The clinical effect of plum blossom needle acupuncture with qi-invigorating superficies-consolidating therapy on seborrheic alopecia

Background: Seborrheic alopecia (SA) is a common dermatological disease with a long disease course, and treatment for this disease usually exhibits slow effects. Currently, Western medicine treatments have shown some effects; however, they also have certain limitations. In recent years, Chinese medicine has made breakthroughs in treating SA. The efficacy of plum blossom needle acupuncture with qi-invigorating superficies-consolidating therapy for SA was observed, and its clinical effects were investigated in this study. Methods: A total of 87 patients with SA treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine from September 2018 to September 2019 were enrolled as the research subjects. They were divided into a Western medicine group and a Chinese medicine group by the random number table method. The 43 patients in the Western medicine group were treated with conventional Western medicine, and the 44 patients in the Chinese medicine group were treated with a comprehensive traditional Chinese medicine regimen of plum blossom needling with qi-invigorating superficies-consolidating therapy. The treatment effects, changes in estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) levels, and scores for various body signs (hair growth and hair loss) of the two groups before and after treatment were compared. Results: The difference in total effective rate between the Chinese medicine group and the Western medicine group (95.45% vs. 81.40%) was statistically significant (P<0.05). After treatment, the T levels of both groups were lower than before treatment, and the E2 levels of both groups were higher than before treatment; the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). After treatment, the hair growth and hair loss scores of the two groups were lower than those before treatment, and those of the Chinese medicine group were lower than those of the Western medicine group; the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusions: Plum blossom needle acupuncture combined with qi-invigorating superficies-consolidating therapy is significantly effective for treating patients with SA. It can effectively adjust the patient's hormone levels, improve hair loss, and promote hair growth. It has the advantages of simplicity, tolerability, and low cost. It cures the cause of the disease and is worth promoting.