by Ko Ching Lu EAMP, LAc
Greetings! My name is Ko Ching Lu, and in case you have yet to hear about me, I am your new favorite Acupuncturist and just joined up with AIM last month. When we were discussing topics for this newsletter, I was excited to share something that you may have never considered that can have pretty amazing results.
We all have heard of Western Botox injections, collagen injections, laser treatments and chemical peels. However, have you ever heard of facial rejuvenation with cosmetic acupuncture? Can facial acupuncture really help to give you tighter and more youthful looking skin? Can facial acupuncture give you “face-lift” like results without going through surgery? Does cosmetic acupuncture help get rid of dark circles and puffiness under the eyes?
You may be surprised when you read that the answer to all of these questions is Yes!
Our faces are constantly exposed to harsh chemicals like makeup, air pollution, UV rays, molds and many other irritants. All of those daily toxins can cause long term stress on our delicate faces and can lead to faster facial aging that contributes to wrinkles on the forehead, crows’ feet around the eyes, dull looking complexions or even sagging facial fascia. We all have emotions like stress in life, work, children, and relationships that can also reflect on our skin, speeding up the skin aging process.
The facial cosmetic acupuncture doesn’t have any side effects and is a gentle and safe alternative if you don’t want to put extra toxins into your body, or you just want to try something low impact that can make a big cosmetic difference. It also provides a longer sustained effect without the need of frequent maintenance.
How does facial acupuncture work, and what can it do for me?
Our facial cosmetic acupuncture procedure uses incredibly fine needles to target troubled facial lines around the foreheads, lines between the eyebrows, crows’ lines, and lines around the mouth.
The treatment starts with a couple qi (vital energy) moving points on the limbs to help with circulation of the body and calming the spirits during the treatment.
Next the procedure uses a technique called lift and pins. This is a technique where the facial fascia from under the chin is rolled in upward directions and passes the hairline and 3 needles is used to pin the fascia for both sides of the face.
After that tiny needles would be used to target the specific fine lines that concern the individual patient.
Each session is an hour long. When the session is done, essential oil like chamomile will be applied to calm the skin and light rose water or lavender will be applied to the face to help calm the redness.
Facial cosmetic acupuncture:
- Lifts /tightens droopy saggy facial fascia
- Improves circulation and reduce puffiness
- Dissipate heavy eye bags and blackness under the eyes.
- Improves facial elasticity and collagen productions
- Improves collagen production to look younger and plumpier skin
- Reduces and prevents fine lines/crow lines
- Improves/speed skin cell regeneration
- Reduces old/acne scaring and sun spots
- Gives brighter complexion
When is a good time to start?
After the age of 35, it is strongly recommended to start the facial treatment regime. As we pass the age of 30, the skin cell generations start to decline and our collagen productions decreases as well. The skin start looking dull, droopy, dry and fine lines start forming. It is a good time to start the facial acupuncture to prevent skin from further aging.
Those with the following are not advised to use this treatment:
- Chronic migraine
- Hypertension
- Skin cancer
- Colds and flus
- Diabetic
- Pregnancy
Treatment plan:
Facial acupuncture requires a committed treatment plan. The initial treatment consist of 12 visits. A Patient needs to have it twice a week for 6 weeks and after that, based on patient needs. The treatment plan can become once a week for a month or as needed. Then, a patient can come in 1-2 times per month as needed and then the long-term plan would be once every half a year.
You should notice increased lift and tighter facial fascia and a brighter complexion as well as diminishing fine lines and eye bags. Additionally, you will notice reduced water retention on the face and around the eyes. Again, it is strongly recommended to follow the treatment plan in order to see the results.
If the whole protocol is followed, the facial rejuvenation can last for years without frequent maintenance.
Conclusion:
Facial rejuvenation acupuncture can support anti-aging by speeding up skin cell generations, reducing fine lines, and giving you a tighter and brighter face. Along with facial acupuncture, it is also recommended to have a healthy diet by consuming more vegetables like cucumbers, celery, bell peppers and fruits like berries (high in anti-oxidants), apples (collagen, elastin and polyphenols), oranges, pomegranates and many more. Avoid too much sugar, spicy, greasy, and fried foods.
Keep your system hydrated to keep your cells happy by drinking tea with anti-oxidants like green tea. Applying sunscreen on the face regardless of the weather can also help. Even maintaining stable emotional control, regular exercise routines, and healthy life styles (going to bed early) are important.
If you are interested in finding out more about The Acupuncture Face Lift, reach out to Ko Ching to book a visit by calling (425) 949-5961.