Fire Needle Therapy (Huo Zhen Liao Fa), also known as “burning needle” or “scorching needle,” is first recorded in the Huangdi Neijing – Ling Shu (The Inner Canon of Huangdi – Spiritual Pivot) in the chapter on the twelve original needles. It is a commonly used method in acupuncture for treating diseases, which involves heating specially made needles until they glow white and then burning specific acupuncture points or diseased areas on the body, thereby achieving the purpose of disease prevention and treatment.
Principle of Fire Needle Therapy
Fire needle therapy opens the external pathways of the meridians by cauterizing the body’s acupoints and skin layers, providing an outlet for pathogenic factors. This allows for the expulsion of tangible evils such as pus, blood stasis, phlegm, and dampness, as well as intangible evils like wind, cold, dampness, and fire through the needle holes, leading to a rapid reduction of skin lesions. Therefore, fire needle therapy not only has local effects such as dispersing masses, closing wounds, and draining pus but also has systemic effects such as clearing heat, eliminating dampness, and unblocking meridians.
Application of Fire Needle Therapy in Dermatology
Currently, our dermatology department widely applies fire needle therapy in clinical practice and has achieved good therapeutic results.
Indications for fire needle therapy in dermatology include: (1) acne, folliculitis, abscesses, and pustules; (2) herpes zoster; (3) chronic eczema and neurodermatitis; (4) vitiligo, etc.
01. Acne, Folliculitis, Abscesses, and Pustules
(1) It can accelerate circulation and enhance metabolism, allowing damaged tissues and nerves to repair. (2) It can puncture the surface of acne lesions to release pus. (3) It can destroy sebaceous cells and inhibit the secretion of sebum from sebaceous glands. (4) Fire needle therapy can also utilize the high-temperature thermal effect to produce anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, and hemostatic effects, thereby promoting the resolution of local inflammation and inhibiting the growth of Propionibacterium acnes.
Fire needle therapy can stimulate local blood vessel dilation through thermal stimulation, improve blood circulation, promote inflammation resolution, skin repair, prevent scar formation, and alleviate itching, thus controlling the recurrence of lesions. Additionally, long-term scratching of skin lesions can lead to lichenification, making it difficult for topical medications to penetrate. After fire needle therapy, topical medications can penetrate through the needle holes created by the fire needles, enhancing drug absorption and achieving the effects of alleviating itching and eliminating skin lesions.
02. Herpes Zoster
Fire needle therapy in the early stages of herpes zoster can expel evils outward, providing an outlet for the pathogenic factors, leading to the resolution of rashes and shortening the course of the disease. Additionally, some patients may experience postherpetic neuralgia after complete resolution of skin lesions, with an incidence rate as high as 50% to 75% in patients over 60 years old. Fire needle therapy can harmonize qi and blood, unblock meridians, and relieve pain.
03. Chronic Eczema, Neurodermatitis, and Other Skin Itching Diseases
Through thermal stimulation, local blood vessel dilation is induced, improving blood circulation, promoting inflammation resolution, skin repair, preventing scar formation, and alleviating itching, thus controlling the recurrence of lesions. Additionally, long-term scratching of skin lesions can lead to lichenification, making it difficult for topical medications to penetrate. After fire needle therapy, topical medications can penetrate through the needle holes created by the fire needles, enhancing drug absorption and achieving the effects of alleviating itching and eliminating skin lesions.
04. Vitiligo
Vitiligo is a primary, localized, or generalized skin and mucosal depigmentation disorder. Through fire needle therapy, it invigorates the body’s yang qi, regulates the functions of the internal organs, relaxes the meridians, harmonizes qi and blood, and enhances the supply of necessary nutrients to the skin lesions, accelerating melanin production, which can effectively treat vitiligo.
Dermatology Team
Our dermatology department has a professional medical team, including three senior dermatologists. They all possess rich clinical experience and professional skills, capable of providing high-quality medical services to patients.
Associate Chief PhysicianOutpatient Director: Tan GangProfile: Graduated in 2002 from Nanhua University with a degree in clinical medicine, has been engaged in dermatology and venereology since graduation, and in 2007 went to Hengyang Central Hospital for further training in dermatology. He is skilled in the diagnosis and treatment of skin and venereal diseases, receiving unanimous praise from patients.
Associate Chief PhysicianLiu RongjunProfile: Graduated in 2011 from Wuhan University with a degree in dermatology and venereology, holds a master’s degree, and has worked for over ten years in clinical dermatology at Hunan Provincial Hospital and affiliated hospitals. He joined our hospital in 2023.He has rich clinical experience and practical skills in treating common and stubborn skin diseases, as well as skin surgery.He is skilled in treating various skin diseases such as psoriasis, acne, eczema, atopic dermatitis, rosacea, common warts, flat warts, molluscum contagiosum, seborrheic dermatitis, alopecia, vitiligo, chloasma, freckles, pigmented nevi, and skin tumors.He is also skilled in treating immune-related diseases such as lupus erythematosus, dermatomyositis, pemphigus, Behçet’s disease, vasculitis, erythema nodosum, and allergic purpura. He is proficient in treating sexually transmitted diseases such as condyloma acuminatum, gonorrhea, non-gonococcal urogenital infections, and syphilis. He is experienced in skin beauty and laser treatments. With over ten years of work experience, he has received unanimous praise from patients.
Attending PhysicianWen LiliProfile: Graduated from Nanhua University with a degree in clinical medicine, a member of the Hengyang Dermatology and Venereology Professional Committee. He has participated multiple times in AIDS prevention and treatment, as well as dermatological diagnosis and treatment. In 1999, he furthered his studies in dermatology at a superior hospital. He has a certain level of expertise in treating common skin diseases, skin surgery, and skin beauty, receiving high praise from society and peers.Registration Methods
In-clinic registration, on-site registration, and online registration via WeChat public account.
Contact InformationPhone: 19573482696 (please call during normal working hours)Address: 2nd Floor, Outpatient Building
Editor: Publicity Department
First Review: Wei Liling
Professional Review: Tan Gang, Liu Rongjun
Third Review: Long Changqing