Cosmetic acupuncture, also known as facial acupuncture, is a Traditional Chinese Medicine practice that involves inserting thin, sterile needles into specific points on the face to stimulate circulation, collagen production, and overall skin health. It's often considered a natural alternative to more invasive cosmetic procedures. This technique can reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin, as well as promote a more radiant complexion.
At Botanical Point we believe in healing from the inside-out, which means during our Cosmetic Treatments you will still receive a full acupuncture treatment. It is important to treat the face, but it is just as important to understand how the body is functioning as a whole. This allows the practitioner to address any internal imbalances that may show up on the face.
Internal imbalances that manifest on the skin
Blood deficiency: Blood deficiency is extremely common in vegetarians and women who have had multiple pregnancies or suffer from prolonged heavy periods. If the body is not full of blood the tissues will be less hydrated and will make the skin more susceptible to wrinkles. Blood deficiency is another common underlying root cause of skin rashes like psoriasis and eczema. However, skin rash patterns are usually quite complex and have several imbalances layered on one another, which have festered for some time.
Dampness: Dampness is a byproduct engendered from the digestive system. It can occur from a constitutional weak gut, overthinking, not resting after eating, irregular eating habits/skipping meals, consuming the same foods over again, eating late into the night and overeating sugary, deep-fried, greasy (including baked goods) foods or alcohol. Dampness tends to lodge itself into the body. It can show up as loose stools, excess weight, swollen sore joints, foggy headedness/forgetfulness, headaches with weather changes, or it can manifest on the skin, as cystic acne on the body or face.
Excess Heat: similar to blood deficiency, excess heat can also dry the fluids and produce wrinkles. It can also cause redness, malar flush on the cheeks or rosacea. Heat can be further broken down into excess heat or deficiency heat, which will be diagnosed by your practitioner and treated accordingly.
Blood Stasis: blood stasis can occur anywhere in the body. We see it begin to affect the skin especially when it occurs in the uterus - endometriosis and PCOS (which is also a damp condition). When your practitioner inquires about your skin, they will also inquire about the quality of your menstrual cycle. Do you have PMS, cramps, heavy/moderate/light flow, how many days do you bleed for, what is the color and quality of your blood? Often these underlying patterns if left for prolonged periods of time, will begin to show on the face. Blood stasis can also appear on the face as old remanence of acne scars - purple scars that take a long time to fade.
How does Cosmetic Acupuncture work?
At Botanical Point, skin care is a science! We take the time to evaluate each client's skin type, internal dysfunctions and current home care routine. We offer guidance, education and provide products for sale specific to individual skin concerns.
Aside from topical products, one question we are often asked is: how does Cosmetic Acupuncture provide facial rejuvenation? And that answer lies within the science.
Facial rejuvenation can have multiple definitions depending on the results sought after. For some this might be wrinkle prevention, for others it is clearing up acne and acne scarring, and for the rest it might be related to firming skin, smoothing texture and reducing the signs of aging. All of these goals can be summed under one scientific definition: restore cellular homeostasis and balance cellular function.
There are 3 key cells we need to target for the most effective facial rejuvenation.
1. Keratinocyte/Corneocytes Responsible for skins smoothness Improves epidermal density *Compact layer for strong barrier function
Keratinocytes proliferate in the basal layer of the epidermis and start differentiating on their way to the surface. During this process, they profoundly change their morphology and start to produce keratin, cytokines, growth factors, interleukins and complement factors. At the natural end of keratinocytes life cycle they stop producing keratin and become corneocytes - an important layer in the skins natural defense barrier. Cosmetic Acupuncture includes deep pore exfoliation with steam which is essential to remove the two layers of corneocytes which speeds up the natural process of cells (a process that begins to slow as we age) and facial needling during Cosmetic Acupuncture initiates the healthy response of keratinocytes, releasing several growth factors that orchestrate underlying cell turn over, the mechanism behind facial rejuvenation.
2. Melanocytes First cells to show signs of ageing Epidermis loses 10-20% of these functioning cells every 10 years after 35 years of age
Melanocytes are very susceptible to heat injury, and when damaged hypo - or hyper-pigmentation occurs. Regulating melanocyte cell functioning is key to any successful skin treatment. This step is often facilitated with LED light therapy and the proper use of home care products.
3. Fibroblasts Stimulate collagen, elastin, and glucosaminoglycans (hyaluronic) Produce firmness, tightness and proper hydration
Fibroblasts are stimulated by wound healing, which is caused by needling during Cosmetic Acupuncture.
During cosmetic Acupuncture treatments, we will stimulate the cells to restore homeostasis and speed up the natural process of cells, but we also need to take a close look at the internal functioning of the body. As we know cells can only do what they are told with the building blocks the body provides. Gut function plays an important role in the absorption of nutrients and minerals, and of course, these nutrients must first be consumed, so dietary habits will also be examined from a holistic perspective.
What to expect during the treatment
Before booking any cosmetic treatments, we ask that you first book an Initial Acupuncture Consult & Treatment, which will give us ample time for a thorough health history, and develop a diagnosis and treatment plan specific to your needs.
During the 90min Cosmetic Acupuncture treatment there will be a brief intake, the practitioner will ask questions and look at your tongue and then ask you to remove specific articles of clothing and lay on the table face up under the sheets and blankets. At Botanical Point we place emphasis on only using the best products for your skin, so our clinic will only use organic professional grade products which will be tailored to your skin type.
The treatment will begin with a facial cleanse and then a lactic acid enzyme exfoliating mask, which will be removed with a hot towel. The next part of the treatment will vary depending on your skin goals, but generally a rose hip oil/water-based massage lotion is applied for a soothing face massage, facial cupping and gua sha. After this, the nervous system will be very relaxed and more open to the healing effects of Acupuncture, as needles will be placed in the face but also the body. The face needles are so small they must be inserted using tweezers - this is done for minimal sensitivity. After needling you will lay under the Celluma LED red light, which is proven to target and proliferate fibroblasts and stimulate collagen/elastin production, and/or the LED blue light, which will kill acne bacteria to prevent future breakouts. After 20 minutes of deep relaxation, the needles will be removed, and a custom face mask will be selected for your skin type. This mask will also be removed by a hot towel, and then your face will be nourished with serums, lotions and protected with sunscreen before you leave.
If you have acupuncture covered under your health benefits, you can likely claim this service. Please refer to your specific benefit pamphlets to see if you have coverage.
If you are curious about how Cosmetic Acupuncture can help you reach your skin goals or what kind of skin types it is good for, please reach out to us, we are happy to answer any questions you may have!