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Acupuncture for Skin Care in the News
Cosmetic Acupuncture, Facial Acupuncture, Facial Enhancement Acupuncture, Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture, Acupuncture Facelift, AcuFacial – these are some of the terms being used to describe when an acupuncturist uses needles to benefit the skin – and recently, all these types of acupuncture for skin care are getting a lot of coverage in the news.
Most recently, Good Morning America did a segment on AcuFacial, a new treatment from Shellie Goldstein, a New York area acupuncturist.
Goldstein says,
“We are taking your face to the gym, we’re exercising it. We have muscles in our body, we have muscles in our face, there is no other procedure that actually exercises the muscles and improves circulation in your skin.”
“The biggest thing has been my skin looks so clear and I rarely wear any makeup on my face, I have a nice glow to my face, my eyes don’t look tired or puffy,” she said. “I’ve noticed a lot of tightening especially in the jawline area, lift around the eyes … people look at me and say something is different but they don’t really know what and it’s all from the AcuFacial.” – Alyson Halter, AcuFacial patient
So, how is what we do here at In-Symmetry, The Acupuncture Facial, different?
Other types of acupuncture for skin care are performed only by an acupuncturist – who is generally not a licensed esthetician and is not using professional skin care products.
The Acupuncture Facial is different because it is performed by two different practitioners who are experts in their field.
Rachael Webb, LAc, FEA and Elizabeth Markham, LE have developed what may be the most effective anti-aging treatment around. Together they both focus on enhancing the health of your skin – one from the inside, the other from the outside. By balancing the body’s systems internally, and using professional skin care products externally, the patient feels beautiful inside and out.
“As within, so without.”
Through this collaboration, each practitioner is allowed to excel in her particular area of focus. Rachael does the acupuncture. Elizabeth does the facial. Together they are producing remarkable results, and patients are loving it.
Read more about the details of the treatment here.
Call In-Symmetry today to schedule your Acupuncture Facial – before we fill up!
415-875-9020
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Fillers: Quick Fix vs. Long Term Results
Via Total Beauty:
“All of us are looking for a quick fix that’ll make us look and feel better,” says board-certified cosmetic surgeon Dr. Fardad Forouzanpour of Beverly Hills Cosmetic Surgical Group. “But quick fixes often come with risks.”
Fillers like Juvederm and Restylane help plump up your lips, get rid of your laugh lines, and fill in your cheekbones. “These are quick fixes,” says Forouzanpour. However, you have to make sure that the doctor you’re going to is respectable and can guarantee the quality of the injections.
Forouzanpour says that when people try to get fillers on the cheap, there’s a good chance of things going wrong. He points to one case where doctors in Florida were injecting animal products from China because they were cheaper, and injected too much — so much that the client ended up in the hospital. He notes another horror story, where a woman who went to Mexico to get Juvederm fillers “got injected with who knows what and she ended up with scars, lumps, and bumps,” he says. “And you can’t correct something like that, because we don’t know what the injection was.”
The better option: Exilis
Forouzanpour recommends a nonsurgical procedure like Exilis, an FDA-approved radio frequency treatment that helps tighten the skin through heat. The collagen in the skin becomes tighter, thereby reducing fine lines and wrinkles. “It’s nothing like surgery,” he says. “While it doesn’t give you the same result, it does give a nice, refreshing look to the skin. And there aren’t side effects.”
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The even better option: Acupuncture
Facial Acupuncture uses tiny intra-dermal needles to create micro traumas that can facilitate the production of collagen and elastin. The needles are inserted inside the wrinkle or crease to bring increased nutrients, via the blood and energy, to that specific area.
Collagen is a protein produced by our bodies that is responsible for our skin’s durability and resilience. Elastin is responsible for the elasticity of our skin. Sun exposure and aging degrade and decrease the production of our collagen and elastin. Acupuncture helps to stimulate the body’s natural processes of cell reproduction and growth. Needles are also placed in the muscle motor points to re-educate the muscles back to their original placement, thus the face looks more sculpted, more youthful and lifted.
How long does Facial Acupuncture last? It’s kind of like a snowball, the more you do it the better it looks – this is particularly true in the beginning. This is why most Facial Acupuncturists usually require a patient to commit to 10-12 sessions in order to see results. The side effects of Facial Acupuncture? Many patients report decreased stress, better sleep, improved digestion, decreased depression and/or anxiety, reduced hot flashes, and increased energy.
For more information email: integrating beauty@gmail.com
Courtesy Marisa Belger
Acupuncture: The New Facelift? (WebMD Article)
Informative article from WebMD on Facial Acupuncture. Here’s an excerpt:
“Acupuncture, a form of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), is designed to free up chi, or energy. When the needles — approximately 30-40 — are applied to the body and face, production of collagen and elastin may be stimulated, says Lucas, and skin is “plumped up.”
By addressing other parts of the body in addition to the face, acupuncture assists the body’s ability to support the “facelift.”
“We’re helping you to be younger — and look younger — by improving your energy from the inside out,” Lucas explains. “This still is TCM — it’s not just about the face; it’s about the whole body.”
“Chinese medicine is the true antiaging medicine,” Lucas says. “It helps your own body create a more youthful appearance.””
Click here to read the full article: http://www.webmd.com/healthy-beauty/features/acupuncture-new-facelift
Hold the Chemicals, Bring on the Needles (NYT Article)
Excerpt:
“JANE BECKER, a composer and solo pianist, celebrated her 50th birthday at the dermatologist, paying $1,500 for shots of Restylane and Botox. But three months later, their wrinkle-smoothing effects wore off. So, she turned to a less-artificial youth tonic: facial acupuncture….
…Whether it is called facial rejuvenation, acupuncture face-lift or cosmetic acupuncture, the aim is to tackle wrinkles, muscle tension that may be causing unsightly lines, as well as systematic issues standing between you and glowing skin. Just as with traditional needling, putting needles on acupuncture points stimulates the body’s natural energies, called qi, but with added benefits…
Many cosmetic acupuncturists pride themselves on their holistic service. “The way I look at it, your health is reflected in your skin,” said Anita Lee, a licensed acupuncturist who has a private practice that specializes in women’s health in Manhattan. Because acupuncture facials improve circulation and unblock stuck energy, Ms. Lee said, “they help people heal from the inside out…
…Ms. Becker, too, has come to think of her acupuncture facials as a kind of preventive medicine. “If I have any stress on my kidneys, liver and spleen, it shows up on my face,” she said. “Keeping my systems healthy is a win-win all around….”
Click here for the full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/13/fashion/13SKIN.html?_r=1
Integrating Beauty 