TREATMENTS

COSMETIC ACUPUNCTURE

What is Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture?

Known as Cosmetic Acupuncture, Facial Rejuvenation acupuncture is a virtually painless, non-surgical method of reducing the signs of the aging process. It helps the whole body look and feel younger by addressing the physical, mental and emotional patterns that cause disease and contrib-ute to the aging process. The use of acupuncture to slow the visible effects of aging began in China in the Song Dynasty (960-1279AD).

What are the effects?

Facial Rejuvenation reduces or eliminates fine lines, wrinkles, puffiness, sagging and discoloration of the face while simultaneously supporting overall health. In general, it may erase as many as five to fifteen years from the face, with results after just a few treatments. Fine lines may be eliminated and deeper wrinkles reduced. Bags under the eyes can be diminished; drooping eyelids, brow lines, sagging jowls and double chins lifted. It helps to eliminate puffiness by eliminating excess fluids and improving metabolism.

Treatments tighten pores, improve muscle tone and dermal contraction, increase collagen produc-tion and affect its distribution. Moisture in the skin and evenness of skin color will be balanced by increasing local circulation of blood and lymph to the face. Any stress that is evident in the face will be reduced.

Most importantly, Facial Rejuvenation acupuncture brings out your innate beauty and radiance. Though Facial Rejuvenation acupuncture can sometimes be referred to as an “Acupuncture Facelift,” it is more than just a cosmetic procedure.

What is the procedure?

Each treatment involves the insertion of tiny acupuncture needles into specific areas of the face, ears, neck, hands, feet, and legs to affect changes in the face as well as the whole body. On your first visit, we discuss your overall health history, including any physical, mental or emotional issues in your life that you feel you want to work on. We will evaluate what changes you would like to see in your face and skin, and then you receive an acupuncture treatment. The needles are inserted while you are relaxing and lying down on a massage table. Once the needles are in, you rest for 40 minutes. In general, the treatments are very relaxing and take about 1 hours.

How does Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture Work? 

- The principle of Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture is that beauty comes from within. If you are aging in a way that looks and feels unhealthy then it is possible that there is a fundamental, constitu-tional imbalance that is causing you to age in the ways that you are. When balance is restored, you will feel and look more radiant. 

- On a physiological level, acupuncture has been shown to increase circulation of blood and lymph throughout the body. Increased blood flow can balance out skin color and can help to maintain healthy skin and muscle tone. By increasing lymph flow, buildup of noxious elements in the skin can be eliminated by the body. 

- Acupuncture has also been proven to strengthen the immune system, and our skin is an essential part of our immune system. 

- The needles inserted into the face affect collagen and elastin production and its dispersal. Colla-gen 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 pro-cesses of cell reproduction and growth.

Why treat the body and not just the face?

The effects of Facial Rejuvenation acupuncture are not confined to the face. Each Facial Rejuve-nation acupuncture treatment is individualized according to how each person is aging. Thus, the treatment is an overall rejuvenation of your health as well as your appearance.

Throughout treatment, other physical symptoms you may be experiencing will also improve. Treatments can improve hormonal balance; delay the graying of hair and hair loss associated with aging. You may notice you have a better quality of sleep and increased energy. It will improve your digestion and metabolism and strengthen your immune system. You can also address and treat any chronic or recurring pain.

How many visits will I need?

In order to attain desired effects, a series of 6 to 8 weekly Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture treat-ments are required. Maintenance sessions usually occur monthly for 2 to 3 months and then sea-sonally for as long as you wish to maintain results.

WEIGHT LOSS

Beginning a Weight Loss Program

There is no miracle cure for weight loss. Everything you hear about commitment to nutrition, exer-cise and life-style changes is true; without them, any quick and easy weight loss “solution” is tempo-rary at best. But a committed person, one who is inspired to lose weight not only for their appear-ance but also for their health, can use acupuncture help them begin, achieve and maintain their weight loss goals. If you are ready to begin losing weight or have been trying to lose weight and are having difficulty, acupuncture can be a valuable adjunct therapy to your weight loss program.

In a recent study, acupuncture helped promote weight loss. 20 women between the ages of 22 and 42, all with BMI (Body Mass Index) higher than 27, were divided into 2 groups. The group of women who followed a regimen of a 2,000 calorie per day diet, daily exercise and weekly ear acupuncture treatments lost on average more than twice as much weight as those who only dieted and exer-cised, even if they did not comply exactly with the treatment plan.

How does Acupuncture Help?

It is important to address both the physiological and psychological aspects of weight loss. Since Ac-upuncture treat the physical, mental and emotional components to any illness, there are several ways that they can benefit you while you are trying to lose weight.

- Regulates Metabolism: Acupuncture also helps to regulate metabolism. A history of irregular eat-ing, overeating and even thyroid dysfunction all contribute to a slow metabolism. Acupuncture can help to increase metabolism by stimulating the thyroid and endocrine glands as your body adjusts to the changes in your diet and exercise. Affecting the endocrine system also helps to stabilize blood sugar levels.

- Stops Food Cravings: Regular acupuncture treatments can help curb food cravings, just as it has been proven to help cravings for other addictive substances like tobacco and alcohol. Support from acupuncture helps to eliminate cravings and increases the will power to overcome them.

- Benefits Digestion: Over time, things like crash diets, irregular eating habits and excessive greasy or fattening foods all take their toll on the digestion. Chronic symptoms such as bloating, gas, heart-burn, constipation or diarrhea are all signs that the digestive system is out of balance. Acupuncture can help to harmonize the digestive organs so that you are symptom-free. Proper digestion ensures that you are getting the nutrients you need from your food so you feel less hungry.

- Calming and Relaxing: When acupuncture needles are inserted into specific points on the body and in the ear it stimulates the release of endorphins. Endorphins have a calming and relaxing ef-fect on the body. Naturally releasing endorphins makes it easier to deal with stress, frustration and anxiety which can be triggers for emotional eating, overeating and bingeing on fattening foods.

- Cleansing: Acupuncture treatments during weight loss help to cleanse your system. Toxins that have been built up over time from excess weight and adipose tissue can cause symptoms such as fatigue, acne and depression. These can be relieved or eliminated with acupuncture, whether or not you are trying to lose weight.

How Many Treatments will I Need?

The number of acupuncture treatments necessary depends on the patient’s goals for losing weight, the speed at which they want to lose, and their commitment to a new, healthier lifestyle. In general, in the beginning it is important to come for consistent weekly or bi-weekly treatments to help get you started. Once you are feeling comfortable with your new weight loss plan, the number of treatments will decrease anywhere from one to two visits a month. When you have reached your weight loss goals, you need only come four times a year, when the seasons change, to keep your system balanced and healthy.