Why Cosmetic Acupuncture is the “New Botox”

Why Cosmetic Acupuncture is the “New Botox”

 

Sometimes it takes time – like a few centuries, perhaps? – to catch on to a health or beauty trend.  If you scroll through the social media feeds of natural spas and salons, holistic healing centers, or health gurus, then undoubtedly you’ve seen more than enough posts about cupping, facial gua sha, and cosmetic acupuncture recently.  In fact, I’m seeing posts everywhere declaring cosmetic acupuncture as the “new botox”, and as an acupuncturist who has been offering this service in my private practice since 2014, I’m receiving more requests over the past few months about facial rejuvenation and cosmetic acupuncture than ever before. 

 

So, is cosmetic acupuncture really comparable to botox?  Well, yes, in many ways it is.  Cosmetic acupuncture doesn’t provide drastic and immediate results, like botox, and it is not typical for deep lines and wrinkles to completely disappear, but cosmetic acupuncture will likely leave you with a healthy glow and a peaceful mind, at the very least, after your first session. So, let’s break down what cosmetic acupuncture can do. 

 

Cosmetic Acupuncture works by calling in the cells that plump up the skin – including fibrinogen, elastin, and collagen – to migrate to the area of the acupuncture treatment and start replicating.  The effects are as you would expect: the areas in which the acupuncture is performed start to tighten and plump up over time.  Deep wrinkles soften, fine lines fill in, sagging or loose skin tightens, pores shrink, and the areas around the jaw line and eyes lift.  People start asking if you’ve been working out more lately, or you changed your beauty products.  I’ve even had a patient say that a few people asked when she got a facelift.  Results are different for everyone.

 

As you can imagine, it takes more than one cosmetic acupuncture session to get the results described above.  Cosmetic acupuncture works with biology.  It is estimated that 10 to 12 treatments over a 5 to 6-week period are necessary in order to gain the optimal benefit.  Results tend to be more dramatic in the healthiest patients, specifically, those who have a healthy digestive system. 

 

There are ways to boost the effects of cosmetic acupuncture in order to get the most out of your sessions.

·      Drink plenty of water

·      Quit alcohol (at least during the weeks of the cosmetic sessions)

·      Eat clean and green by cutting out inflammatory foods, such as gluten, sugar, and dairy

·      Take probiotics

·      Let the acupuncture do the rest.  As you enjoy your cosmetic sessions, your acupuncturist will also work on your underlying health issues, calm your stress, and balance your hormones.

 

Only Licensed Acupuncturists are certified and licensed to offer cosmetic acupuncture treatments, but even an acupuncture license isn’t sufficient to perform cosmetic acupuncture, as there are advanced techniques to learn in order to safely and effectively gain results.  So, if you are interested in cosmetic acupuncture, find a Licensed Acupuncturist who has been certified in facial rejuvenation or cosmetic acupuncture.