So, you’re taking your probiotics, avoiding seed oils + pesticides, using all natural deodorant and minding your daily protein intake but still injecting neurotoxins into your skin every 3 – 6 months? Let’s make 2025 the year of realignment when it comes to our health and beauty choices. Cosmetic acupuncture offers a more holistic option for patients who want natural, sustainable skincare results – without the risks and side-effects that can come with injectable treatments.

BENEFITS THE WHOLE BODY

Cosmetic acupuncture is our favourite Replete Wellness beauty treatment because it addresses both the mind and body. In Chinese medicine it is believed that acupuncture can balance the flow of energy in the body, also called chi. When chi becomes blocked or stagnant it not only leads to skin issues, but can also cause other symptoms in the body such as pain, digestive issues, fatigue, anxiety, etc. Ageing is determined by our cellular health and facial acupuncture optimizes your whole system encouraging cellular and mitochondria health, which will help to prevent premature aging. While botox addresses the local concerns of wrinkles by paralyzing face muscles, acupuncture impacts beauty and overall health holistically. This means that other aspects of wellness – digestion, circulation, metabolism, and mental health can all be addressed during your beauty treatment. Remember ladies, your internal health shows up on your skin!

IMPROVES LONG TERM SKIN HEALTH

By creating tiny micro ‘injuries’ facial acupuncture encourages the natural production of newer, stronger elastin fibers and collagen. This results in increased elasticity + firmness, reduced fine lines + a smoother complexion. While botox may lead to more dramatic acute anti-aging results there are long term consequences from freezing muscles on the face including muscle atrophy and reduced blood flow to the skin. Cosmetic acupuncture, unlike Botox, can influence the long term health of skin, rather than just the superficial signs of aging.

INCREASES COLLAGEN PRODUCTION

Collagen is a protein that provides structure and elasticity to the skin and optimal collagen levels are essential for youthful looking skin. The insertion of acupuncture needles can increase your skin’s collagen production by improving blood flow to the dermis and increasing the movement of the essential nutrients that skin cells need to thrive resulting in a healthier, more radiant complexion. Facial acupuncture can also help to reduce inflammation, creating an environment more conducive to collagen synthesis.

NON-TOXIC!! + SAFE

Acupuncture is a completely natural and toxin-free approach to slow the signs of aging. In comparison, botox is a drug made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum – the same toxin that causes botulism. While Botox may offer dramatic and quick results, the effects typically wear off in a few months and must be repeated. Unfortunately research on long-term effectiveness and safety is limited with the longest known study capping the observation window at 2 years. Botox is generally touted as safe since researchers have been able to determine a lethal dose; so the thinking is that as long as injected levels don’t reach that dose at any given appointment then it should be safe. This line of thinking does not account for chronic drug toxicity to the brain or other organs, which can occur at lower doses or with chronic administration. It is therefore difficult to predict the dose-dependent longterm side effects of botulinum toxin use.

Documented acute possible side effects include:

Patients who aren’t ready to fully give up on botox can still benefit from cosmetic acupuncture. Adding a visit 6-8 weeks after their last injection appointment can allow for more time between botox appointments to achieve similar impact, while reducing the overall level of injectable toxins needed to maintain results.

TREATS MULTIPLE SKIN CONCERNS

While best known for it’s muscle lifting and wrinkle diminishing capabilities, cosmetic acupuncture can be used to treat a variety of skin concerns;

Acne: Acupuncture can help to regulate the hormonal imbalances that cause an acne flare-up. It improves circulation and stimulates the skin’s natural healing processes, so you’ll likely see a pretty immediate reduction in inflammation and calming of redness.

Puffy Skin: Cosmetic acupuncture helps to promote lymphatic drainage, which can help reduce puffiness and fluid retention.

Dermatitis: Certain points on the body correspond to heat or inflammation and needling them can help to reduce skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis. Acupuncture has also shown benefits in immune system regulation so it may help with the underlying immune imbalances that are causing your skin reactions.

COVERED BY HEALTH CARE BENEFITS

This cosmetic treatment is covered by most extended health care benefits under your naturopathic benefits coverage or paramedical flex plan. Even if you’re not ready to see an ND to address your overall wellness (we’re not going to take away your coffee, ladies!) cosmetic acupuncture it is a great way to use up those naturopath benefits.

Some of the most beautiful women in the world are getting cosmetic acupuncture as part of their beauty & longevity protocols; Kim Kardashian, Ashley Graham, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bar Refaeli, Rita Ora and Jennifer Aniston have all added acupuncture to their beauty routines. While most celebrity-celebrated longevity treatments are out of reach for the average person, cosmetic acupuncture is accessible for most and often free or extremely subsidized for those with extended health benefits.

RELAXATION INSTEAD OF PAIN

While some needles can be a touch ‘sensitive’, generally this is a very relaxing treatment and many patients even fall asleep during their acupuncture session. Additional points are often added to treatments to ‘calm the mind and promote feelings of relaxation and the benefits of needling these powerful acupuncture points can be felt for weeks after treatment. There is no downtime except for a flushed face and feeling extremely zen so you can come for a cosmetic acupuncture treatment during the middle of your work day without the need for any recovery time.

References

• https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7874868/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38167051/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25138672/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38346661/