Lucy (one of our wonderful practitioners at The Pagoda Tree) wrote a guest blog here several weeks ago about skin and hormone imbalances and the feedback was ‘more please!’ Not one to shy away from giving the readers what they want – here’s a beauty of a topic – literally! Lucy shares her love of using facial acupuncture in the clinic as a natural and extremely effective alternative to botox and cosmetic procedures. Line up – you will want to get in for a go once you read this.

The focus on life over the last 5 to 10 years has dramatically changed. We now want longevity and enhanced health and wellbeing- changing our diets to eating organic foods, increasing exercise, reducing the intake of processed foods, smoking and alcohol to look and feel great. We consider all chemicals that we are putting into our bodies, including using BPA free water bottles and plastics so we don’t ingest the pesky radicles that could harm our goal of optimum health.

So I pose the question to you – why is it as soon as we see a fine line or wrinkle appear on our face we are in the car straight to the chemist or department store for the strongest and best anti-wrinkle cream on the market at whatever the cost?

The skin is one of the fastest absorbing organs of the body and not many of us stop and think of the chemicals we are putting onto our face and body every day, sometimes twice a day. What worries me more is when I walk down the street and every second female in their mid-twenties and above has had or either thought about having Botox, fillers or cosmetic enhancement of some description.

Facial acupuncture has been around for hundreds of centuries taking a holistic approach to preventing and reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, skin pigmentation, impurities and acne- keeping us looking younger and feeling fantastic naturally!

A line or wrinkle on the face forms when that particular area is no longer receiving all the blood and nutrients it requires to keep collagen strong and plump. Cosmetic acupuncture works by increasing the flow of blood and qi (the bodies’ own energy) to these specific areas, rebuilding and strengthening collagen production, rehydrating and nourishing the skin.

From a Chinese Medicine perspective, each area of the face represents a channel system within your body. When these channels are affected by disharmony’s, including heat, cold, and yes especially emotions, we will notice differences in our appearance. The face acts as a mirror of the overall health and wellbeing of our body. When our internal organs are supported, our organic strengths are reflected in our facial features.

The number of needles used in cosmetic acupuncture varies for each individual. No two treatments are the same for everyone. There are many different types of needles used for facial acupuncture, most being very small in size thus quickly inserted making the treatment virtually painless, giving you an hour of blissful relaxation.

It is recommended to have 10-12 sessions of facial acupuncture over a 6 to 10 week period, depending on how rapidly you respond to the treatment and on how exhausted the affected area is. It may be beneficial to continue with maintenance every six months and it is suggested to do a full course of treatment once a year, however the need varies from person to person. You should start seeing results in your skin in as little as two to three treatments and noticing your general health and wellbeing improving in as little as one session.

Why choose acupuncture over Botox? Botox involves the injection of chemicals into the muscles of your face to hinder movement. It takes up to two weeks for the chemicals to set. These chemicals breakdown and then get released into the body gradually resulting in your Botox wearing off after 3-4 months. Acupuncture works with your own body! There is no injection of chemicals and the affects last much longer, not to mention the cost of acupuncture is oodles cheaper!

So the next time the panic arises over a line or wrinkle, instead of reaching for the car keys, stop and think about repairing your skin from the inside out with a healthy dose of acupuncture!