What Hegu does
Hegu sits in the muscle between the thumb and index finger, the place the tradition calls the Tiger's Mouth. It is the source point of the Large Intestine channel and the main point for releasing the exterior.
Actions
- Expels Wind and releases the Exterior
- Regulates Defensive Qi
- Moves Qi and Blood, relieving pain
- Benefits the face, eyes, nose, ears and mouth
- Harmonises ascending Yang and descending Yin
Location
Between the first and second metacarpal bones, roughly in the middle of the second metacarpal on its thumb side.
How to find it
Bring the thumb and index finger together and a bulge appears in the web of the hand. The point is at the highest point of that bulge, pressed down toward the bone. It is usually very tender.
Deqi
A strong local ache, distension and soreness that may travel to the elbow, shoulder or face; deep needling toward Laogong PC-8 can send tingling to the palm and fingertips.
A cun is a proportional body measurement, not a fixed length: one cun is about the width of the thumb at the knuckle, 1.5 cun about two finger widths, and 3 cun about the width of four fingers. On an average adult one cun is roughly one inch, but it scales with the person, which is why the texts measure in cun rather than centimetres.
Technique
Needling
Angle: 90 degrees (perpendicular) or 45 degrees (oblique) Depth: 0.5 to 1.0 cun Direction: 0.5 to 1 cun vertically, or slightly oblique toward the palm
Moxibustion
Ten to fifteen minutes, used where Wind-Cold rather than Wind-Heat is dominant.
Cupping
Seldom used on the hand; more often on the upper back for exterior patterns.
Gua sha
Gua sha along the arm channel is used for surface congestion and heat.
Bleeding
Bloodletting at Hegu is used for very hot, congested facial skin and for high fever, in practitioner settings.
Skin uses
- Acne and facial eruptions
- Skin congestion with a flushed face
Point classifications
| Classification | Value |
|---|---|
| Point type | Yuan-Source point of the Large Intestine channel |
| Classical groups | Ma Dan Yang Heavenly Star point |
| Classical saying | Face and mouth: seek Hegu |
Combinations
Skin Heat trio
LI-4 + LI-11 Quchi + SP-10 Xuehai
Hegu releases the surface, Quchi clears the Heat and Xuehai cools the Blood: the standard combination for urticaria, eczema and generalised itch.
Classical record
Hegu, also called Hukou (Tiger's Mouth), is located between the thumb and index finger, in the depression between the bones. It is where the Hand Yangming passes and is the Yuan point.
Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing (针灸甲乙经, Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
The Ling Shu is the first text to name Hegu, and it names the point as the Yuan source point of the Hand Yangming channel of the Large Intestine.
Ling Shu (灵枢), Spiritual Pivot
Needle three fen, retain for six breaths, and apply three cones of moxa. In a pregnant woman reducing is permitted, but tonification must not be used, for tonification is said to bring on miscarriage.
Zhen Jiu Da Cheng (针灸大成), Great Compendium
面口合谷收 - For the face and the mouth, take Hegu.
Si Zong Xue Ge (四总穴歌), Ode to the Four Command Points
The Ling Shu is the first text to name Hegu, and it gives the point as the Yuan source of the Hand Yangming channel, the Large Intestine.
Ling Shu (灵枢), Spiritual Pivot
Safety
Who should treat this point
Acupuncture and bloodletting are practitioner procedures; this page is educational.
Caution
Strong stimulation is contraindicated in pregnancy: the point can encourage uterine contractions. It is only used in pregnancy under professional supervision, for labour. The dorsal venous network and the radial artery lie nearby, so the needle is not directed toward the wrist, and small amplitude technique avoids bruising.
Deficiency and constitution
In a depleted patient only gentle stimulation is used; strong reducing technique here can leave the person light-headed.
Before treatment
Educational reference only. Sudden widespread hives with swelling of the lips or throat is a medical emergency, not an acupuncture case.
Modern evidence and safety
General references for acupuncture safety and skin evidence. They are not specific to this point, and they are not a claim that needling it treats any condition.
- Acupuncture-related adverse events: systematic review and meta-analyses of prospective clinical studies. BMJ Open, 2021. PMID: 34489268.
- Acupuncture for atopic dermatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open, 2024. PMID: 39638592.
- Manual acupuncture for the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Surgery, 2025. PMID: 40696933.
- Acupuncture in Dermatology: An Update to a Systematic Review. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2021. PMID: 32955916.
Evidence note
No controlled trial of this treatment in skin conditions was identified for this entry. What is described here rests on the classical and later materia medica record and on traditional clinical use, not on controlled trial evidence, and it is not a prediction of benefit. Where skin-specific research does exist it is linked above.
Common questions
Why is it called the Tiger's Mouth?
Because the web between thumb and index finger looks like an open mouth; Hukou is the old descriptive name for the same point.
Why does a hand point help the face?
The Large Intestine channel runs from the hand up the arm to the face, so points on it are used for facial skin and for the nose and mouth.
Can it bring on labour?
Traditional texts say strong stimulation can, which is precisely why it is contraindicated in pregnancy outside supervised use at term.
Does Hegu really change sweating in both directions?
In the traditional account, yes. Hegu regulates Defensive Qi in the tissue between skin and muscle, so it serves both where sweating is excessive and where there is none. The direction comes from the partner point: tonify Hegu and reduce Fuliu KI-7 to promote sweat, reduce Hegu and tonify Fuliu to stop it.
Why is it needled on both hands?
Bilateral needling is how Hegu is normally used, and it is essential for the Four Gates, where both Hegu and both Taichong LR-3 are needled. Four needles at the four extremities move Qi and Blood through the whole body rather than one side, which is why the combination is chosen for generalised pain and for stress.
Can it help pain away from the hand?
It is used as a distal point for the face, head, arm and shoulder, and for the organs themselves, particularly the Stomach, the intestines and the Uterus, where a calming and antispasmodic effect eases colic and cramping. In all of these it is chosen as part of a combination rather than on its own.