COSMETIC ACUPUNCTURE
“Dear gentlemen! Don’t try to introduce yourself to beautiful charming ladies leaving our institution. They might be your grandmothers” (Beauty Institution advertisement)
Cosmetic Acupuncture known as non-surgical or an Acupuncture Facelift is a procedure that helps to rejuvenate and revitalize your face and whole body. It will improve blood and energy circulation, nourish your skin and increase collagen production to diminish the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, sagging and dull skin. This procedure which is advised to be applied within 10-15 session 2-3 times a week may help with aging skin by taking off 10-15 years from your face. There is no doubt that it will also cure your depression regarding distorted body image.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), from where acupuncture originated, human health is maintained while the life energy, Qi (Chi), flows freely throughout the meridians, invisible energy body channels. If the flow is blocked, the system is disrupted and pain or illness occurs. Acupuncture, which basically is the insertion of disposable fine needles, works to “re-program” and restore normal functions by stimulating certain points on the meridians in order to free up the energy. In case of cosmetic acupuncture as the movement of energy improves, a greater amount of energy and blood are circulate to the face, nourishing, hydrating, toning and diminishing the appearance of wrinkles.
The first record of Acupuncture goes back to the 4,700 year old Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine). It is believed to be the oldest medical textbook in the world. It is said to have been written down from even earlier theories by Shen Nung, the father of Chinese Medicine. Shen Nung documented theories about circulation, pulse, and the heart over 4,000 years before European medicine had any concept about them.
Acupuncture became widely known in the United States in 1971 after the president Nixon visited China. New York Times reporter James Reston wrote about how doctors in Beijing, China, used needles to ease his abdominal pain after surgery. Research shows that acupuncture is beneficial in treating a variety of health conditions. In the past two decades, acupuncture has grown in popularity in the United States. In 1993, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimated that Americans made 9 to 12 million visits per year to acupuncture practitioners and spent as much as $500 million on acupuncture treatments.
The World Health Organization recognizes the use of acupuncture in the treatment of a wide range of medical problems, including:
• Digestive disorders: gastritis and hyperacidity, spastic colon, constipation, diarrhea. • Respiratory disorders: sinusitis, sore throat, bronchitis, asthma, recurrent chest infections.
• Neurological and muscular disorders: headaches, facial tics, neck pain, rib neuritis, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, various forms of tendinitis, low back pain, sciatica, osteoarthritis.
• Urinary, menstrual, and reproductive problems. Acupuncture is particularly useful in resolving physical problems related to tension and stress and emotional conditions.
Cosmetic Acupuncture has attracted great attention in the last few years, especially in the big cities like New York City and Los Angeles. It used to be a treatment for the elite, wealthy and famous people in Hollywood.
In 1996 the international journal of Clinical Acupuncture reported that among 300 cases treated with Cosmetic Acupuncture 90% had marked effects with one course of treatment. The effects included: skin becoming delicate, improvement of elasticity of facial muscles, ruddier complexion, and overall rejuvenation.
According to Cosmetic Acupuncture practice the benefits may include:
• saggy skin lifting (puffy or droopy eyelids) • double chin reduction
• frown and fine lines reduction
• collagen production increase
• brightening of eyes
• muscle tone and dermal contraction improvement
• improvement of hormonal balance to reduce acne appearance
• facial color and tone
• blood, energy and lymph circulation increase
The whole procedure will leave you feeling refreshed, relaxed and rejuvenated. Acupuncture nourishes the skin, giving you a healthy complexion with a natural glow, moisturizes the skin from inside, and gives rosy cheeks to people with dull, tired looking skin. And it's not a secret, that if a woman looks good, there is no room for depression!
Cosmetic acupuncture delivers results you can see right away. It is a healthy alternative to Botox, dermal fillers, microdermabrasion, photo rejuvenation and chemical. Cosmetic acupuncture is not a replacement for surgical face-lift, and actually it can be used in conjunction with plastic surgery in terms of easing post surgical pain and speeding up swelling disappearance. However, for those who fear surgery, cosmetic acupuncture may be a better option, as it is much less expensive and, additionally, has benefits of improving your health.
Finally, cosmetic acupuncture practitioners can use some additional acupuncture points (usually on the arms and legs) to work on the inside energy misbalance. It is a holistic approach, working on the physical appearance and on the underlying factors which influence that.
Leonid Vorobyev, M. D.
Certified in Medical Acupuncture
