Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture
By Dr. Amy Nykoluk
Happy August to all our friends of The Natural Art of Skin Care! Hopefully everyone is enjoying the amazing summer we’re having in Calgary - hot weather and a good amount of rain has made the city so green and beautiful!
As some of you may know, as of this past June we are now offering a Rejuvenating Acupuncture Facial at the Spa! The response has been great, and I wanted to share a little more information on this relaxing and therapeutic treatment for those who may be interested in trying, or just trying to decide if this is the correct way to achieve their skincare goals.
We use Acupuncture for any and every health condition of the body, and this does not exclude age control! Although prevention of disease, or unhealthy, aging skin is always our best defence, we can still use TCM modalities to return the body to a healthy state, and repair damage to the skin and muscles of our face, neck, décolletage, and whole body! We use the needles to treat the local area, but also heal the internal environment, so the skin is supported from the inside out. It is very important to treat the whole person, improving general health, so we can use the persons own internal energy, or qi, to heal.
We use the needles, and other TCM therapies to directly impact the dermis, or the "central nervous system" of the skin. It is in the dermis that tissue is renewed, and collagen and elastin are formed. The direct stimulation of the face and neck greatly increases the flow of blood and qi upwards, which is vital to keeping the complexion bright and plump.
When we insert a needle into the skin in any location, the body looks at this "mini-trauma" and sends blood and qi to the area to heal it. Collagen and elastin are formed to help heal the tiny injury, which gives permanent change to the skin in the area. The more collagen and elastin we have and produce, the younger and firmer our skin will be.
Although The Rejuvenating Acupuncture Facial treatment will help everyone, it is very important to heal internal imbalances before beginning the protocol. Every organ system is involved in the maintenance and health of our skin. For example, the lungs control the opening and closing of our pores. If there is too much heat in our lungs, say, from smoking, the skin will appear red, the pores dilated, and there may be sweating issues involved. The spleen and stomach are our two main digestive organs, and digestion plays a very important, if not the most important role in young healthy looking and feeling skin. The energy of the spleen travels upward, so if our spleen is weak, our skin will sag. Our kidneys are involved in water regulation, as well as filtration, so when we eat too much salt, or don't drink enough water, our kidney system may begin to falter, and dark circles begin to appear, or the under eye becomes puffy. If we heal the internal environment, regardless of focusing the treatment on the face, the skin cannot help but begin to show positive changes. We will both feel better and look better.
Even though many people achieve dramatic results and improvements to the skin and overall health, it is important to remember that Acupuncture is a natural treatment, so it takes time to see changes. Surgical results just aren't possible without surgery, so it is important to have a realistic goal when beginning these treatments. Some of the benefits you can expect to see are;
- Improved overall complexion and texture of the face, neck, and décolletage
- Improvement to the elasticity and spring back of the skin
- Reduced appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Tightening of the jowls and less sagging
- Reduction of acne and rosacea
- Fading of age spots and pigmentation
As I mentioned earlier, these treatments are working on the internal environment, so the patient can expect to have other improvements as well, such as;
- Reduced anxiety and mild depression
- Reduced hot flashes or other menopausal symptoms
- Improved circulation and healthy blood pressure
- Increase in energy
- Improved digestive function
There is so much information to share on the benefits of TCM and Acupuncture, so come in and book a consultation to learn more about what you can do to improve the quality of your life and prevent and treat the signs and symptoms of aging!
Watch for my monthly articles in our newsletter, as I will be getting into more detail on the Rejuvenating Acupuncture Facial every month, starting with next month’s article focused on digestion and nutrition. Also, please check out our Instagram page - thenaturalartofskincare - for videos and posts that I will be sharing of my treatments, and tips and tricks for improving skin health!
Looking forward to seeing you all at the spa.
- Dr. Amy