Cosmetic Acupuncture: Is It Hype or Really Helpful?
Cosmetic Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese technique that has been practiced for over 5,000 years to reverse many of the common signs of aging. Today, its popularity is spreading as a safe and relatively non-invasive alternative to traditional cosmetic surgeries, facelifts, and chemical injections.
When properly administered, Cosmetic Acupuncture can increases facial blood flow and tone facial muscles to erase or minimize fine lines, soften deeper wrinkles, lift sagging skin in the neck and face, tighten pores, and even soften scars.
Typical Benefits:
• Eliminates fine lines
• Diminishes deeper wrinkles
• Improves muscle tone and skin elasticity
• Firms and lifts sagging skin
• Reduces puffiness
• Tightens pores
• Evens facial color tone
• Softens scars
• Smoothes forehead
• Normalizes oil production
• A safe, painless alternative to surgery or chemical injections
How Does It Work?
Cosmetic Acupuncture increases the circulation to key points in the face and neck, which nourishes the muscles and skin with highly oxygenated blood. This, in turn, increases collagen production, which improves skin and muscle elasticity, softens wrinkles, tightens loose skin, and improves overall facial tone.
When will I start seeing benefits?
While the full effect is typically achieved after 10 visits (two visits a week for the first three weeks, and then once a week for a months), a study in the International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture reported that 90% of 300 cases showed marked improvement after even just one treatment. While no results can be guaranteed, this is not unusual in our experience.
How long do the benefits last?
Optimum results can last from six months up to a year or longer, depending upon your genetics and lifestyle behaviors. With periodic acupuncture maintenance sessions, facial improvements can last even longer.
Does it hurt?
Not the way Dr. Bresler does it. As the founder and Executive Director of the UCLA Pain Control Unit, Dr. Bresler has studied, researched, and perfected many innovative techniques and approaches for pain control.
Before performing Cosmetic Acupuncture, Dr. Bresler uses tiny, sterile, disposable needles placed at special acupuncture points on the outer ear in order to reduce facial sensitivity. After a few moments, the remainder of the tiny needles can be inserted virtually painlessly.
While a few patients may become aware of some mild discomfort when certain facial points are stimulated, most report that “It didn’t bother me at all! I hardly even felt it!”
Why Cosmetic Acupuncture over Cosmetic Surgery?
Although the results of Cosmetic Acupuncture are not as drastic as those of traditional facelift surgeries, there are many advantages to the non-surgical route.
Primarily, rather than the days to weeks of healing time needed to reduce the swelling and discoloration associated with traditional Cosmetic Surgery, there is absolutely no period of recovery with Cosmetic Acupuncture. Moreover, there is the added comfort of avoiding the standard risks of disfigurement or disability associated with surgeries.
While some surgeons are able to perform rejuvenating facelifts in ways that are undetectable, the results can produce a major change in one’s original appearance. Sometimes this change is welcome, and other times, it’s not.
Unlike cosmetic surgery, patients who receive Cosmetic Acupuncture often report “I like it that I don’t look a lot different, just younger, healthier, and better” or “Why does everyone ask if I’ve started working out?” or “People tell me they really like my new hairstyle, but I haven’t changed it.”
The benefits from Cosmetic Acupuncture are less dramatic and more subtle, for it can enhance not only your physical appearance, but also your overall energy and vitality, giving you a youthful, energized, balanced glow that radiates from deep within.
Acupuncture vs. Clinical Injections
Chemical injections (such as Botox® or Restylane®) involve either numbing certain facial nerves or filling-in deep wrinkles by injecting chemicals directly into the layers of skin on the face. Although this is sometimes uncomfortable because of facial sensitivity to the injection process, the results are usually immediate, and when performed properly, they come with relatively low long-term risks.
The enhancing effects from Cosmetic Acupuncture do not appear as quickly, but they are usually comparable to the results of chemical injections in terms of erasing fine lines and softening deeper wrinkles. Some patients use both approaches and they report that as a result of Cosmetic Acupuncture, they need chemical injections far less frequently.
Most importantly, Cosmetic Acupuncture is a 100% natural, relatively painless, less costly, and healthier way to improve your appearance and vitality without serious risks or potentially harmful side effects.
Comparison of Approaches
Bresler Center Protocol
Dr. Bresler has been practicing acupuncture since 1971. Since that time, he has studied, research, developed, and taught a wide variety of acupuncture techniques, procedures, and approaches. Compiled from the vast amount of information collected over 35+ years, he has developed a unique protocol for facial rejuvenation that includes the following four phases:
(1) Pain Management
Prior to performing Cosmetic Acupuncture, Dr. Bresler utilizes specialized auriculotherapy (ear acupuncture) techniques to reduce facial sensitivity. This involves inserting several tiny, sterile, disposable acupuncture needles into special points on the outer ear which stimulate the production of endorphins, the body’s natural pain relievers.
(2) Cosmetic Acupuncture
Once facial sensitivity has been reduced, tiny, sterile, disposable needles are placed into acupuncture and special points on the face, scalp, and neck. These remain in place while you recline and relax for the remainder of the treatment session (about 20 minutes).
The initial trial of Cosmetic Acupuncture usually requires 10 bi-weekly treatments for best results. Afterwards, the benefits can be maintained by periodic follow-up visits that might be needed only once or twice per year, or up to two or three times per month depending upon your genetics and lifestyle behaviors.
(3) Nutritional Support
Although it is not a required part of the program, Dr. Bresler will recommend nutritional supplements that enhance your appearance, and will encourage you to avoid foods and behaviors that can work against the desired results. Smoking cessation is of primary importance not only for appearance sake, but for overall health and longevity, and fortunately, the Center specializes in helping people to break the smoking habit once and for all.
(4) Stress Management
Stress can also have a devastating impact upon our appearance. Hans Selye, MD, the pioneering stress researcher once commented that “Aging is just the scars left by the stress of life.”
Every patient who receives Cosmetic Acupuncture at the Bresler Center is also given a “Conditioned Relaxation” CD containing an entire stress management program on a single CD.
Learning to relax in just a few seconds is a vital survival skill for the age in which we live, and for the sake of their health and vitality, every family member should utilize this CD to train themselves how to relax.on command.
(5) MindBody Tune-up
This is one of the special benefits of receiving Cosmetic Acupuncture at the Bresler Center. With each treatment, Dr. Bresler includes a “MindBody Tune-up” using a unique combination of guided imagery and special auricular acupuncture techniques designed to give you increased energy, as well as improved digestion, clear-mindedness, and an overall sense of well-being.
