Study: Acupressure Improves Rosacea Severity, Reduces Inflammatory Biomarkers
Key Takeaways
Device-free auricular acupressure improved rosacea treatment outcomes when added to standard first-line therapy in a recent randomized trial.
At 8 weeks, Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) treatment success was 56.9% with active acupressure versus 35.3% with sham treatment (P = 0.003).
Active acupressure was associated with immediate vascular improvement and reductions in inflammatory and neurovascular biomarkers.
Device-free auricular acupressure improved clinical outcomes and reduced inflammatory biomarkers in patients with rosacea receiving standard first-line treatment, according to findings from a trial published in JAMA Dermatology.
The randomized, single-center, sham-controlled, assessor-masked trial enrolled 204 patients at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University in China between October 2025 and May 2026. Investigators evaluated whether auricular acupressure targeting the vagus nerve could improve rosacea severity and provide rapid relief of vascular symptoms.
Auricular Acupressure Improves Rosacea Severity and Vascular Responses
Participants were randomized equally to active or sham acupressure for 8 weeks. The active group received Vaccaria segetalis seeds positioned bilaterally on the cavum conchae, while controls received seeds on the superior margin of the auricular tubercle. Patients applied pressure 3 times daily for 30 seconds, with additional applications permitted during flare-ups. The primary endpoint was IGA treatment success, defined as a score of 0 or 1 at week 8.
Treatment success occurred in 56.9% of patients receiving active acupressure versus 35.3% receiving sham treatment (relative risk, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.18-2.20; P = 0.003). The number needed to treat was 5.
Immediate vascular improvement occurred in 59.3% vs 7.4%, respectively (P < 0.001). Active treatment also produced greater reductions in serum cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (LL-37), calcitonin gene-related peptide, tumor necrosis factor α, and interleukin 6.
"This randomized clinical trial found that device-free, on-demand intervention yielded substantial additional clinical benefits when combined with standard first-line therapy and established early sham-controlled, serum-based evidence for its neuroimmunomodulatory mechanism, potentially offering a strategy for self-management of rosacea," the authors concluded.
Source: Xu B, et al. JAMA Dermatol. 2026. Doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2026.3999