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With the effective application of fire needle therapy (huǒ zhēn liáofǎ) in clinical settings, more patients are choosing this treatment. However, many people tend to overlook the precautions associated with it. Here, we share some important considerations after fire needle treatment.
Fire needle therapy is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment with a long history. It involves heating a specially made fire needle over an alcohol lamp until it glows red, then inserting it into areas of skin lesions, itching, or pain. This method is believed to clear heat and detoxify, reduce swelling and pain, eliminate dampness and itching, soften hard masses, expel pus, and warm the meridians, achieving therapeutic effects. It is suitable for treating various diseases, especially skin conditions such as vitiligo (bái piàn fēng), alopecia areata (bān tú), acne (zhǐ zhǐ), folliculitis (máo fāng yán), herpes zoster (dài zhuàng pào zhěn), nodular prurigo (jié zǐ xǐng zhěn), and cutaneous amyloidosis (pí fū yàn zhèng). It is a simple and effective traditional therapy.
Precautions are as follows:
1. After the fire needle treatment, if the needle holes become red or small red dots appear above the skin, and some patients experience localized itching, these are normal reactions of the body to the fire needle. Since the needle is inserted after being heated to a high temperature, the possibility of infection is very low, so there is no need to worry. Typically, these symptoms will resolve on their own within 2-3 days;
2. If there is itching at the needle hole, do not scratch it to avoid breaking the skin and causing infection.
3. Avoid getting the treated area wet for 3 days after fire needle therapy to prevent water from entering the needle holes and causing infection. Also, avoid soaking in baths until the redness subsides;
4. During the fire needle treatment period, maintain a light diet and avoid eating raw, cold, spicy, or greasy foods.
5. Wear loose and breathable clothing to avoid friction on the affected skin.
6. If there are any discomfort symptoms in the treated area, please return for a follow-up consultation promptly.
Images and text by: TCM Department, Zeng Youyu Edited by: Chen Yong Reviewed by: Ye Xiang Chief Editor: Zhang Xuesheng
