COSMETIC ACUPUNCTURE
Cosmetic acupuncture facials are becoming a hot topic of conversation & used by many a celebrity. By using fine needles inserted just under the skin in specific acupuncture points, this works to refresh the complexion by encouraging blood to the area, helping to smooth the skin from wrinkles & fine lines whilst also having a lifting effect on the muscles of the face.
Using hair fine needles, the practice of acupuncture balances & treats the energetic flow of the body, which enhances the looks of a patient to ensure a skin that becomes firmer, more rejuvenated & a complexion which becomes smoother & clearer.
Good skin tone relies on the health of our connective tissue which adheres our skin to our muscles. When this tissue is not properly supported & breaks down, our skin sags, dimples & loses its firm appearance & wrinkles become noticeable. Cosmetic acupuncture from the very first treatment starts to rebuild this connective tissue. Fine wrinkles & lines are individually treated as well, activating the lost collagen in each area so that the wrinkles begin to fill out steadily over time.
As each person’s health & lifestyle is individual, so age & other factors mean that they respond to treatments at different speeds. As such, one of the keys to my treatments is that each patient adheres to lifestyle & general dietary advice discussed during sessions together to maximise & lengthen their treatment results, so that the factors that caused the tissues to break down in the first place are explained in order that correct choices can be made for the future.
What is involved during each treatment?
There are two different types of facial involved in a course of treatments & these are mainly alternated.
- Jade Guasha Facial
- Skin Lifting & Individual Wrinkle Needling Treatment.
Jade Guasha Facial: This consists of four stages. During these facials, only the body is needled whilst an oil is applied to the face & neck & a smooth instrument made from cooling jade is used. The jade is then used to work against each individual wrinkle to give it a smoother appearance in order to encourage the collagen underneath each wrinkle to grow & help fill out the wrinkle & then the face is smoothed & lymphatic drainage given.
If baggy eyes, swollen lids & dark circles are problematic for a patient, then a gentle procedure called ‘cupping’ is given to target these areas.
Where the chin is sagging or hanging, appropriate treatment is targeted in this area.
Following this, the skin is thoroughly cleansed & prepared for the absorption of 100% strength Hyaluronic Acid, a natural acid which we all produce in our bodies. It is found in many cosmetic products but usually in very weak strengths. Further guasha treatment is then given until the Hyaluronic acid has dried.
Skin Lifting & Individual Wrinkle Needling Treatment:
This treatment is given with the patient sitting up comfortably, because it is essential to see where the face is ‘dropping’ in order to ensure that it can be lifted appropriately.
For the patient’s comfort, an anaesthetic cream is applied to the areas which need lifting or where individual wrinkles will be treated & whilst this works, the necessary body points needled. Attention is paid to the brows, nasal labial groove, jowl, outer edge of the eyebrow & where necessary after a few sessions, the neck too.
For individual wrinkles, needles are inserted very superficially along the length of the chosen wrinkles as well.
How many treatments will I need?
Twelve sessions are recommended for older skins & a minimum of 10 sessions for younger patients. Fewer treatments than this will not achieve the desired effect.
How frequently will I need treatments?
The whole course of treatment where 12 sessions are needed lasts for a total of 10 weeks. For the first 3 weeks, treatments 1-6 are given twice weekly & then once weekly for treatments 7-11 & then the 12th & final treatment is given a fortnight after the 11th.
Do I need an initial consultation?
Yes, if you haven’t received any acupuncture from me previously. A thorough TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) consultation must be taken to ensure that you’re safe for treatment & so that proper nutritional, health & lifestyle advice can be given, tailored to your specific needs. No practitioner is insured without this. Although we will be focusing on your cosmetic needs, the energetic system of the body is extremely complex, so an imbalance in one area, will almost certainly lead onto imbalances in others & will show in the texture, puffiness of the skin & so on. As such, I allow 2.5hours for my first facial cosmetic consultation & treatment. That said, if you have already received an acupuncture treatment with me, then the first treatment together will be a guasha style treatment & no further consultation will be necessary as far as symptoms etcetera are concerned.