The use of acupuncture to improve the look of skin and to control and reverse the signs of aging is as old as acupuncture itself. However, the current obsession with looking young has highlighted this purpose for acupuncture. Even though surgery and injections of various substances into the skin artificially give the appearance of a younger look, the cellular process of aging is still on-going.

Julianne Moore, a famous actress and beautiful 40-something year-old woman stated it best: "[With cosmetic surgery] people don't look any younger, they simply look like they've had plastic surgery."

The truth is we will all age. But according to Chinese medicine, there is the normal healthy rate of aging in which we become wiser and attain a certain grace (think of a 50, 60 or even 70-year old that you know looks incredibly good for her age-without surgical intervention), and then there is accelerated aging in which there is an imbalance and depletion of our body's "essence" caused by lifestyle and genetic factors as well as other underlying diseases (Think of the tired and run-down looking 40, 30 or even 20 year-old). Thus, this form of accelerated aging is treated like any other health condition in chinese medicine.

Facial acupuncture (also referred to as facial rejuvenation acupuncture, cosmetic acupuncture, plastic acupuncture, acupuncture face-lift) is designed to help rebalance your body and encourage it to slow down or reverse aging naturally.

The insertion of fine needles into the face, scalp and a few other body points have the following effects:

1) The smaller, finer needles penetrate the upper epidermis to stimulate the dermis below where collagen and elastin are naturally produced. Acupuncture needles stimulate this layer, thereby increasing collagen production.

3) Slightly larger needles placed at facial muscles help tone these muscles by stimulating local nerves and circulation.

4) Naturally improves the look, colour, texture and tone of skin. In fact women with rosacea, acne, eczema, psoriasis, dry skin, oily skin, sallow complexion etc, report improvements with these conditions as well.

5) There is no down time, anesthetic, disfigurement or permanent side-effects. There may be minor bruising with more sensitive individuals.

6) The treatment itself is relaxing and client's report other benefits such as better sleep, better energy and better able to manage stress.

Facial acupuncture can reduce the fine lines around the eyes and mouth (crows feet and smoker's lip lines), soften deeper lines, reduce double chin, tone up jowls, reduce frown lines and forehead lines. Facial acupuncture can make you look like a better, more rested, more glowing younger version of yourself.

Facial acupuncture cannot do the impossible: you will not look 20 years old if you are 50 years old (But then again, I don't think that dramatic cosmetic surgery does this very convincingly either). And it will not create things that were not there to begin with (such as larger cheekbones, smaller nose etc).

Facial acupuncture is truly more than just a skin deep treatment.