The face is a reflection of the internal system. If digestion is weak, skin will appear sagging. If the kidney function is insufficient, puffiness or dark circles under eyes will be present. If there is a hormonal imbalance, the face is prone to acne. If the liver function is impaired, dark spots or pigmentation is visible. If there's emotional instablility, the complexion is dull. In essence, a healthy body and spirit will reflect in the face.  

Being a human pin cushion isn't everyone's idea of an indulgent beauty treat, but with acupuncture's ability to ease fine lines and wrinkles, dark circles and even acne, maybe it's time to get on board. Concentrating on different points on the face, needles work to improve the skin's elasticity and general appearance.

"The face is seen as another micro system of the body," acupuncture practitioner Theresa Velasquez of London's AcuMedic told Cover Media.

"The needle is seen as a tool... that delivers blood flow to the surface of the skin. It helps adjust the normal colour or appearance of the skin and if, for instance, there is any scarring or deep wrinkles or fair wrinkles around the eyes, forehead, nasal area, or mouth then the needle helps direct blood flow to where it's needed."

In Chinese medicine there are five main organs; liver, lung, spleen, heart and kidney. Each of those organs are paired with another five organs. Those pairs have specific functions for the body, e.g. the stomach and the spleen are responsible for transporting and transforming food into essence. Each organ system affects the quality of the skin.
If there is disharmony in the function of the spleen organ, then skin will appear to sag.
Dark circles are commonly related to the kidneys and the spleen and sometimes the liver. Blemishes on the chin are related to the stomach meridian, and the stomach pairs with the spleen. Acne is also related to hormones and dampness, with dampness associated commonly with the spleen. Wrinkles could be caused by a deficiency in the blood.

"In cosmetic acupuncture the lungs are one of the most important aspects of treatment, because we see the skin as a reflection of the lungs. Because the skin is another way for the body to breath. So it's an organ in Chinese medicine," Theresa noted.

Acupuncture, both on the body and face, is not painful. You can barely feel the needles, with the thought of being pricked over and over a lot worse than the reality. It's a great time to reconnect with your inner thoughts too.

"Generally with the use of acupuncture, it's mechanism is that there are slight depressions along the meridian lines along the body, and this depression is in between two muscles, so there is a space between the muscles.

"The needle is just to help facilitate the connection of chi, also known as energy, and then it helps stimulate the meridian and the organ that is associated with it. So it can do various things depending on the manipulation applied and also the direction of the needle," Theresa said.


reference: http://www.tv3.ie/xpose/article/beauty/164752/Cosmetic-acupuncture-explained
For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Acupuncture can become part of your regular skincare routine.

Growing up with relatively severe acne, my parents shuttled me from dermatologist to dermatologist, trying everything from photo facials that burnt my skin to prescription lotions that made my skin flake to extractions that exacerbated the swelling. Thousands of dollars and many years later, I still suffer from acne on a daily basis. Jaded and (sometimes literally) scarred by Western medicine, I looked to my roots and sought Chinese traditional medicine, namely acupuncture, to see if it could clear my skin, and maybe even give me a health boost beyond the face. I consulted two different Manhattan-based acupuncturists, Shellie Goldstein of Hamptons Acupuncture and Su-Jung Lee of Truing Acupuncture, to teach me about skincare beyond Western medicine. Before you decide to stick needles all over your body in the pursuit of beauty though, here are eight basic tenets to know about acupuncture, skin, and wellness.
Your tongue says a lot about you
Before my acupuncture facial with Lee began, she asked me to stick out my tongue, which is a traditional diagnostic tool. “The body of the tongue can fall on a spectrum of deeper, darker, purplish reds to a light pink,” Lee explains to Yahoo Beauty. “The tongue body reflects the overall physical systems. Bright red for instance will reflect excess heat in the system. Purples could mean there is stagnation of blood or a blockage in circulation.” By checking the tongue coating and body, the acupuncturist can confirm a diagnosis. Goldstein agrees: “According to Chinese medicine, the tongue is the visible end of a long tube that extends from the mouth to the rectum,” she writes in her book, Your Best Face Now. “Your tongue can also say a lot about your Qi,” Goldstein tells Yahoo Beauty. “The Qi is a force of energy that you can’t see, but it affects the way you look and the way you feel. Many of my patients don’t just have skin issues. They are also fatigued.” It’s all connected — and it starts with your tongue.
Acupuncture needles are not one-size-fits-all
There are more than 365 points in your body, but don’t worry — the needles don’t go everywhere. This is great news if you have a fear of needles. In her office, Goldstein presented to me a variety of needles from Japan, China, Taiwan, and elsewhere. They come in different diameters and types of metal, and the Chinese needles tend to be thicker than the Japanese needles. They are pre-sterilized, single-use, and disposable (leave immediately if your acupuncturist is re-using needles). Unlike hypodermic needles, these don’t hurt because they’re extremely thin, solid (versus hollow), and have finely tapered points. You shouldn’t really feel the needles, but you may experience a slight pinch in certain areas. It’s not an unpleasant feeling, but if you already have an aversion to sharp things, this is your warning. You may actually find it relaxing: Many people claim to fall asleep during acupuncture sessions — I know I do.
Chinese medical cosmetology dates back thousands of years
“Used by the ancient Chinese Empresses and the concubines of the Emperor, this system was designed to improve the quality of the skin, reduce signs of aging, and maintain lustrous radiance,” Goldstein explains. She mentions a text, Huang Di Nei Jing, that recommends acupuncture, facial massage, and qi gong as anti-aging and acne treatments, and explains how your diet affects your appearance. The Empress Lu Zhi of the Han Dynasty, for example, is said to have started each day with a soup made of edible jelly fungus, which was supposed to minimize facial pigmentation and freckles, reduce fat absorption, and promote gut health. And Yang Guifei, the famously beautiful concubine of Tang Dynasty Emperor Xuanzong, had her own almond skin cream recipe.
An acupuncture facial requires needles all over your body
I was surprised when the needles went on my feet — the farthest points away from my body. Apparently, the points on your feet can affect parts of your head, whether you’re seeking treatment for chronic migraines, acne, or sallow skin. “As the tongue can reflect an imbalance in the overall physiology, so can the face and skin,” Lee explains. Treating the whole body, as well as locally on the face, synergistically improves the general health of the person.” For example, as Goldstein explains, the point on top of your foot between your first and second toes can be activated to treat wrinkles between the eyebrows and around the eyes, and to reduce and irritation in the eyes. Activating the point on the inside of your foot, directly below the ankle bone, can help treat dry lips, thinning hair, and ringing in your ears. Everyone has an individual experience with acupuncture, but the point is to restore the balance in your body.


by Noël Duan, Assistant Editor

For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Researchers discovered that a type of acupuncture, referred to as electroacupuncture, is effective for inhibiting hypertrophic scar formation. Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture wherein an electric current is run between the needles. A hypertrophic scar is a cutaneous condition involving excessive collagen deposits during wound healing. This affects aesthetic appearances and may result in various forms of psychological dysfunction in serious cases. Although different treatment strategies targeted at hypertrophic scars are practiced, there is yet to be a definitive treatment protocol for this condition. The results demonstrate that electroacupuncture regulates and impedes regeneration of fibrous tissues, prevents adhesions during recuperation, and improves blood circulation at scar areas. Also, electroacupuncture is effective in softening and lightening scars, decreases the size of scars, and reduces scar thickness.

A recent experiment was conducted by researchers at Yantai Binzhou Medical University to investigate acupuncture’s ability to prevent scar formation. A total of 18 New Zealand rabbits were randomly distributed into 3 groups. The control group received manual acupuncture. Group A received electroacupuncture using continuous frequency current. Group B received electroacupuncture using electrical current with alternating frequencies.

Methodologies
The researchers used a Huatuo brand electroacupuncture machine and sterile, single-use acupuncture needles of size 0.25 mm X 0.25 mm. All rabbits were anesthetized and had their ears marked with four 1.5 cm X 1.5 cm squarish surgical wounds, each distanced at least 1 cm from another. After sterilization, researchers cut the skin to create wounds. After 20 days, they repeated the process above by cutting open the original wound and removing new tissues and created new wounds the size of 1.5 cm x 1.5 cm. At this point, the wounds were allowed to heal naturally. 

Intervention
When all models were ready, researches practiced the following steps daily for 30 days.

• Control group: Insertion of acupuncture needles was diagonal, 0.5 cm from the hypertrophic wounds using 4 needles. The needles were inserted to a depth of 0.5 cm and were retained for 15 minutes.
• Group A: Researchers connected the top of the needles to the electroacupuncture machine and applied 2 mA continuous current for 15 minutes at wound areas.
• Group B: Alternating 2 and 100 Hz current of 2 mA was applied. Needle retention time was 15 minutes.

Researchers collected hypertrophic scar samples from 2 randomly selected rabbits in every group at the 10th, 20th, and 30th day. All rabbits which had their samples taken once and were not reused. Based on the samples collected at the 10th, 20th, and 30th day, researchers analyzed and recorded the areas, thickness, color, blood vessel distribution, and softness of all hypertrophic scars. Samples were monitored with an optical microscope with staining to tabulate scar proliferation indexes. All groups showed progress in the scoring of hypertrophic scars, however, the scar proliferation indexes from group A and B were vastly different from that of the control group. Electroacupuncture significantly inhibited scar formation. This includes an overall smaller size, less thickness, less discoloration, better uniformity of tissue, and less deformities. Overall, electroacupuncture produced significantly superior patient outcomes over the control group. Group B, using alternating frequency electroacupuncture, had the best scores.

The researchers found electroacupuncture helpful in softening and lightening scars. Electroacupuncture also decreased the size of scar areas and thickness. Continuous frequency electroacupuncture produced less treatment results than alternating frequencies. The theoretical basis for these differences has yet to be fully elucidated. Based on the data, the researchers concluded that electroacupuncture is useful in inhibiting hypertrophic scar formation. Alternating frequencies produce better clinical results than continuous frequency current. Overall, electroacupuncture continues to gain greater recognition for the treatment of hypertrophic scar prevention and reduction. This laboratory experiment confirms efficacy.


Reference:
Shi Hui, Yin Rongchao, Dong Ying. The effect of different waveform electric acupuncture on inhibiting hyperplastic scar on the the rabbit ear, Journal of Binzhou Medical University, 2015 (3).


For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Researchers conclude that acupuncture combined with the herbal formula Huoxue Shengfa is safe and effective for alleviating alopecia areata. This condition is a type of hair loss typically characterized by round bald patches. In recent clinical experiments, 62 outpatient cases with alopecia areata were randomly and evenly distributed into a treatment group and a control group. The treatment group was treated with acupuncture combined with Huoxue Shengfa decoction. The control group received treatment with acupuncture combined with Compound Glycyrrhizin tablets.

The 31 outpatients from the treatment group consisted of 16 male and 15 female patients ranging from 18 to 40 years old with an average symptom duration of approximately 7.5 months. The control group was comprised of 16 male and 15 female patients ranging from 18 to 37 years old with an average symptom duration of approximately 7 months.

Inclusion criteria included:

• Sudden loss of hair that happened rapidly
• Hair loss areas were primarily round or oval shaped
• Widespread alopecia patches
• Symptoms were discovered inadvertently
• Affected areas had no conspicuous symptoms of organic disease
• Mental stress, persistent worrying, insomnia, forgetfulness
• Dark tongue color with white patches
• Pulse readings reveal stasis
• Positive hair pull test result

Exclusion criteria included:

• Infectious hair loss
• Serious nerve or mental illness
• Hemorrhage tendency
• Serious coagulation dysfunction

Treatment Methods
Both groups received 7-star (plum blossom) acupuncture twice per week at hair loss areas, moving from the outer edge of each alopecia patch towards the center, in a clockwise direction. Acupuncture was applied lightly, rapidly, and accurately until flushing appeared.

The treatment group patients orally consumed the Huoxue Shengfa decoction 3 times per day, 200 ml each time. The ingredients of the formula are:

• Dang Gui 30g
• Dan Shen 30g
• Yu Jin 15g
• Ling Xiao Hua 15g
• Bai Shao 10g
• Tian Ma 10g
• He Shou Wu 15g
• Wu Shao She 10g
• Gan Cao 9g

The control group patients consumed Compound Glycyrrhizin tablets (also known as Shuai Neng, manufactured by LePu YaoYe GuFen Company) after their meals at a rate of 3 times per day, 75 mg each dosage. The treatment period was 4 weeks and the results were observed and recorded 12 weeks after 3 treatments were implemented on both groups.  

Degree of Efficacy
Fully recovered: Fully grown hair with normal thickness and color, negative hair pull test
Full efficacy: 70% of new grown hair with thickness and color approaching normal state
Notable efficacy: 30% of new grown hair, hair loss reduced after treatment
No efficacy: Less than 30% of new grown hair and hair continued to fall out after treatment
Total recovery rate: fully recovered, full efficacy, notable efficacy combined

Test Results
Researchers document that the total recovery rate for the treatment group was 90.32% with a recurrence rate of 9.68%. The total recovery rate for the control group was 67.74% with a recurrence rate of 32.36%. Also, 1 case of an adverse reaction, mild dizziness, was observed in the treatment group. A total of 5 minor adverse reactions occurred in the control group. Both groups obtained an adverse reaction rate of 3.23% and 19.35% respectively. All adverse symptoms were minor and disappeared after the patients were treated accordingly.

History of TCM
The researchers gave a historical precedent for initiation of the investigation. Alopecia areata caught the attention of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctors since the ancient Warring States Period in China. Ancient medical scholars once concluded it is best to start by treating blood stasis problems in order to treat alopecia areata. Researchers also agree that dissolving blood stasis helps to promote qi and blood circulation, thereby supplying nutrients to the hair. The Huoxue Shengfa decoction was prescribed by Cheng Ganlu, where Dang Gui and Dan Shen are important herbs for the enhancement blood circulation.

Modern researchers discovered that Dang Gui helps to strengthen the immune system and promotes haemopoiesis. Dang Gui has also been shown to regulate blood platelet aggregation and benefits circulation in blood vessels. Dan Shen helps to promote blood circulation and repair tissues. All other ingredients mentioned in the prescription are used to complement and assist one another to create the best treatment results.

The researchers note that acupuncture is one of the most significant treatment methods in TCM for the treatment of alopecia areata. Research demonstrates that acupuncture promotes blood circulation, especially to the skin. As soon as blood flow increases, nutrient levels at different areas of the skin are replenished to encourage hair growth. Additional research demonstrates that acupuncture regulates the neuroendocrine system and benefits the immune system. The researchers concluded that acupuncture is safe and effective for alopecia areata treatment when it is combined with the Huoxue Shengfa decoction.


Reference: 
Cheng Ganlu, Clinical effects of acupuncture plus the Huoxue Shengfa decoction on alopecia areata, Clinical Journal of Chinese Medicine, 2015(13).