Facial Acupuncture- 10 ways TCM will make your skin glow!

photo by Sarah Comeau @sarahfaithcomeau

The idea of a bunch of needles sticking out of your face sounds way less relaxing than a good old face massage and a scrub, so why more and more people are queueing for this, seemingly, horror of a treatment? Well, they do, because the results make you realise that you’ve been wasting your time and money all this time on wrong facial procedures. Honestly, once you’ve tried facial acupuncture, you’ll never look back.

Benefits of acupuncture for beauty are countless, but to give you an idea, we’ll concentrate on the top 10 ways acupuncture, can make you look younger, healthier, and happier.

To understand the effect facial acupuncture will have on the condition of your skin, first of all you need to know that tradtional Chinese medicine (TCM) will look at you and your skin in a holistic way. Any qualified TCM doctor will tell you that the state of your skin is the result of multiple processes that take places in your other body systems (hormonal, cardio-vascular, digestive, immune to mention a few), and polishing the skin itself isn’t really going to change things dramatically unless you look into these other factors.

So let’s have a look at the top 10 ways facial acupuncture can improve those factors that determine how your skin looks and feels.

1. Endorphins.

Forget about stress, because acupuncture can help release endorphins. Endorphins, apart from being body’s natural painkillers, are also known as the hormone of happiness. Endorphins are released by the body naturally during certain activities such as exercising, listening to music and... eating chocolate. So you can get your endorphins is many ways, and acupuncture is one of them. And being happy makes your skin glow!

2. Serotonin.

Acupuncture can also help balance your serotonin. Serotonin is another hormone commonly associated with happiness and wellbeing, but also with healthy digestion. Serotonin is naturally produced in the gut. Balancing serotonin levels with acupuncture can improve both your mood and your digestion, helping avoid skin puffiness or water retention often caused by the digestive tract issues.

3. Improved circulation.

Acupuncture improves blood circulation in the treated areas, boosting the supply of oxygen  and nutrients to the skin and face muscles, which, in turn, improves the condition of all these tissues and reduces fine lines and wrinkles.

4. Immune boost.

Face has plenty of acupoints that connect to certain organs, and in facial acupuncture you’re actually addressing both your skin and general health. It’s an absolute win-win! For example, if your body uses less resources fighting bacteria because your immune system is strengthened by the treatment, you’re more likely to remain more in what’s called a parasympathetic nervous system mode, and that’s when your skin feels and appears supple and healthy.

5. Improved sleep.

After acupuncture you are guaranteed to have the best night’s sleep and brush off any fatigue, which a number one concern in a busy modern city living. Don’t we all know  that sleep is beauty’s best friend? The obejctive here is get rid of that fatigued look, get your zzz’s in and wake up looking fresh.

6. Getting off your meds.

Now we know that facial acupuncture is more than just a beauty procedure, it’s also addressing your health issues. For instance, by releasing body’s natural painkillers, acupuncture can help you get off some of your meds. After all, it's been said before that meds aren’t that great for the skin, as the body partially detoxifies the chemical residue through the pores on the surface of the skin.

7. Herbs & Supplements.

Acupuncture isn’t all about needles. Accredited TCM acupuncturists are highly qualified to give herbs and supplements advice, designed to support your unique body and skin type.

8. Detox.

No matter how heavily you supplement, half of the success with supplements depends on absorption of nutrients in the gut. If you gut needs detoxifying in order to allow better absortpion of nutrients to nourish your skin, acupuncture can help with that too.

9. Oxygen.

Sufficient oxygen supply to the soft tissues (muscles, connective tissue, skin) is crucial for your face muscles to remain toned and supple, and your skin nourished and even.  Acupuncture improves circulation, especially in the area treated, so you’re going to get high on that oxygen after the session and noticeably reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.

10. Lymphatic drainage

Now, lymphatic drainage being one of the top keywords of all things health and wellness for years, we don’t need to introduce it. And, yes, facial acupuncture helps drain the lymph with all it’s amazing benefits!

Have you had experience of facial acupuncture? Please share it with us in the comments!