31/08/2026
What is that red halo around the acupuncture needles?
You may sometimes notice a small area of redness appear around an acupuncture needle shortly after it’s inserted. This is a completely normal response and is known as a local flare/halo response.
🩸 What’s happening?
The needle stimulates the local tissues and can cause temporary vasodilation, increasing blood flow to the area. This can create the pink/red halo you can see in the first photo.
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, increased circulation and the body’s response to the needle are traditionally associated with the movement of Qi and the body’s healing processes.
⏱️ After a few minutes, you can see in the second photo that the redness has largely settled. This simply shows that the local response has reduced and the skin has returned towards its normal appearance.
So if you ever see a little redness around your acupuncture needles — don’t panic! It’s a common, temporary response to needling and usually settles naturally.
Every body responds differently, so you may see more or less of a reaction depending on the individual and the area being treated.
