Acupuncture Facial Rejuvenation
Acupuncture for....beauty?
You have seen your own strength.
You have seen your own beauty.
You have seen your golden wings...
...You are in truth the soul, of the soul, of the soul.
-Rumi
You have seen your own beauty.
You have seen your golden wings...
...You are in truth the soul, of the soul, of the soul.
-Rumi
Cosmetic acupuncture, or acupuncture facial rejuventation, has been around for a long time. Popular in America for at least a decade, acupuncture has been used for facial beauty enhancement in China as early as the Sung Dynasty (960AD-1270AD).
Patients began asking me about cosmetic acupuncture years ago, and I had little experience with it. In recent years, I have become more drawn to the idea of acupuncture facial rejuvenation, so pursued study with renowned facial acupuncturist Michelle Gellis.
Since then I have fallen in love with the process of acupuncture facial rejuvenation. I have also had to do some soul-searching to discover what it is I really love about cosmetic acupuncture.
Since then I have fallen in love with the process of acupuncture facial rejuvenation. I have also had to do some soul-searching to discover what it is I really love about cosmetic acupuncture.
I don't think anyone has ever accused me of being particularly vain. It's not unlike me to leave the house without makeup on my face, and I genuinely do not care what people think of my appearance by social standards of beauty.
So, what's the attraction then, if not vanity?
I believe it comes down to three things: emotion, communication, and vitality.
So, what's the attraction then, if not vanity?
I believe it comes down to three things: emotion, communication, and vitality.
EMOTION
We emote from our face.
Our face betrays our inner thoughts and feelings more than our words. Furrowed brows tell a story of frustration, a wrinkled forehead of worry, a tight jaw of chronic stress. Many acupuncturists shy away from working on the face, despite there being many powerful acupuncture points all over the face. Doing acupuncture on the face may appear more invasive than on the body, but it is also so very powerful. I was surprised by how different I felt after my first facial treatment. Patterns of tension, old emotional "stuckness" and musculoskeletal imbalance is released during a facial treatment. This results in a full-body effect of relaxation and more.
COMMUNICATION
From the emotion expressed in our face, we communicate with the outside world. The lines and tension on your face communicate something to the world around you, even if you are unaware of it. Have you known someone to look tired, angry or sad when they professed not to be? Unconscious thoughts, feelings and tension reside in the face. This communicates things to the world around us that we are not intending to imply. This leads to the people around us reflecting back a response to a feeling or thought we don't mean to be holding. When tension and lines in our face communicate something different than what we are thinking or feeling, it leads to a general imbalance in our life, an inauthenticity to who we feel we are and who we are striving to be.
VITALITY
Ageing is not ugly.
I don't promote the concept of anti-ageing. As the saying goes, ageing is better than the alternative! But there is an ageing of the face that is natural, one that can even be graceful, and one that is accelerated. Natural ageing involves wrinkles and sagging skin that look balanced and appropriate. This is achieved through a healthy, balanced lifestyle, and may be affected by genetics.
Graceful ageing is the facial appearance of someone who is 10 or more years older than they look. This is facial ageing with intervention--perhaps surgical or cosmetic, and genetics can factor in the equation as well. Often, graceful ageing is achieved through a multi-faceted approach: emotional wellness and stress management, healthy diet, sleep and exercise habits, and wellness maintenance through preventative therapies. This is the form of ageing achieved through facial acupuncture treatment.
The sooner one begins facial acupuncture in their life, the greater the effect on graceful ageing. Accelerated ageing results from stress, insomnia, poor health and poor lifestyle habits. Even the most healthy of us can show signs of premature ageing due to periods of stress or emotional upheaval in our lives. A bout of serious illness can leave us looking a decade older in a matter of months. When we look in the mirror and see sudden signs of ageing accelerated beyond the normal gradual changes associated with time, it is a sign of ill health. No one wants to communicate ill health through their face. No one wants to look in the mirror and see the results of illness, stress or past trauma. This is not the normal progression of facial ageing, and what we see on the outside can take a toll on our general wellbeing.
I have witnessed colleagues being criticized by other acupuncturists for providing facial acupuncture rejuvenation treatments, as though they are catering to vanity. As though cosmetic acupuncture is heightening the image-consciousness of our society.
What a terrible thing that is, to make people feel guilty for wanting to look more vital on the outside. Our inner vitality does shine through on the outside, and vice versa. How we look on the outside affects our inner self. By using acupuncture to treat facial appearance, we are treating the inner workings of the body as well--both directly and indirectly, as acupuncture can't help but be a holistic treatment.
Inevitably, there will always be some people who seek cosmetic acupuncture purely for vanity. As acupuncture facial treatment is a more gradual and natural form of cosmetic enhancement, this type of person is more likely to opt for the faster-acting treatments like fillers or Botox or more invasive treatment like a face lift. Acupuncture facial rejuvenation stands as an option for those of us who simply want to look vital, rested, to erase tension and stress from our face, and to mirror our inner self-improvements on our surface.
Who is this for?
Acupuncture facial rejuvenation is NOT for someone who wants instant reshaping of their face. Cosmetic acupuncture is not a face lift. Acupuncture facial rejuvenation can induce great improvements in facial appearance and function, but it is a process that takes time, and from which the results are more sustainable and holistic. Noticeable changes are usually evident after even the first session; cosmetic acupuncture can be used as a one-time treatment before a special event, and it can also be used once a month as a preventative treatment. To get significant results for specific issues requires patience and a willingness to invest time in yourself.
Acupuncture facial rejuvenation is NOT for someone who has recently had work done on their face (ie Botox, fillers, etc), as it can undo that sort of cosmetic alteration.
Acupuncture facial rejuvenation is NOT for someone who has unmanaged high blood pressure, migraines or other frequent or severe headaches, or who has a fear of needles.
Acupuncture facial rejuvenation is NOT for someone who wants an acupuncture treatment for another condition. Cosmetic acupuncture treatment cannot be combined with treatment for body pain, internal illness, etc. The focus of this treatment is targeted to the face, and trying to focus treatment on other areas concurrently would take away from the intended effects. If you need treatment for another condition, it is recommended to treat that separately.
Acupuncture facial rejuvenation IS for someone who wants to treat the appearance of their face, while also enjoying such possible side effects as feeling calm and relaxed. Acupuncture is a whole-body treatment regardless of what is being worked on, therefore most people find general improvements in varying aspects of their health as a side effect of focusing on the face.
Acupuncture facial rejuvenation IS for people of all ages and facial types. It is as effective for men as it is for women. It is a great preventative for younger faces (20s and 30s), and is an effective treatment on ageing faces as well. Cosmetic acupuncture is especially great for anyone who has to represent their career or social group in person and aims to consistently reflect health and vitality on their face. Particularly someone who has an irregular schedule, must travel often, or who cannot live an optimal lifestyle for some reason will benefit greatly in keeping up their visual appearance through acupuncture facial rejuvenation treatment.
Acupuncture facial rejuvenation is for someone who values their health, inside and out. It is for someone who wants to invest in the long game, to look and feel as good as they can for the remainder of their years.
Acupuncture facial rejuvenation is NOT for someone who has recently had work done on their face (ie Botox, fillers, etc), as it can undo that sort of cosmetic alteration.
Acupuncture facial rejuvenation is NOT for someone who has unmanaged high blood pressure, migraines or other frequent or severe headaches, or who has a fear of needles.
Acupuncture facial rejuvenation is NOT for someone who wants an acupuncture treatment for another condition. Cosmetic acupuncture treatment cannot be combined with treatment for body pain, internal illness, etc. The focus of this treatment is targeted to the face, and trying to focus treatment on other areas concurrently would take away from the intended effects. If you need treatment for another condition, it is recommended to treat that separately.
Acupuncture facial rejuvenation IS for someone who wants to treat the appearance of their face, while also enjoying such possible side effects as feeling calm and relaxed. Acupuncture is a whole-body treatment regardless of what is being worked on, therefore most people find general improvements in varying aspects of their health as a side effect of focusing on the face.
Acupuncture facial rejuvenation IS for people of all ages and facial types. It is as effective for men as it is for women. It is a great preventative for younger faces (20s and 30s), and is an effective treatment on ageing faces as well. Cosmetic acupuncture is especially great for anyone who has to represent their career or social group in person and aims to consistently reflect health and vitality on their face. Particularly someone who has an irregular schedule, must travel often, or who cannot live an optimal lifestyle for some reason will benefit greatly in keeping up their visual appearance through acupuncture facial rejuvenation treatment.
Acupuncture facial rejuvenation is for someone who values their health, inside and out. It is for someone who wants to invest in the long game, to look and feel as good as they can for the remainder of their years.
F.A.Q.s
How much does it cost? The initial session takes approximately 110 minutes and costs $150. Follow-up sessions take approximately 75 minutes and cost $120. We also offer a needle-free Chinese Medicine Facial (no acupuncture, only gentle facial cupping, massage and jade stone gua sha) which lasts 50 minutes and costs $80.
Will insurance cover it? No.
Does it hurt? Sometimes, a little. It's much like regular acupuncture. Some points don't feel like much at all, some pinch, others ache a little, and after the needles have been in for a while, it's often very very relaxing.
What is a session like? A facial acupuncture session includes needles in the face, as well as a few in the body (acupuncture channels that begin or end in the face extend to the hands and feet). You will be reclined comfortably on a massage bed or lounge chair covered in memory foam. After the needles are inserted, you will rest quietly for a bit, then the needles are removed from the face and other work begins. A cosmetic treatment also includes neck, shoulder and facial massage with our own organic antioxidant oil blend, gentle facial cupping, and jade stone gua sha and facial roller treatment to finish.
How many treatments will I need and how often? Many people have stand-alone sessions as desired for facial wellness and prevention, and just because it feels so good. Most people book sessions weekly or twice a month, especially at first. The standard "course of treatment" is considered 12-20 sessions, at first weekly, and then moving to twice monthly after the first twelve weeks. In my experience, it is difficult for most people to commit to weekly sessions, even when they want to. If you are attempting to smooth out fine wrinkles or lines, consecutive treatments of no further than three weeks apart is important to maintain progress. Otherwise, once monthly treatments go a long way to maintaining overall facial radiance, especially after an initial month of weekly sessions. Another way to maintain progress if you are not able to come in often is to take home some self-care tools, which can be discussed at your appointment.
I'm interested, how easy is it to book an appointment? We are a small office, and Miranda is the only therapist trained in this style of treatment in the area. The sessions are long (always over an hour) and require specific tools and preparatory work for the therapist before treatment. Very rarely will a same-day appointment be available; in general there will be a two week wait or longer for a first visit. We do keep a cancellation list, and will do our best to accommodate your needs, but the best bet is to book appointments ahead of time to secure your desired spot.
Will insurance cover it? No.
Does it hurt? Sometimes, a little. It's much like regular acupuncture. Some points don't feel like much at all, some pinch, others ache a little, and after the needles have been in for a while, it's often very very relaxing.
What is a session like? A facial acupuncture session includes needles in the face, as well as a few in the body (acupuncture channels that begin or end in the face extend to the hands and feet). You will be reclined comfortably on a massage bed or lounge chair covered in memory foam. After the needles are inserted, you will rest quietly for a bit, then the needles are removed from the face and other work begins. A cosmetic treatment also includes neck, shoulder and facial massage with our own organic antioxidant oil blend, gentle facial cupping, and jade stone gua sha and facial roller treatment to finish.
How many treatments will I need and how often? Many people have stand-alone sessions as desired for facial wellness and prevention, and just because it feels so good. Most people book sessions weekly or twice a month, especially at first. The standard "course of treatment" is considered 12-20 sessions, at first weekly, and then moving to twice monthly after the first twelve weeks. In my experience, it is difficult for most people to commit to weekly sessions, even when they want to. If you are attempting to smooth out fine wrinkles or lines, consecutive treatments of no further than three weeks apart is important to maintain progress. Otherwise, once monthly treatments go a long way to maintaining overall facial radiance, especially after an initial month of weekly sessions. Another way to maintain progress if you are not able to come in often is to take home some self-care tools, which can be discussed at your appointment.
I'm interested, how easy is it to book an appointment? We are a small office, and Miranda is the only therapist trained in this style of treatment in the area. The sessions are long (always over an hour) and require specific tools and preparatory work for the therapist before treatment. Very rarely will a same-day appointment be available; in general there will be a two week wait or longer for a first visit. We do keep a cancellation list, and will do our best to accommodate your needs, but the best bet is to book appointments ahead of time to secure your desired spot.