncture?

I got into the patient bed with only a tank top on. A nurse came and lathered Chinese herbal creams on my sensitive spots. Like truly, LATHERED the cream. This is the part of the treatment I liked the least actually! Then the doctor came and inserted thin needles at the inflammation sites on my skin and attached batteries to the needles. The batteries are hooked to a machine that is then turned on. Electrical impulses are sent throughout the site of the needles. Then the doctors turned the lights off and turned on a bright heat lamp. I laid there for 20 minutes. And that’s it!

What does electroacupuncture feel like?

It was a bit uncomfortable at first, but I was able to tell my doctor how high or low I wanted the voltage of the electrodes. It is a tingly sensation that can put you to sleep for a nice, little cat nap.

Does electroacupuncture really work for eczema?

I personally cannot say enough great things about the results. I paired five electroacupuncture sessions with my ongoing Dupixent treatment and my skin had a noticeable reduction in dryness + redness. That being said - a clean, healthy diet is very important to see the positive effects. You might be wondering why I only did a total of 5 sessions of treatment and that’s because my health insurance was not able to cover it, which meant it was all out of pocket expenses for me. Acupuncture is not cheap! I do feel that the five sessions are the reason I no longer have a crusty upper lip and overall smoother skin. Seriously! You can see my before and after acupuncture pics on my Instagram account, @tickle.eczema.

Are you interested in electroacupuncture?

If you can stick to cutting out the eczema triggers, as I mentioned earlier, then I think that’s a great first step to naturally treating your eczema. If you are interested in trying acupuncture, I recommend Googling electroacupuncture for eczema and skin conditions. This should provide you with handy Yelp reviews and clinics to call!